Filter Feeder

A Lesser Flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor) filter feeding in the saline alkaline waters of Lake Bogoria, Great Rift Valley, Kenya. Its specialized beak with its gummy membrane, lamellae, and the powerful pumping action of its tongue enable it to filter its food. It mainly feeds on small invertebrate species which it stirs up from the muddy bottom of the lake with its feet. The Flamingo's distinctive coloration comes from the beta-carotene found in the shrimp and plankton it eats.