How do flamingos get their color?

From their diet. They eat foods high in beta carotene, mostly shrimp and algae. They also will eat mollusks (clams or snails) or crustaceans (crabs). They gather their food by gulping water with their beak and then straining the water and eating the leftover food. So, that being said, the color often varies between bird to bird in a flock.

Flamingos in a zoo are fed foods with the additive canthaxanthin to keep the color up to everyone’s expectations. The same is done with the pretty pink salmon you buy that is farmed and not caught in the wild.

 

Where do seagulls nest?

It is interesting to think that seagulls may want to rest at some point, but they tend to want to re-energize somewhere safe inland (i.e., old boat yards, rock jetties, water towers, etc.) – not necessarily near the dunes or on the beach. Seagulls are full-grown when they leave the nest. They have to be able to survive outside of the nest and as we know, it’s a cruel, cruel world.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sparkyleigh/2845858/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sparkyleigh/2845858/

Are laughing gulls really funny?

NO! Not at all.

Laughing gulls, or Larus atricilla, are quite aggressive. These birds travel up and down the coasts seagulland never have to stray far inland. They are extremely confident and spend their days foraging food from overly-relaxed beach goers. They will easily push larger birds, for instance, a pelican, right out of the way in order to grab the goodies.

These birds do have a black cap of feathers, but, it changes to white in the off breeding season.

Image (c) FreeFoto.com.

Do you have another great question? Check out www.beachchairscientist.com and enter your request!