A baby flamingo is called a chick. Born gray (not pink!), it takes 2-3 years of eating shrimp and algae to earn its iconic color.
Flamingos aren't born pink — they're born gray or white. The pink color comes from carotenoid pigments in the shrimp, algae, and crustaceans they eat. It takes 2-3 years of this diet to turn fully pink.
Born gray — pink color comes from diet (shrimp & algae)
Produce "crop milk" — both parents feed babies red nutritious milk
The crop milk is so rich it can sustain a chick for days
Chicks gather in "crèches" — groups of hundreds watched by a few adults
Beak is straight at birth — curves as they grow
Can swim and walk within a week
Takes 2-3 years to turn fully pink
Flamingo colonies can number in the millions