Reproductive System:
Breeding seasons:
- Once the Caribbean flamingo has found the proper mate, they will leave the colony to start building a nest.
- During the time that the nest is being built, the male and female bird will mate periodically. They reproduce by means of sexual reproduction.
- The female flamingo will lay a a single white oval shaped egg in the top of her nest. The egg is roughly 9 centimeters long and 5 centimeters in diameter. The male and female flamingos will take turns incubating the egg, and once and awhile the flamingo will stand up and turn the egg to make sure the developing flamingo doesn't get stuck.
- After the 28-32 day incubation period a baby flamingo covered in whitish grey down feathers will break through the egg using a sharp point on its beak called an egg tooth.
- Flamingos reach sexual maturity several years after hatching and usually begin to breed at about six years of age.
Breeding seasons:
- Breeding seems to occur at any time throughout the year, and flamingos may breed twice in a year. However, they may not breed every year.
- Breeding and nest building may depend on rainfall and its effect on food supply.
- Lesser flamingos may depend on algal blooms for proper mating in their feeding areas.
- Groups of flamingos perform ritualized stretching and preening when courting begins.
- Males group together and often run with bills pointed toward the sky and necks held straight out.
- Birds interested in one another call to each other frequently and in unison.