what makes flamingos pink

Flamingos get their pink color from their diet, which includes algae, brine fly larvae, and brine shrimp that contain high amounts of beta-carotene, a red-orange pigment. Enzymes in the flamingos digestive system break down the beta-carotene into pigments that are absorbed by fats in the liver and deposited in the feathers and skin. Carotenoids are also found in carrots, sweet potatoes, and spinach. Flamingos are not born pink; they hatch with dull gray feathers and only develop their pinkish hue after consuming their diet of algae and crustaceans.