The word "flamingo" comes from the Spanish and Latin word "flamenco" which means fire, and refers to the bright color of the birds' feathers. There are only six species of Flamingo: The American Flamingo (Caribbean Flamingo), Andean Flamingo, Chilean Flamingo, Greater Flamingo, James's Flamingo (Puna Flamingo), and Lesser Flamingo. The American Flamingo is large but generally does not have such a pale plumage as the Greater Flamingo. The Andean Flamingo and James's Flamingo both have yellow beaks with black tips but the James's Flamingo has bright red skin between the eye and the beak and the Andean Flamingo has a distinctive black triangle patch on its plumage. The Chilean Flamingo is the only species to have grey legs with pink leg joints. The Greater Flamingo is the largest species and has a long curved neck and restrictive black tip on the beak. The Lesser Flamingo is the smallest Flamingo and has a dark red beak and dark yellow-orange eyes surrounded by a reddish-brown ring and dark bare skin between the eye and beak.
See also: American flamingo, Andean flamingo, Caribbean flamingo, Chilean flamingo, Greater Flamingo, James's (puna) flamingo, Lesser flamingo
