The world's oldest flamingo

Flamingos are named for their distinctive feather coloration, and in addition to this unusual characteristic, flamingos have the advantage of living a long time, making them the longest-lived birds in the world. This flamingo at the Adelaide Zoo in South Australia is "great". This flamingo lived to be 83 years old. On January 31, 2014, it was euthanized due to multiple illnesses. During its 83-year long life trajectory, it experienced many challenges, but remained very vigorous until the end of its life.

The Life of Flamingo "Great"

"Great" was admitted to the Adelaide Zoo in South Australia in the 1930s and has lived there ever since, being the most senior member of the zoo. It became the longest-lived bird in the world, writing a miracle in the history of flamingo life.

What to know about flamingos

The average flamingo lives between 20 and 50 years and has white and reddish plumage with deep red plumage. It is said that as flamingos live longer, their red coloration deepens. However, in their twilight years, as their bodies deteriorate, their feathers also turn white. Flamingos have red plumage, but red is not the original color of the flamingo's plumage. When the flamingo is young, its plumage is white, and as it grows up and grows in size, the flamingo gradually begins to feed on small fish, shrimp, algae, and plankton.

These foods are rich in astaxanthin, long-term consumption of food containing astaxanthin, over time, its feathers with red. The brighter the red color of the flamingo's feathers, the better the flamingo's body and the more robust it is. The photos taken before the flamingo's "greatness" show that later in its life, its feathers are slowly approaching white. In China, the flamingo is a symbol of freedom, eternal will and unbridled youth. Since the flamingo generally has only one partner in its life, it also symbolizes faithful love.