ANIMALS - BIRDS - FLAMINGOS - CHILEAN FLAMINGO (PHOENICOPTERUS CHILENSIS)

Animals - Birds - Flamingos

Chilean flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis)

Scientific Classification:

Kingdom : Animalia
Phylum : Chordata
Class : Aves
Order : Phoenicopteriformes
Family : Phoenicopteridae
Genus : Phoenicopterus
Species : P. Chilensis

Description:

The Chilean flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis) is a large species of flamingo at 110–130 cm (43–51 in) closely related to American flamingo and greater flamingo, with which it was sometimes considered conspecific.

It breeds in South America from Ecuador and Peru to Chile and Argentina and east to Brazil; it has been introduced into Germany and the Netherlands (colony on the border, Zwilbrockervenn). There is also a small population in Utah and California. Like all flamingos it lays a single chalky white egg on a mud mound.

The plumage is pinker than the slightly larger greater flamingo, but less so than Caribbean flamingo. It can be differentiated from these species by its greyish legs with pink joints (tibio-tarsal articulation), and also by the larger amount of black on the bill (more than half). Young chicks may have no sign of pink coloring whatsoever, but instead remain grey.

Binomial Name:

Name : Phoenicopterus chilensis
Taxonomist : Juan Ignacio Molina (Guaraculén, Chile)
Year : 1782
Subspecies : None or not data available
Synonyms : None or not data available

Conservation Status by IUCN:

Status : Near-threatened species

A Near-threatened species is a species which has been categorized as "Near Threatened" (NT) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as that may be considered threatened with extinction in the near future, although it does not currently qualify for the threatened status. The IUCN notes the importance of re-evaluating near-threatened taxa at appropriate intervals.

Philatelic Issues

2015 - Uruguay - Stamp 3 of 10, from Wetland Animals Series

Issue information:

Country: Uruguay
Date: June 5th, 2015
Printed: 10.000 Copies
Type: Stamp from Series of 10 Stamps
Value: UYP 15

Stamp: Rectangular
Size: 39 mm. x 27 mm.
Perforation: Circular
Gum: Water Activated