The diet of flamingos is mainly made up of aquatic invertebrates: crustaceans (such as Artemia salina), molluscs, anellids, grubs and chrysalises. Seeds and leaves of water-plants (Ruppia, Scirpus, Juncus, etc.) are sometimes swallowed together with algas, diatoms and even bacteria.

They occasionally feed on insects, crabs and small fishes.

Flamingos provide themselves with food in groups, early in the morning and towards sunset, or even at night. They filter water through their beak, which has a special shape. The thick fleshy tongue acts as a piston, sucking up water, which is then filtered through small lamellas placed along the edges of the beak and finally ejected.