The origins and World distribution

The flamingos belong to one of the oldest Order of birds in the world, i.e. Ciconiiformes, which dates back to more than 50 million of years ago.

They are kin to herons, storks and ibises, but they have something in common with ducks, as well, such as the voice and the feet. As regards the Family, they have one of their own, i.e. Phoenicopteridae.

World distribution: the greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber roseus) has the most widespread distribution of all flamingo species. Populations are found in northwest India, the Middle East, the western Mediterranean,Africa, Florida, Cuba, Haiti, Nord del Sud America. Limited numbers of this species can be found over much of northern Europe, eastward to Siberia.

In the Mediterranean basin the majority of population is concentrated in the west, although groups of hundreds or thousands of specimens have been pointed out in Turkey, Greece and Egypt as well.