Based on the scientific observation it is concluded that the ingestion of shrimp and plankton causes the color of young flamingos to change from gray to pink. Some of the food the flamingo eats contains carotenoid pigments. These pigments are broken down in the liver and are then deposited into the feathers, skin, and egg yolk of the flamingo. Flamingos in the wild are usually more brightly colored that flamingos in captivity.
