flamingo

American  

[fluh-ming-goh] / fləˈmɪŋ goʊ /

noun

• flamingos,
  plural
• flamingoes
  plural

1. any of several aquatic birds of the family Phoenicopteridae, having very long legs and neck, webbed feet, a bill bent downward at the tip, and pinkish to scarlet plumage.

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flamingo British  

/ fləˈmɪŋɡəʊ /

noun

1. any large wading bird of the family Phoenicopteridae , having a pink-and-red plumage and downward-bent bill and inhabiting brackish lakes: order Ciconiiformes

2. 1. a reddish-orange colour

   2. ( as adjective )

      flamingo gloves

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• flamingoes
  plural
• flamingos
  plural

Etymology

Origin of flamingo

1555–65; compare Portuguese flamengo, Spanish flamenco literally, Fleming ( cf. flamenco); apparently originally a jocular name, from the conventional Romance image of the Flemish as ruddy-complexioned

Explanation

A flamingo is a large, long-necked pink bird that often stands on one leg. Florida is one of the few places in the U.S. to see flamingos, aside from zoos. Though very few real flamingos are native to North America, you can spot the pink plastic lawn ornament version in front yards from California to Maine. These distinctive birds get their coloring from their food, and when flamingos in zoos aren't fed shrimp, their feathers fade to a white shade, rather than salmon pink. Flamingo is derived from the Spanish flamengo, "flame-colored."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

flamingo flamingoes flamingos

The golden ticket came gift-wrapped in flamingo pink.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

A decorative flamingo and American flag are viewed at Flamingo Garden Mobile Home Park on July 9.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026

A flamingo windchime and a decorative piece of art from Guadalajara, Mexico hang in front of the entrance of the home of Flamingo Garden Mobile Home Park resident Mariano Silverio Mendoza in Carson.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026

Rep. Monique Miller, a Republican representing the Space Coast district, took issue with the scrub jay, not the flamingo.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026

“The magic square? You had me stumped with the flamingo theater. I was like, what in the world is a—” Emily’s brain caught up with her rambling mouth.

From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

Outrage spread and protesters began filling downtown Tirana carrying signs with images of Kushner, flamingoes, and Trump.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026

He is believed to have fathered descendants, but detailed records were not kept on young flamingoes, German news agency dpa reported.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 8, 2024

The natural world has long been painted with every permutation of pink—whether embedded deep in ancient rock, sported by shrimp-hungry flamingoes, or simply lining the shores of Bermuda’s pink-sand beaches.

From National Geographic ● Jul. 21, 2023

Researchers have used YouTube videos to study everything from behavioral differences between urban and forest-dwelling squirrels to how drones disturb wildlife like albatross and flamingoes.

From Science Magazine ● May 17, 2022

Then he arrived at the end of the row, where Pinky and Pinky Too sat, pink as a pair of flamingoes.

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

So, flamingos are likely to remain a familiar sight on the streets of Tirana.

From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026

Zoo Miami—home to 37 flamingos and zero mockingbirds—also joined the cause.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026

With both resorts planned near a key breeding site for migratory birds -- including hundreds of flamingos -- the developments have become a flashpoint for frustrations over perceived corruption in the country.

From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026

The coastal lagoon on the southern Adriatic coact is home to many migratory birds, including flamingos.

From Barron's ● Jun. 6, 2026

Two giggling flamingos, one fair-skinned, the other light olive, test the water with one toe each.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides