With their pink and crimson plumage, long legs and necks, and strongly hooked bills, flamingos cannot be mistaken for any other type of bird. The flamingo’s color comes from the carotenoid pigments (like in carrots) in the algae and small crustaceans the birds eat. Caribbean flamingos are the brightest, showing colors of scarlet, pink, or orange. Flamingos are social birds that live in groups of varying sizes, from a few pairs to thousands or tens of thousands in their native habitat. They use vocalizations and ritualized displays to communicate between individuals or alert the group of possible danger.