The Quiz: What makes the flamingo turn pink?
A Genetics
B Pigments in its food
C Sun exposure
The same compounds that make tomatoes red and carrots orange are found in the algae and microorganisms flamingos eat. The pigments filter into the birds’ skin and feathers, gradually turning them pink. As our photo shows, flamingo youngsters start out looking a decidedly less flamboyant gray.
The correct answer to this quiz is Pigments in its food.