Notable for frequently standing on one leg, what bird, usually born grey, obtains its distinctive pink hue from the beta carotene in their food supply?
Flamingo food from the bottom. Flamingos are capable flyers, and flamingos in captivity often require wing clipping to prevent escape. Young flamingos hatch with greyish-red plumage, but adults range from light pink to bright red due to aqueous bacteria and beta-carotene obtained from their food supply. A well-fed, healthy flamingo is more vibrantly colored, thus a more desirable mate; a white or pale flamingo, however, is usually unhealthy or malnourished. Captive flamingos are a notable exception; they may turn a pale pink if they are not fed carotene at levels comparable to the wild. The greater flamingo is the tallest of
Beta-Carotene to be mutagenic and genotoxic in cell cultures which do not respond to β-carotene itself. Additionally, supplemental β-carotene may increase the risk of prostate cancer, intracerebral hemorrhage, and cardiovascular and total mortality in people who smoke cigarettes or have a history of high-level exposure to asbestos. Medical authorities generally recommend obtaining beta-carotene from food rather than dietary supplements. Research is insufficient to determine whether a minimum level of beta-carotene consumption is necessary for human health and to identify what problems might arise from insufficient beta-carotene intake, although strict vegetarians rely on pro-vitamin A carotenoids to meet their vitamin A requirements.