THE UNUSUAL WAY FLAMINGOS EAT UNDERWATER

Have you ever wondered how flamingos eat with their curved beaks? The San Diego Zoo is educating the public about the feeding habits of flamingos with a new video showing bright pink birds feeding underwater. The video was shot while the birds were feeding using an underwater camera installed in the zoo's flamingo feeding tank.

In the video, the birds lower their hooked beaks to glide across the ground. The zoo explains that flamingos naturally eat underwater and with their beaks almost upside down. Their beaks suck up the surrounding water, which  then flows through salt plates (called lamellae) that filter the water for delicious treats. Shrimp, sea flies, algae and other small marine life are trapped in the flamingo's mouth to be eaten. Water, dirt and debris are then removed from the sides of the note. The movement of the flamingo's tongue activates this filtering system.