Editing James's flamingo (section)

=== Breeding ===
[[File:James's Flamingo mating ritual.jpg|thumb|Mating ritual]]
[[Breeding in the wild|Breeding]] cycles in flamingos begin at 6 years of age when fully matured. The [[frequency]] of breeding is irregular and may skip a year. The entire [[colony (biology)|colony]] may participate in [[mating]] rituals at the same time. The males put on a show by vocalizing and sticking their necks and heads straight up in the air and turning their heads back and forth. The females initiate mating by walking away from the group and a male follows. The female then spreads her wings and the male mounts the female.<ref name="seaworld1" /> The female lays one [[bird egg|egg]] on a cone-shaped [[bird nest|nest]] made from mud, sticks, and other materials in the area. The shape of the egg is oval, similar to that of a [[chicken]]. It is smaller in size ([[length]] and [[breadth]]) compared to the other species, including the closely related [[Andean flamingo]].<ref name="autogenerated2" /> 

Both the male and female [[Avian incubation|incubate]] the egg for 26–31 days before it [[Egg (biology)|hatches]]. The chick breaks through the shell using an [[egg tooth]], which is not actually a true tooth, but is actually a [[keratin]]ized structure, which falls off after fully hatching. When newly hatched, the chick's bill is straight and red, but later develops a curve and the adult colors of beak. The feathers are white and grey and the legs are pink. The eyes of chicks are gray for their first year. The parents are able to distinguish their chick from others in the colony by appearance and vocalization.<ref name="seaworld1" />