Phoenicopterus is a genus of birds in the flamingo family Phoenicopteridae.
| Phoenicopterus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Phoenicopteriformes |
| Family: | Phoenicopteridae |
| Genus: | Phoenicopterus Linnaeus, 1758 |
| Type species | |
| Phoenicopterus ruber Linnaeus, 1758 | |
| Species | |
Taxonomy
The genus Phoenicopterus was introduced in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae to accommodate a single species, the American flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber.[1][2] The genus name is Latin for "flamingo".[3]
Species
The genus contains three extant species:[4]
| Common name | Scientific name and subspecies | Range | Size and ecology | IUCN status and estimated population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greater flamingo
| Phoenicopterus roseus Pallas, 1811 | widespread in Africa and southwest, south-central Eurasia | Size: Habitat: Diet: | LC
|
| American flamingo
| Phoenicopterus ruber Linnaeus, 1758 | northern Galápagos Islands and the Caribbean | Size: Habitat: Diet: | LC
|
| Chilean flamingo
| Phoenicopterus chilensis Molina, 1782 | central Peru to Tierra del Fuego east to south Brazil, Uruguay and central Argentina | Size: Habitat: Diet: | NT
|
