Why Does a Flamingo Eat Upside Down?
The birds stir up food from the bottoms of the lakes and estuaries, then lower their bills into the water, where openings on the top of the bills and structures called lamellae strain out crustaceans, algae, brine shrimp, insects, and fish, according to Animal Diversity Web.
The flamingo’s tongue helps pump the food-filled water in and out about three or four times a second. This method is called filter feeding.
Stanford University’s Stanford Birds website says the flamingo’s lower bill is much larger and the upper bill is not fixed, which is the opposite of other birds.
But this upside-down arrangement is perfectly adapted for upside-down eating.