Differences between Flamingo and Sparrow

Flamingo and Sparrow are two classes of birds that belong to the Phoenicopteridae and Passeridae families respectively.

Considered a symbol of beauty, Flamingos are admired for their pink feathers, slender legs, S-shaped neck, large wings, orange-colored eyes, and graceful gait. They are wading birds that include six species like Greater Flamingo, Andean Flamingo, and Caribbean Flamingo.

Sparrows are one of the most commonly found birds in the world. They are petite birds with a round head and small beak that is shaped like a cone. Their plumage is either brown or grey with white streaks. The feather on their belly is usually white. The birds have a long and stiff tail. An interesting fact about Sparrows is that they have a bone in their tongue. As these are perching birds, they have clawed feet with three forward-pointing and one backward-pointing toe. Sparrows are songbirds that make chirping sounds. There are over 140 species of these birds in the world. They are generally classified as Old World species and New World species. Sparrows are mentioned in mythology and the Bible. Their earliest fossils, found in caves in Israel, are dated back to over 100,000 years.

Where are Flamingo and Sparrow found?

Flamingos live in large and saline lakes, lagoons, and shallow waters. They can be found in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. They exist in parts of USA, southern Europe, southwestern Asia, and coasts of Africa. The most widespread species is the Greater Flamingo, which can be found in southern Europe, Africa, India, and few other parts of Asia.

Sparrows prefer thick forests, open fields, agricultural farms, and fringes of forests. However, a large population of Sparrows also live in the parks, gardens, and buildings of cities. The Old World species of Sparrows originally belong to Asia, Africa, and Europe. The New World species have been introduced in North America, South America, Australia, and New Zealand.

What do Flamingo and Sparrow eat?

Flamingos are omnivores. They eat algae, crustaceans, diatoms, mollusks, larvae, shrimps, small fish, and insects. The diet of Flamingos consists of immense amount of beta carotene, hence the rich pink color of their plumage, face, and legs. Flamingos look for food in shallow waters, putting their bill under water and raking the water bed with their feet. They are capable of holding their breath while they put their heads inside water in search of food. They turn their head upside down to drain the muddy water through the comb-like structures in their bill.

Sparrows are omnivores. They largely eat seeds and grains like cereals, wheat, rice, oats, and corn. They also eat insects and worms. Occasionally the birds eat human food refuse.

Here are a few pointers about the eating patterns between Flamingo and Sparrow

• Flamingo do eat Fish while Sparrow may not eat Fish.
• Flamingo do not eat Frogs while Sparrow eat Frogs.
• Flamingo do not eat Lizards while Sparrow eat Lizards.
• Neither Flamingo nor Sparrow eat Snakes.
• Neither Flamingo nor Sparrow eat Turtles.
• Neither Flamingo nor Sparrow eat Squirrels.
• Flamingo and Sparrow do not eat Gophers.
• Both Flamingo and Sparrow do not eat Baby Ducks.
• Mice are not eaten by both Flamingo and Sparrow.

Size of Flamingo and Sparrow?

When it comes to size, Flamingos are usually three to five feet tall. They have a wingspan of 2.9 to 3.2 feet. The Greater Flamingo are the largest among Flamingo species with a height of 3.6-4.9 feet.. The size of Sparrows depends on the species. The average size is however 0.5-0.6 feet in length. Chestnut Sparrow is the smallest Sparrow with a length of 0.4 feet, while the Parrot-billed Sparrow is the largest with a length of 0.59 feet.

The weight of Flamingos varies as per the species. The average weight is 4.4-9.9 kilograms. while The average weight of the Sparrow is 0.84 ounce. The weight of the Chestnut Sparrow is 0.5 ounce and that of the Parrot-billed Sparrow is 1.5 ounce.

Where do Flamingo and Sparrow nest?

Flamingos build their nest by making a mound from mud and grass. The mound has to be strong enough to withstand any flooding or heat from the ground. Both male and female partners construct it by shoving mud with their bill and feet. The nests are usually located closer to water bodies. The female lays one egg a year. Both partners incubate the egg for 27-31 days. The younger ones have white feathers until they attain maturity at around two years. They fledge when they are about nine to 13 weeks old.

Sparrows build their nests in holes and cavities of small trees, in shrubs, and buildings. They prefer their nests to be closer to the ground. The nests generally look spherical and measure eight to 10 inches in diameter. The female and male partners construct the nest using straw, twigs, roots, leaves, grass, paper, thread, wool, and feather. The eggs are completely white, or bluish white, or greenish white with brown spots. Both partners incubate the eggs. The eggs hatch in 10-14 days. The young ones that are fed by both parents fledge in about two weeks.

How long do Flamingo and Sparrow live?

The average lifespan of Flamingos is 30-40 years. The oldest Flamingo lived till the age of 83 years at the Adelaide Zoo in Australia. It died in January 2014.

Sparrows are known to live for four to seven years. Some species can even live up to 20 years. The House Sparrows live until 23 years in captivity.

Are Flamingo or Sparrow migratory birds?

Flamingos are non-migratory birds. However, climatic conditions like rise in water levels, drought, cold winters, and freezing of lakes at higher altitudes may compel them to relocate. The place where they migrate to depends on the direction of the wind. Additionally, Flamingos prefer to travel in the night. Flamingos living in the northern parts of Asia migrate in large numbers to India and Iran during winters. In Europe, they either go to Spain, Tunisia or Turkey. In America, the birds migrate only short distances in search of food.

Not all Sparrows are migratory. The ones from Canada, North America, northern parts of Europe, and east Asia migrate during winters. The House Sparrows typically do not migrate as they do not encounter harsh weather or scarcity of food in any time of the year. Among the migratory species, American Tree Sparrow migrates from North America and Canada to the USA, while the Savannah Sparrow travels from Alaska to the USA. In northern and central Europe, migration takes place among Eurasian Tree Sparrow that relocates to Africa. The Russet Sparrow is a species from Himalayas that spends its time in south-east Asia during winters.

Do Flamingo and Sparrow fly in flocks?

A group of Flamingos is called flamboyance. These birds are extremely gregarious. They always live in groups of a few tens and even up to 350. Their larger colonies can even have a thousand birds and are known to be noisy. Flamingos eat and roost in groups. They also breed in flocks. This arrangement helps them stay safe from predators – while some birds have their head bent under water for hunting, others keep guard. According to research, Flamingos make long lasting friends and also have enemies.

A group of Sparrows is called a flock. The birds are highly sociable. They live in colonies of about 20 birds, which may even extend to about a 100. The birds are always found in groups, foraging, flying, and roosting together. Their nests are also built next to each other during the breeding season. Sparrows are also intelligent birds. They are known for cooperation and teamwork. The birds work together to find food, build nests, preen feathers, and remove lice and parasites from their skin. They chirp incessantly to let their group know about where they are. As Sparrows are tiny birds, living in large flocks also helps in intimidating the predator and also mobbing the predator if required.

Are Flamingo or Sparrow protected?

The US Migratory Bird Act protects Greater, Chilean, and Caribbean Flamingos. They are protected partially or completely in parts of Africa, Europe, and Asia.

Not all species of Sparrows are protected. For example, the House Sparrow is not protected in the USA. It has partial protection in the UK, where shooting it with a licence is allowed. The species is fully protected in Canada.

Are Flamingo or Sparrow endangered?

Flamingos are not endangered birds. Nevertheless, there is consensus that their population is on a decline owing to habitat destruction, poaching, hunting for feathers, environmental changes, and pollutants in their water habitats. The Chilean and James Flamingos are considered threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Sparrows are not endangered but their numbers are on a steep decline. Factors affecting the population of Sparrows are loss of habitat, scarcity of food, urbanization, radiation from mobile towers, pollution, use of pesticides in farmlands, and hunting.

Can Flamingo and Sparrow fly?

Flamingos like to fly when the sky is clear and tailwinds are encouraging. During the day, they fly at high altitudes – as much as 15,000 feet above sea level. They fly long distances during migration, flying at speeds of 31-37 miles an hour and covering distances of nearly 375 miles in one night.

Sparrows fly by taking off directly, flapping their wings, and folding their legs. Their average flying speed is 24-31 miles an hour. The altitude range they can fly at varies for different species. While most of them normally fly at around 500 feet, some fly at around 2,000 feet. During migration they fly 5,000-20,000 feet high and cover 15-600 miles in a day. Sparrows fly in flocks because they are tiny birds and flying in groups supports energy conservation. It will also help them spot and threaten predators. On the ground, Sparrows are commonly seen hopping. They jump forward and backward for scraping mud, leaves, or grass with their toes and search for food underneath.

Can Flamingo and Sparrow swim?

Flamingos generally wade through water with the help of their long legs. However, in deeper waters they swim on the surface of water with their webbed feet.

Sparrows are not regular swimmers. However, they can swim fast to escape from danger. Some species like the House Sparrow can even swim under water. Sparrows regularly bathe in water, sometimes even in a puddle. They wiggle in water to loosen up the dirt on their feathers and to control body temperature.

Mating patterns among Flamingo and Sparrow

Flamingos attain sexual maturity at the age of three to six, by which time the white baby feathers have turned completely pink. In the breeding season, the male and female Flamingos perform sophisticated group dances to attract partners. The birds engage in mating displays that start with the head flag, involving loud calls and vigorous movement of the head. The displays will also include bowing, stretching of neck, and feather movements. Mating occurs in the water. Partners collaborate to construct the nests and jointly incubate the eggs.

Depending on the species, Sparrows start mating when they are five to nine months old. The birds mate in small colonies. During courtship, the male hops around the female with inflated chest, raised tail, and slouched wings. He also chirps and sings for her. The partners copulate until the female can lay eggs. They produce nearly four broods in a breeding season. The female lays one to eight eggs in a clutch. Both partners incubate the eggs and raise the chicks.

When is the mating season for Flamingo and Sparrow ?

There is no particular mating season for Flamingos. They breed at any time of the year when water levels, climatic conditions, and availability of food are supportive. It is observed that Flamingos generally breed when rainfall is adequate, which also means that food supply during the period is good enough.

The mating season for sparrows depends on geography. It can range from March to August. The courtship can begin as early as January.

Do Flamingo and Sparrow mate for life?

The bonding between Flamingo partners is known to be strong. Therefore, they may be monogamous. However, some of them also change partners every season.

Sparrows mate for life. They remain monogamous throughout their life and return to the same nesting territory every year. When one of the partners is lost or dies, the surviving partner finds another mate within a few days.

How do Flamingo and Sparrow sleep?

Flamingos sleep while standing on one leg and resting their heads on their backs. The ligaments and muscles in the leg can lock to help the bird stay in one position while asleep. They sleep for about three hours at a stretch, be it day or night.

Sparrows roost in large groups while perching on trees. They may even shelter inside tree holes and cavities. They draw together to stay warm on cold nights. Their usual sleeping posture is head tucked inside plumped up feathers.

Can Flamingo and Sparrow be eaten?

In ancient times people ate Flamingos and their eggs. The tongues of Flamingos were considered a delicacy. Romans are known to have consumed the birds by boiling them with wine and spices. However, Flamingos are no longer eaten. Conservation and protection laws also do not permit it.

Sparrows are widely consumed by people. They are a delicacy in French, Italian, Japanese, and German cuisines. As the law in most countries provide protection only to some species of Sparrows, obtaining the bird meat for food is not restricted.

Can you hunt Flamingo or Sparrow?

Hunting of Flamingos was rampant. People in earlier times killed them for their meat and feather. However, modern laws do not allow hunting or trading of Flamingos.

Sparrows are hunted for their meat. They are considered a pest by farmers, who kill them to save their crops. Hunting Sparrows is allowed in some countries, while killing them with a licence is permitted in few others.

Can you feed Flamingo or Sparrow?

Feeding Flamingos in public places is not permitted in many countries like Singapore and USA. At the zoos, Flamingos are given food rich in carotenoids to avoid fading of their pink color. Therefore, the feed will include shrimps, crustaceans, and clams.

Sparrows can be fed with a mix of seeds, corn, millets, fruits, and insects.