[EGOR]

Алёнка, к теме об окрашивающих каротинах и ярком цвете фламинго:

"The flamingos’ feathers, legs, and face are colored by their diet, which is rich in alpha and beta carotenoid pigments
To preserve their rosy color at the zoo, flamingos are fed a commercially prepared diet high in carotenoids. Initially, zoos fed carrots, red peppers, and dried shrimp to flamingos.
In nature flamingos consume planktonic animals (microscopic organisms like algae and protozoa that float and drift in water bodies), especially shrimp. It is interesting to note that neither the flamingo, nor the shrimp are able to produce their own carotenoids. On the other hand microscopic algae produce red and yellow pigments and they basically form the main diet for the small shrimp. Once the flamingo eats the shrimp, the carotenoids progress another step by means of the food change to make the bright pink and orange colors that is seen on their feathers. In fact, most of the zoos enhance the diets of their flamingos with the pigments extracted from plants"
(webexhibits.org)