Head to head
Andean Flamingo vs James's Flamingo
Andean Flamingo
VS James's Flamingo
Both flamingos breed on the same harsh high-Andean salt flats, but each carries a very different claim to fame.
| Andean Flamingo | James's Flamingo | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Phoenicoparrus andinus | Phoenicoparrus jamesi |
| Distinguishing claim | The rarest flamingo species in the world | Once believed extinct, later rediscovered |
| Size | Larger | The smallest flamingo species in the world |
| Legs | Distinctive yellow legs | Not documented as distinctively coloured |
| Conservation status | Vulnerable | Near Threatened |
| Population trend | Decreasing | Decreasing |
| Bill | Not documented as unusually narrow | An unusually narrow, deep-based bill |
| Habitat | Wetlands, mountains | Wetlands, mountains |
Andean Flamingo vs James's Flamingo: common questions
Which one is the rarest flamingo species?
The Andean flamingo holds this distinction, considered the rarest of all flamingo species, with a smaller total population than James's flamingo.
Which one was once believed extinct?
James's flamingo was believed extinct for several decades until a breeding colony was rediscovered on a remote high-Andean salt lake, a history not shared by the Andean flamingo.
Which one is smaller?
James's flamingo is smaller, the smallest flamingo species in the world, more compact than the Andean flamingo.