Head to head
James's Flamingo vs Chilean Flamingo
James's Flamingo
VS Chilean Flamingo
Both flamingos share South American wetlands, but one carries a dramatic history of presumed extinction while the other holds a geographic record.
| James's Flamingo | Chilean Flamingo | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Phoenicoparrus jamesi | Phoenicopterus chilensis |
| Distinguishing claim | Once believed extinct, later rediscovered | The southernmost-breeding flamingo species |
| Size | The smallest flamingo species in the world | Larger |
| Bill | An unusually narrow, deep-based bill | A standard curved flamingo bill |
| Conservation status | Near Threatened | Near Threatened |
| Population trend | Decreasing | Decreasing |
| Range | High-Andean salt lakes | Coastal and inland wetlands at lower elevation |
| Habitat | Wetlands, mountains | Wetlands, coastal |
James's Flamingo vs Chilean Flamingo: common questions
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 Chilean flamingo.
Which one is the smallest flamingo species?
James's flamingo holds this record, the smallest flamingo species in the world, more compact than the larger Chilean flamingo.
Which one breeds furthest south?
The Chilean flamingo breeds furthest south, holding the record as the world's southernmost-breeding flamingo species, unlike James's flamingo, which stays within high-Andean salt lakes.