White and gray at the juvenile stage, the greater flamingo (Phœnicopterus roseus) obtains its pink color when it reaches its sexual maturity around the age of three. It owes the coloring of its legs, beak, and feathers to the synthesis of the carotenoid pigments present in its food and, especially, in the Artemia salina crustacean, particularly abundant in brackish water. The species owes its scientific name Pheonicopteridae (purple wings) to the signature coloring of its wings.