In this answer Cecil says one species is because of eating shrimps and another is because of the algae they eat.
However, this answer is only partially supported “The Book of General Ignorance” (2009 edition).
It says flamingos do eat shrimps, however the distinctive colouring comes from algae.
It also states there are four species of flamingo, not two as the article suggests.
Their feathers are pink due to carotenes in their diet, which are found in several diffferent sources, including algae and invertebrates (and the carotenes in the invertebrates are probably there because the invertebrates eat algae). So the best question here is really “what do wild flamingoes (of this or that species) typically eat?”
Wiki says there are 6 species of flamingo.
It also says the carotenoids in brine shrimp come from the blue-green algae they eat, so flamingos are getting it first hand or second hand, depending on what they eat.
Cecil mentions “one species” and “another species”. This does not state there are only two species of flamingos, just that he only highlighted two species.
Reminds me of what happens when people take in excessive amounts of colloidal silver. Their skin turns grey (aka Argyria).
Excessive amounts? Who takes in ANY amount of colloidal silver. It appears that colloidal silver is a popular remedy in the natural and healthy set. According to this webpage:
“[Colloidal silver] has been reported to be effective in fighting against: acne, AIDS, allergies, arthritis, athletes foot, boils, burns, candida, cystitis, diabetes, eczema, hay fever, indigestion, parasitic infections, psoriasis, ringworm, warts and yeast infections.”
And, as luck would have it, they’ll be more than happy to sell you some!
From a read of Wikipedia, it suggests that the American and Chilean flamingos were once considered to be the same species as the Greater flamingo. Such beliefs have died out, but I can’t determine when that happened, or if a date can even be pinned down.