Birds That Look Like Flamingos [The Stilt-like Legs Wannabes]

If you’ve ever seen a flamingo, you know that the bright pink plumage and long legs are hard to forget. But did you know there are other birds that strikingly resemble flamingos?

This article will explore nine birds that look like flamingos, discussing their characteristics, habitats, diet, and interesting facts. Read on to discover these “flamingo doppelgängers.”

Scarlet Ibis (Eudocimus ruber)

The Scarlet Ibis is a striking bird that bears a remarkable resemblance to the American Flamingo. 

It’s native to northern South America, specifically Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, and Brazil. 

This bird has a bright red-orange plumage ranging from pale pink to scarlet red.

The beak is long and curved, and the legs are slender and long, making navigating through the muddy swamp easy. 

It’s a medium-sized bird with a slender and graceful frame, measuring 22 to 30 inches long with a 19 to 21 inches wingspan. 

It inhabits wetlands such as swamps, marshes, and mangroves, where it feeds on insects, crustaceans, and small fish.

Interesting Facts

• The Scarlet Ibis coloration is believed to come from the pigment of the shrimp and crustaceans they feed on. 

• The stunning plumage of the Scarlet Ibis isn’t present from birth. Juveniles have a dull brown color that gradually changes as they mature. 

• During the mating season, males perform elaborate displays like high flights, preening, bill popping, shaking, and head rubbing to attract females.

Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja)

The Roseate Spoonbill’s origin can be traced back to North and South America, including the Caribbean and parts of Mexico. 

This bird’s long legs and plumage are the primary reason it resembles the flamingo, with pink feathers on its head, back, and wings. 

The Roseate Spoonbill is the most enormous bird in its spoonbill family, Threskiornithidae, measuring about 31 to 36 inches long and with a wingspan of up to 47 inches.

You can usually spot this bird in freshwater and brackish wetlands such as marshes, swamps, and mangrove forests.

Its diet consists mainly of crustaceans, insects, small fish, and mollusks (snails, slugs, periwinkles, limpets, conchs, whelks, etc.)

Interesting Facts

• During breeding, Roseate Spoonbills form colonies and build their nests in trees or bushes above water, often with other water birds such as egrets and herons. 

• They lay 2 to 4 eggs, and both parents take turns incubating them. Once the chicks hatch, they’re fed regurgitated food until they fledge and learn to fly.

• These birds have a unique way of regulating their body temperature by standing on one leg and tucking the other up close to their body, a behavior called “leg tucking.”

Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis)

The Sandhill Cranes are native to North America, specifically in regions such as Alaska, Canada, and the United States.

They have a unique plumage with a gray body, a reddish cap on their head, and a patch of bare red skin on the top of their head, adding to their distinctive look. 

Sandhill Cranes can grow up to 3.5 to 4 feet tall with a 6 to 7 feet wingspan, making them hard to miss.

You can find them in marshes, prairies, and open fields, wading through wetlands with their long legs.

These birds are omnivores, with their diet including plants, seeds, insects, small mammals, and reptiles.

Interesting Facts

• Sandhill Cranes can live up to 20 years in the wild and more than that in captivity.

• These birds have distinctive mating dance, which involves jumping, running, and tossing objects.

• They have one of the longest bird migration routes, traveling up to 5,000 miles from their breeding grounds to their wintering environments.

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)

The Great Blue Herons resemble flamingos with their long legs and graceful movements.

You can find them across much of North and Central America, with some populations in the Caribbean and northern South America.

They have striking blue-grey plumage and a long pointed beak, used to catch fish and other small aquatic animals.

The Great Blue Heron is a towering figure in the wetlands and marshes with a height of 3.2 to 4 feet and a wingspan of up to 5.5 to 6.6 feet.

The Great Blue Heron is a carnivore feeding on fish, frogs, snakes, and other small aquatic animals. 

Its habitat includes wetlands, marshes, and other shallow bodies of water where it can easily hunt for food.

Interesting Facts

• Great Blue Herons are skilled hunters who stand perfectly still for long periods to wait for their prey.

• Their eyes can spot prey over 60 feet away, and their neck structure helps them strike with lightning-fast precision.

• They practice communal nesting habits, typically building nests in colonies with other herons, egrets, and ibises.

Painted Stork (Mycteria leucocephala)

The Painted Storks are found throughout South and Southeast Asia, mainly in India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.

They have colorful plumage featuring a bright pink and red bill, a white head, and black and white feathers on their body.

It’s a giant bird reaching up to 3 to 3.5 feet tall with a 5 to 6 feet wingspan and weighing 4.4 to 7.5 lbs. 

They inhibit shallow wetlands, lakes, and ponds, where they can find fish, crustaceans, amphibians, and insects. 

Interesting Facts

• Painted Storks mate for life, and both parents take turns incubating the eggs and caring for the chicks. 

• These birds are excellent swimmers with a specialized adaptation in their bill, allowing them to filter out small prey from the water, like how flamingos filter-feed.

• Painted Storks have a unique feeding behavior where they gather in groups and use their bills to stir up the water to catch prey.

Great Egret (Ardea alba)

The Great Egret, popularly known as the Common Egret, is a heron family bird found across the globe, from the Americas to Africa, Asia, and Australia. 

They have strikingly white feathers and are pretty huge, with an average height of around 3 feet and a wingspan of 5 feet, making them impressive fliers. 

Although they’re not as pink as flamingos, they have a beautiful white plumage that sets them apart.

Great Egrets thrive in freshwater and saltwater habitats, such as wetlands, marshes, and coastal areas. They primarily feed on fish, frogs, and small mammals.

Interesting Facts

• The origins of Great Egrets date back millions of years, with fossil evidence showing it existed during the Late Miocene epoch.

• During the breeding season, they develop long, wispy plumes on their back, which they display during courtship displays. 

• These birds are highly skilled flyers and hunters who stalk their prey stealthily and strike with lightning speed.

White Stork (Ciconia ciconia)

The White Storks are large, elegant birds across Europe, southwestern Asia, northwestern Africa, and southern Africa. 

They have a striking appearance with long reddish legs and white plumage with black on their massive wings. 

White Storks are among the tallest birds in northwestern Africa, standing up to 39 to 49 inches tall and boasting a wingspan of 61 to 85 inches.

These birds prefer to live near wetlands, rivers, and ponds. They’re omnivorous, feeding on fish, frogs, grains, seeds, insects, small mammals, and other birds.

Interesting Facts

• White Storks have distinctive, haunting calls that can be heard from miles away.

• These birds mate for life and perform elaborate dances as part of their courtship rituals.

• They symbolize happiness, peace, fertility, birth, and rebirth in many cultures and folklore.

Siberian Crane (Grus leucogeranus)

The Siberian Crane, or the Snow Crane, is a medium-sized flamingo look-alike in Siberia. It has white plumage, black-tipped wings, and a red patch on its forehead. 

The Siberian Crane can grow up to 7 feet in height and 11 to 19 lbs in weight with a wingspan of 6 to 8 feet. 

They’re omnivorous, feeding on small aquatic plants, insects, and fish. During their migration, they rely on freshwater wetland habitats for feeding and resting.

Interesting Facts

• They have elaborate courtship dances involving bowing, calling, and synchronized jumping.

• They migrate to India and China in winter and reside in freshwater wetlands. They’re one of the longest migratory birds, flying up to 4,000 miles in a single journey.

• In Chinese mythology, the Siberian Crane is said to bring peace, good luck, and long life.

Capped Heron (Pilherodius pileatus)

The Capped Heron is found mainly in South America and is commonly spotted in swampy and marshy habitats, such as riverbanks and lakeshores.

These birds have a distinctive appearance, with light blue-grey feathers on their head and upper body and black feathers on their back and wings. 

The Capped Herons have long necks and legs, giving them a height of around 1.5  to 2 feet making them relatively taller than most herons.

They primarily feed on fish, insects, and crustaceans, which they capture by slowly wading through the water before spearing it with their sharp bill. 

Interesting Facts

• The Capped Heron is a solitary bird that usually prefers to hunt for food alone rather than in a group.

• This bird has impressive patience while hunting for food and can remain still while waiting for its prey to swim by.

• This bird species has a shy and elusive behavior, often hiding in dense vegetation to avoid predators.