The order includes all species known under the generic name of flamingos. These birds live in the calm waters of lakes or brackish waters. They are gregarious animals that live in colonies of hundreds to thousands of individuals. In the Great Lakes region of Africa, more than a million flamingos join together during the breeding season. Flamingos are often observed standing on one leg. This behaviour allows them to minimise muscular effort when static, thanks to their ability to lock their tendons and ligaments in a fixed position. What’s more, the famous pink colour of flamingos comes from the carotenoid pigments they get from their diet of algae and small invertebrates such as shrimp. Flamingos form the sister group to the Grebes (Podicipediformes).