[6] Most of the plumage is pinkish-white, but the wing coverts are red and the primary and secondary flight feathers are black.

During the breeding season, greater flamingos increase the frequency of their spreading uropygial secretions over their feathers and thereby enhance their color.

[7] It is found in parts of Northern Africa (including coastal areas of northern Algeria, Egypt further inland along the Nile River, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia), portions of Sub-Saharan Africa (Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda), Southern Asia (coastal Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka), the Middle East (Bahrain, Cyprus, Iraq, Iran, Oman, Palestine, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates) and Southern Europe (including Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, France in the Camargue and Corsica, Greece, Italy, Slovenia, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Portugal, Spain and the Balearic Islands, and Turkey).

[8] The most northern breeding spot is the Zwillbrocker Venn in western Germany, close to the border with the Netherlands.

[11] The greater flamingo feeds with its head down, its upper jaw movable and not rigidly fixed to its skull.

[15][16] The primary threats to flamingo populations are bacteria, toxins, and pollution in water supplies, which is usually run-off from manufacturing companies, and encroachment on their habitat.

[17] The oldest known greater flamingo was a bird at the Adelaide Zoo in Australia that died at the age of at least 83 years.