How many species of flamingos are there?

There are six species in the genus Phoenicopterus, four of them in the Americas:

- Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) - parts of Africa, S. Europe and SW Asia

- Lesser Flamingo (Phoenicopterus minor) - Great Rift Valley Africa to NW India

- Chilean Flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis) - temperate S. South America.

- James's Flamingo (Phoenicopterus jamesi) - in the southern Andes of South America

- Andean Flamingo (Phoenicopterus andinus) - the southern Andes

- American Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) - northern South America and the Caribbean

The Lesser Flamingo is the most numerous of the species. The American flamingoes as seen in Florida are the only species living in North America, although extinct species may have lived on the continent.