You are able to gift 5 more articles this month. Anyone can access the link you share with no account required. Learn more. My wife and I just returned from a relaxing 10-day cruise in the ...

You are able to gift 5 more articles this month. Anyone can access the link you share with no account required. Learn more. My wife and I just returned from a relaxing 10-day cruise in the ...

The Caribbean is often synonymous with pristine beaches, crystal-clear waters and sun-drenched days, but it’s also a haven for bird enthusiasts. The islands are a treasure trove of exotic avian ...

In other words, this bird has no close relatives, hence the nickname "Dodo of the Caribbean". Their remarkable evolutionary backstory makes their conservation in numbers all the more dire.

Soon, the brown-feathered, white-bellied bird will make a monumental move, migrating thousands of miles south—across the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea—to South America.

Caribbean flamingos are found in the Caribbean, parts of Central and South America, and the Galapagos Islands. The bird likes lagoons, muddy flats, and shallow lakes, and prefers saline water.

This story appears in the April 2012 issue of National Geographic magazine. A flamingo looks like a bird cooked up by an exuberant preschooler—absurdly long legs, knobby ankles (that look like ...