Flamingos are a species of long-legged birds that live in groups. The word flamingo comes from the Spanish word 'flamengo', an early form of 'flamenco'. These words come from the Latin word flamma, which means 'fire'. They belong to the genus Phoenicopterus and the family Phoenicopteridae. This bird is found in the western and eastern hemispheres but is more common in the eastern hemisphere. The habitat of this bird consists of large shallow lakes, lagoons, mangrove forests and sandy islands. 4 species of flamingos in America and 2 types of flamingos in the Old World.