♪ Wild Kratts ♪ Martin: In the equatorial regions of the Americas.

Chris: On islands in the Caribbean Sea.

Martin: The salty marshes are home to a beautiful and bizarre bird.

Chris: The Caribbean flamingo.

Martin: Hey, it's us the Kratt brothers.

I'm Martin.

Chris: I'm Chris.

And we're going to get a up close and personal look at the amazing Caribbean flamingo.

Martin: By heading to a conservation sanctuary that specializes in water birds: Sylvan Heights Bird Park in North Carolina.

Martin: This is the unmistakably pink flamingo.

Chris: Flamingo's love to stick together.

They're very social birds that live in flocks or colonies.

The colonies can get massive with thousands of flamingos living together.

Martin: Flamingos are never far from water.

That's because they're wading birds who feed on small plants and animals in the water.

Flamingos have specialized features that fit their water loving lifestyle.

Chris: The legs of the flamingo are perfect for wading.

They're stilt-like and super thin, and long enough so they can walk around in pretty deep water.

And I love the neck of the flamingo.

It's super long too, so they can reach all the way down to their toes.

Martin: So how do flamingos get their food?

Well that's the job of one of my favorite flamingo features of all: that awesome one-of-a-kind beak.

Chris: Flamingos have such cool features, but the big question is why are flamingos pink?

Where does that amazing color come from?

Martin: Imagine if we had the creature powers of the flamingo to find out.

Both: What if?

(upbeat music) ♪ On adventure with the coolest creatures ♪ ♪ From the oceans to the trees ♪ ♪ The Brothers Kratt are going places you never get to see ♪ ♪ Hanging with their creature friends ♪ ♪ Get ready it's the hour ♪ ♪ We're gonna save some animals today with ♪ ♪ Creature Power ♪ ♪ Gonna go wild with Wild Kratts ♪ ♪ Gonna go wild, wild, Wild Kratts ♪ ♪ Gonna go wild with Wild Kratts ♪ ♪ Gonna go wild, wild, wild ♪ ♪ Cheetah speed and lizard glide ♪ ♪ Falcon flight and lion pride ♪ ♪ Gonna go wild with Wild Kratts ♪ ♪ Gonna go wild, wild, Wild Kratts ♪ ♪ Gonna go wild with Wild Kratts ♪ ♪ Gonna go wild, wild, Wild Kratts ♪ ♪ Go wild, wild, Wild Kratts ♪ Chris: Mystery of the Flamingo's Pink.

(mellow music) Koki: Aviva, wake up!

You gotta see this!

Que pasa?

Koki: Can you believe that pink color?

It's gorgeous right?

Aviva: It's amazing!

What a beautiful pink!

Koki: Aviva, you're not even looking at it.

The sunrise is that way.

Aviva: Yeah, but the flamingos are that way!

(gasps) Both: Wow!

(majestic music) Chris: Here they are Jimmy.

This salt marsh is the home of the Caribbean flamingo, one of six different flamingos in the world.

Check out that cool hooked beak, the long S-shaped neck, the brilliant pink feathers, and the legs that- Jimmy: What!

There's only one leg?

It's a one-legged flamingo!

Chris: Jimmy it's okay.

He has two legs.

See?

Flamingos like to stand on one leg.

It's efficient because it uses less energy, and they even sleep standing on one leg.

Martin: Woo-hoo, check it out.

I call it the Flamingo Pose.

This takes years to perfect and... Whoa, oof.

(laughs) Chris: And you need more practice!

Martin: Yeah.

This water is salty.

Ew.

Chris: Hey, where you going?

Chris: Oh, to her nest.

They make them out of mud with a few stones, some straw, and feathers.

And look, one super cute chick.

Hello, little buddy.

Jimmy: But he's white.

Isn't he supposed to be pink?

And his beak is straight.

You sure he's a flamingo?

Chris: Positive.

Those features will come as he grows up.

Martin: I'm going to name you, Pinkster.

You'll grow into the name.

Both the mom and dad work together to raise their chick, taking care of the egg, protecting the chick, and feeding him.

(crunching) Chris: Really?

Jimmy: What?

I'm hungry.

Chris: Well, too many chips aren't good for you.

Try an apple or something.

(crunch) Jimmy: No thanks.

Chips for me.

Martin: I know.

He's a loud muncher.

(upbeat music) ♪ Koki: Okay, Aviva, feather loaded in DNA analyzer.

Aviva: Perfect.

That'll give me all the genetic coding I need to start a Flamingo Creature Power Suit.

Koki: Make sure you put plenty of pink in those suits.

Forget the blue and green this time.

Aviva: For sure.

You can't have a Flamingo Creature Power Suit without the pink.

Both: Pink!

(mellow music) Gourmand: Ah yes, I do believe I have found the perfect source for a fantastic new seasoning.

The secret new ingredient is in this salty, briny water.

I'll just run some through my purification filter, add to stir-fry.

Mmm.

Perfection!

I don't know what kinds of salty goodies are in this water, but I know I'm going to bottle the stuff and make a lot of moolah.

Old Zachy will be jealous.

(laughs) Martin: Whoa Pinkster!

You stand on one leg better than me!

Hah, and you're only a week old.

Ooh, here's your Mom.

Chris: Martin, check it out.

It's feeding time!

Martin: Yeah, she makes a milky liquid in her esophagus and feeds it to her chick.

Whoa.

That's so cool!

Aviva: Excuse Me.

Pardon me!

Coming through.

Koki: Excuse us.

Ah excuse us.

Sorry to bother you.

Don't mean to ruffle any feathers.

Both: Guys, we did it!

Aviva: Flamingo Creature Power Disc ready for action.

Chris: Yes!

Martin: All right!

Chris: Is it going to be pink?

Aviva: Of course.

Martin: Woo-hoo!

Chris: Yes.

Both: Me first!

Chris: It's mine!

Martin: No, no, it's mine!

Martin: Got it!

Chris: Aww, okay, you first.

Martin: Thanks bro.

Insert Flamingo Power Disc, touch flamingo, and Activate Flamingo Power!

(upbeat music) ♪ Flamingo Power!

Oh ho, I feel so white!

A white flamingo?

Who ever heard of a white flamingo?

This is a horrible creature power suit malfunction.

Aviva: What happened to the pink?

Chris: We've got a creature mystery here, team.

The Mystery of the Flamingo's Pink.

Martin: Hey flamin-guys, mind if I join ya?

Oh, come on guys.

Oh okay, so I'm not pink, but everything else is flamingo-y.

I've got the neck and the legs.

Ooh and check this out.

Standing on one leg has never been easier!

Aviva: That's because flamingos actually have a locking mechanism in their leg.

Martin: Check this out!

With this neck, I can hang my head all the way down to the water.

Whoa, things look pretty different from down here, and the world is upside down.

Chris: Oh, put that upside-down thing to use bro.

The flamingos are doing their classic upside-down feeding.

They swing their heads back and forth through the water, as they walk slowly along.

Martin: This flamingo beak is even built for upside down feeding.

It's smaller on the top and bigger on the bottom.

The opposite of many bird beaks.

Except when upside down, then everything's right-side up!

Yeah, I think I've got the move down, but uh, what exactly am I after?

Chris: Not sure.

Flamingos are filter feeders, so it's something small, but we need to get a closer look.

Deploy Miniaturizer!

(upbeat music) Miniaturize!

Martin: Sure you want to go that mini?

Chris: Got to!

To find out what's in here.

Watch this dive bro!

Woo-hoo!

Martin: Whoa.

Uh-oh.

I got a little knotted up here, Chris: Oh wow, this water is really salty.

This mineral-filled water is called brine.

Hmmm.

Blue-green algae.

Not many things can live in water this salty, but this algae can and brine shrimp!

Hey guys, you must love it in here.

You pretty much have the place to yourself because it's too salty for most fish and other predators to survive in!

And you eat the algae.

Nice little life you got here.

Okay, quick scan and, Shrimpy Chris to Aviva, come in Aviva.

Aviva: Aviva here, go Shrimpy Chris.

Chris: I'm sending scans of the creatures I've found here: algae and shrimp.

You can-- Aviva: (gasps) Look out!

Chris: (screams) Feeding flamingos!

They're going after the algae and the brine shrimp!

Uh-oh, we're getting sucked in!

Whoa!

He got us into his beak by moving his tongue back and forth quickly and creating a suction.

Whoa, up we go!

Look at that tongue.

Whoa!

The little creatures get pushed towards the outside of the beak and get caught in hair like plates called lamellae.

Oh no, he's about to swallow!

Gotta get out of here!

Safe.

Whew, just missed being a flamingo snack.

Alright, I'm outta here.

See ya.

(upbeat music) Did you get that Martin?

Martin: Got all that dude, but uh, now if I could only get out of this knot.

Jimmy: I can help.

(grunts) It's really (grunts) tight!

Whoa!

Martin: Whoa!

Yes!

Thanks Jimmy.

Jimmy: Aw, don't mention it.

Okay, now to try out the old filter system.

Ready Pinkster?

Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.

Oof!

Hey, you can even stomp the ground to stir up more shrimp from the mud?

Let me give it a try, like this.

This is not as easy as it looks.

(groans) Koki: Time to test the water.

Adding now and analyze.

Aviva, look at this!

I found something.

Aviva: What is it?

Koki: That's the formula for carotenoids, and the algae and brine shrimp have super high levels of this.

Aviva: Carotenoids?

Sounds like what you get when you cross a carrot with an asteroid.

Koki: Not exactly.

It's a type of pigment, something responsible for color, and the flamingo's natural foods are loaded with the stuff.

Aviva: Oh!

That sounds like more than a coincidence.

Koki: And look!

If I isolate the carotenoids in a solution-- Aviva: (gasps) Pink!

A pinkish pigment!

We just might be onto something here.

Koki: Hey Martin, how's the feeding going?

Martin: Well, working on it.

Aviva: Well, pick up the pace.

That suit needs to absorb brine shrimp.

Lots of them!

Martin: Brine shrimp?

Really?

Aviva: Yeah, they just might be the secret to the Mystery of the Flamingo's Pink.

Martin: Okay Pinkster!

Let's get flamin-going!

(upbeat Caribbean music) Mm-mm, I'm a brine shrimp collecting machine.

(mellow Caribbean music) Koki: Why are you slowing down?

Keep going!

Martin: Can I stop now?

Aviva: We need more shrimp.

Gotta get those carotenoids.

Martin: More shrimp.

(groans) More shrimp.

(groaning) I must eat shrimp.

Must eat shrimp.

(groans) Jimmy: Mmm, you're doing good.

Keep going Martin.

(crunching) Martin: Hmm, so many shrimp, I'm stuffed.

Aviva: Martin, your face.

It's pink!

Martin: Pink?

Really?

It worked!

My feathers are pink!

Koki/Aviva: Hurray!

Woo!

Martin: I'm pink, you're pink, we're all pink!

Pink, pink, pink, pink, pink!

Both: Awesome!

Jimmy: Wow.

The pink color really does come from what the flamingo eats.

Aviva: Exactly.

What you eat is really important Jimmy.

Martin: So flamingos need to eat right to stay healthy and pink.

For them, that means brine shrimp, algae, things with carotenoids, of course.

Koki: And people need to eat right to stay healthy, too.

Jimmy: Huh, so easy on the junk food.

Hey, I have something important to do.

Aviva: You are what you eat.

Flamingos are proof.

Chris: Oh yeah!

Woo-hoo, loopy-de-loop brine shrimp style.

(chuckles) So, you guys are the secret to the flamingo's pink!

Mystery solved.

I love you guys.

Aviva: I do too Chris.

They deserve to have a Creature Power Suit built in their honor.

Chris: Sure do.

Look at all their feathery legs.

Oh, they're great for swimming through the water, and for tickling too!

(laughs) Okay, okay, I give, I give.

Oof.

And they have eyes on stalks, kind of like lobsters.

Some people call these guys sea monkeys, but they don't look like monkeys at all!

Aviva: (laughs) No they don't, at all.

Okay, I'm grabbing some design tablets.

Don't move.

Chris: Not going anywhere, Aviva.

I'm hanging with these guys for a while.

A brine shrimp holiday!

Huh?

Whoa!

(dramatic music) Aviva: Alright, so let's get started on this brine shrimp suit.

Chris?...Chris?

Oh well, at least you guys stuck around.

Chris: (screaming) Hang on guys!

I think we got sucked into some kind of tube!

(screams) But where does it lead to?

Gourmand: (chuckles) Yes, yes, the perfect briny broth.

Chris: Oh no!

Gourmand!

What is he up too?

Gourmand: I want whatever tasty morsels and minerals are in this water.

Let the filters run day and night.

(chucking) Chris: What?

No!

(dramatic music) Martin: (screams) Mayday!

Mayday!

Help!

Mayday!

Aviva: What?

What's happening!

Martin: The flamingos!

Aviva: What about the flamingos?

Martin: They're white!

They've lost their pink!

Me too!

(cries) Aviva: What is going on?

Koki: Why are they all white?

Martin: Oh, oh, not again, Koki: Now it's the mystery of the disappearance of the flamingo's pink.

Gourmand: ♪ Through the filter systems and into the jar ♪ ♪ My briny broth concentrate, how delicious you are ♪ ♪ Easy to use, just add water and then, ♪ ♪ Add it to any meal, then do it again ♪ (chuckling) Chris: (gasps) Oh-oh.

Can't hang on any longer.

(screams) Chris: Oh.

Gourmand: Full of tasty morsels.

Chris: Morsels?

For you?

No way.

For flamingos maybe, but not you.

Flamingos need their natural food, their nourishment.

You guys are part of the natural order and need to be living free and in the wild.

Shrimpy Chris to Tortuga!

Come in Tortuga!

It's Chris here.

Martin: Oh hey bro!

Aviva: Done with your brine shrimp holiday?

Chris: We've got trouble with Gourmand.

And the Gourmand trouble is he's taking all the shrimp!

Martin: We've got trouble with the flamingos too.

They're white!

Aviva: Ugh!

Double whammy?

Chris: Are you thinking what I'm thinking?

Martin: I think we're all thinking the same thing.

Chris: The flamingos aren't getting the nourishment they need because Gourmand is taking all the shrimp.

Martin: Without the shrimp, we lose our pink!

Aviva: We need a plan Chris: Let's all huddle.

Gourmand: There, loaded and ready to go.

(chuckling) Chris: Oh no, he's going to take off!

Where are they?

Martin: Not so fast, Gourmand.

Gourmand: You!

Martin: Yeah, me and my flamin-guys.

You can't take all the brine shrimp.

Gourmand: Brine shrimp?

Is that what's in the water?

Martin: Among other things.

You can't take them.

The flamingos need those brine shrimp, too.

Gourmand: Flamingos.

Those aren't flamingos.

They're not even pink.

Martin: Exactly.

Because you took away the food that makes the flamingos pink.

(laughing) Gourmand: Food that makes them pink!

That's a good one!

Ridiculous!

(laughing) What's that?

Look!

There's a pink gorilla!

Martin: What, where?

Wait, I don't see it.

Gourmand: (laughing) I think he ate your shrimp!

Martin: He obviously doesn't know about carotenoids.

After him, guys!

Even with the long legs and neck, flamingos are awesome fliers.

Come on let's keep up with him guys.

Gourmand: Huh?

(dramatic music) ♪ Gourmand: So, they think they can catch me.

I can outfly those skinny birds!

Koki: Better hurry with our plan, Aviva.

Gourmand's trying to make a getaway.

Aviva: I'm done.

Printing disc now.

Brine Shrimp disc ready for teleportation.

Jimmy catch.

Jimmy: Energize and zap it!

Chris: Yes!

Insert Brine Shrimp Power Disc.

Touch brine shrimp, hey that's easy, and activate Brine Shrimp Power!

(upbeat superhero music) Chris: Oh ho.

Shrimpy Chris isn't so shrimpy anymore!

Gourmand: Huh?

Autopilot on.

What's going on here?

What are you?

Chris: A brine shrimp!

The ones captured in your Briny Broth Concentrate.

Gourmand: Huh.

Well no one said they had to look good to taste good.

Now get off my plane, you little shrimp!

Chris: Glad to, but I'm taking my friends.

Gourmand: Oh no you don't!

(upbeat music) Martin: Incoming, get ready to catch guys.

Martin: Got it Chris!

Use your necks!

Yeah, woo-hoo!

Way to flamingo!

Keep them coming brother!

Chris: On their way bro.

Gourmand: Gotcha!

Chris: Not for long.

Brine shrimp legs tickle!

Gourmand: (laughing) Chris: Heads up!

Martin: Yeah, nice one, gang!

Gourmand: (groaning) Whoops.

(laughs) (upbeat music) Gourmand: (laughs) Chris: Last ones!

(groaning) Gourmand: Nothing to tickle with now!

Chris: Uh-oh.

Never underestimate a brine shrimp.

Feather Arm Tickle Power, all ticklers engaged.

Gourmand: (laughs) Okay, I give, I give!

Chris: I told you, never underestimate the best tickle arms on the planet.

Gourmand: Huh?

Chris: See ya, Gourmand.

Woo-hoo!

Gourmand: I'll get you next time Wild Kratt Crouton!

Chris: Thanks Martin.

Martin: No problem Chris.

Back to the salt marsh!

(upbeat music) (flamingos crowing) Chris: Well that's a Creature Mission accomplished.

All the brine shrimp are safely back home in the salt marsh.

Martin: And the flamingos have their healthy food source back.

We're pink again!

Koki: Pinkster and all the chicks have nutritious food to grow up healthy, strong, and pink.

Jimmy: And I ditched the chips for a whole bunch of foods that are healthy for a human body.

Gotta give my body what it needs.

That's great, Jimmy.

Aviva: Hey, I just made a few fun adjustments to the programming of Martin's suit.

Try some Martin.

Martin: Oh okay.

How 'bout grapes?

(laughing) Wow!

Jimmy: Cool!

Martin: Check this out.

(upbeat music) Like that one bro?

Jimmy: Sure do!

That's the best one yet.

(laughing) Aviva: Well, it's just a fun way to show what the flamingos taught us.

All: You are what you eat!

Martin: Where are the blueberries.

(laughing) Chris: So, flamingos get that amazing pink color from the food they eat.

Martin: And that special beak gives them the amazing creature power of filter feeding.

So, flamingos can collect tiny shrimp and algae from the water.

Chris: Oh, I love this awesome hooked beak of the Flamingo, and this is a good time to get a close look at those lamellae.

Those little plate-like filters that you can see right on the edges of the beak.

Check it out.

This is the filter feeding action of the flamingo.

They move their head side to side as they move their tongue rapidly, rapidly in their beak.

You can see if you look at his chin that tongue action moving, and that pulls water in and out through the filters collecting the little brine shrimp, the little algae, all the little creatures in the water.

Martin: There are no tiny shrimp or algae in my hair.

I promise you.

(laughing) Chris: They're so small you can hardly see them.

But tiny creatures in the water like brine shrimp and algae are the reason for the flamingo's pink color.

That's because brine shrimp and algae have a special pigment called carotenoids, and when flamingos eat a lot of carotenoids, their feathers turn pink.

Without the carotenoids, a flamingo's feathers would be white.

The adults that is.

Martin: These are lesser flamingo chicks, about five weeks old and very cute, kind of funny looking, and no pink.

Chris: Yeah, as they grow up, their pink color will come in more and more with each new set of feathers until their perfectly pink as adults.

Martin: Now they are getting some of the carotenoids from the crop milk that their parents are feeding them, but it takes a long time for the flamingos to turn pink.

Chris: Yeah, (chuckling) they are growing fast.

Come on guys let's go.

(upbeat music) This way.

Martin: Let's go for a walk.

Chris: Keep on creature adventuring.

Martin: We'll see you on the creature trail.

Chris: That's right, come on.

Come on buddy catch up.

(upbeat music) ♪ Chris: To find out more about cool animals, Martin: And collect your own Wild Kratt's creature powers, Chris: go to the Wild Kratt's website Martin: at pbskids.org Both: We'll see you there!