Of the six species of flamingo, the Lesser Flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor) is the most abundant, with some four million individuals ranging across sub-Saharan Africa, with smaller populations on the Arabian Peninsula, India and Pakistan. At just over a yard in height, it is also the smallest species. Haunting shallow, alkaline lakes, it feeds by forcing water through lammellae inside its bill with powerful tongue movements, filtering out algae and tiny invertebrates. Throughout its range, the Lesser shares this habitat with its much larger cousin, the Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus). There is little competition for food between the two, though. The lesser feeds nearer to the surface, and its bill filters out smaller organisms.