The flamingos, a small monotypic order of wading birds that includes the family Phoenicopteridae, which has five species in one genus Phoenicopterus found worldwide in tropical to temperate marine and fresh waters; four species are found in South America, of which three live in the Andes. The flamingos were formally included in the Ciconiiformes and are still placed there by many researchers; others have advocated a close relationship with either the Anseriformes or the Charadriiformes. None of these classifications, however, are strongly supported by available evidence, and so it is best to place these bizarre birds in a unique order.