Like A Flamingo
(Wild flamingos photographed in the Dominican Republic)
I’ve been scouring Pinterest for pictures of flamingos. It has become a bit of an obsession which started with a set of glasses from Ikea and from then on I have looked everywhere for tall, pink, odd-looking birds, that stand on one leg! Because I’m the inquisitive type, I had to find out a little more.
So I hopped over to trusty Wikipedia and found this:-
Flamingos usually stand on one leg while the other is tucked beneath their body. The reason for this behaviour is not fully understood. One theory is that standing on one leg allows the birds to conserve more body heat, given that they spend a significant amount of time wading in cold water.[17] However, the behaviour also takes place in warm water and is also observed in birds that do not typically stand in water. An alternative theory is that standing on one leg reduces the energy expenditure for producing muscular effort to stand and balance on one leg.
Flamingos are capable flyers and flamingos in captivity often require wing clipping to prevent escape.
Flamingos in flight at Rio Lagartos, Yucatán, MX
Young flamingos hatch with greyish reddish plumage, but adults range from light pink to bright red due to aqueous bacteria and beta-Carotene obtained from their food supply. A well-fed, healthy flamingo is more vibrantly colored and thus a more desirable mate.
So why do I like them so much?
- They’re pink……… well the healthy desirable ones are! (thanks, Wiki)
- They stand out in a crowd………..the well-nourished ones do!
- Well Balanced…….they have plenty of practice standing on one leg all day
- They’re not afraid to get their feet wet.
- They have a tendency to stamp their feet when they are hungry.
What Sort of Flamingo Would I Be?
If I was a flamingo, I would be a horrible grey colour with hardly any feathers, I would stand at the back wobbling furiously, hoping my one good leg doesn’t give up on me. I would be concerned that my slightly pinker partner doesn’t get his head turned by all the bright fuschia beauties standing around, perfectly balanced and with two good legs.Instead of stamping my foot to uncover food, I would gently dip my toe so that I don’t have to disturb too many shrimps.
That is why I love flamingos!
What sort of flamingo would you be?
Manfred Mann Pretty Flamingo YouTube
This was released in 1966.
I really like this quote, I have no idea who wrote it but I think everyone should be themselves and follow their own identity. It’s good to be quirky, creative, different and we should embrace our individuality.
- Flamingos are monogamous birds that lay only a single egg each year.
- It takes 30 days for the egg to hatch.
- It takes three years for a flamingo chick to turn pink.
- In the wild flamingos live over 30 years.
- They weigh a tiny 3-5 pounds and stand 5 feet tall.
- A group of flamingos is called a flamboyance.
I’m looking for a painting or print that captures their graceful composure and depth of colour. I will be back with a post if I find one.
See more on My Pinterest and let me know in the comments if you would like me to follow you.
Amazon.com Affiliate links to Flamingo Products featured on this page
My sis is really into flamingos (she has a flamingo-themed bathroom, pillows, tee-shirts, mugs, glasses, etc.) so every time I see something with a flamingo on, I have to buy it for her or at least send her a photo/link of where she can find it! Luckily on our last trip (when she dog-sat for us) I just happened to come across a flamingo mug while we were out shopping one day so brought that back for her.
Have you ever seen them dance?? It’s adorable and hilarious. (I’m not a great dancer though, so like you I fear I wouldn’t be one of those gorgeous, graceful, popular-with-the-boys flamingos!)
I have just spent a lovely time on youtube watching flamingos dance (who knew!) .I would be behind all the graceful ones looking for my glasses! Thanks for making me smile x