Flamboyant Flamingos

Lisa loves flamingos and admits that at one point in her life she had a bunch of plastic pink flamingos in her front yard. (Baby Alex, Ant, and Ash are cringing right now). Kitsch or cool?http://europe.newsweek.com/kitsch-or-cool-upward-flight-pink-flamingo-330817?rm=eu. [Ed. Lisa also put plastic pink Flamingos in front of the old lake Austin house that Douglas and Lisa used to live in].

So this post is just about the amazing flamingos we saw in a marshy area of France in an area called The Camargue- where the Rhone River meets the Mediterranean. Lisa thinks the movement of their legs is the most relaxing thing in the world…

Some fun facts about Flamingos:

An adult flamingo’s legs can be 30-50 inches long, which is longer than their entire body.
The backward bending “knee” of a flamingo’s leg is actually the bird’s ankle.
Flamingos are monogamous and lay only a single egg each year. If that egg is lost or damaged, they do not typically lay a replacement.
A flock of flamingos is sometimes referred to as a ‘flamboyance’ of flamingos.
Adult flamingos are four to five feet tall, but only weigh between four and eight pounds.
Their pink color comes from beta-carotene in the crustaceans and plankton that flamingos eat.
Flamingos feed by stirring up mud with their feet. Then they reach down and scoop up a beakful of mud and water. Their beaks are designed to strain animals out of the mud, and the muddy water is expelled. This happens as the flamingo’s head is upside-down.
The feathers under their wings (flight feathers) are black. You only see them when the birds are flying.
Flamingos in the wild have a lifespan of 20-30 years, but in captivity have been recorded as living up to 50 years or longer.
Flamingos rest and sleep on one leg to conserve energy and maintain their body temperature.
Flamingos have a large, soft, fleshy tongue, which is quite rare among birds.
A flamingo can sit down by bending its legs backwards.
Flamingos emit nasal sounds like honking, grunting and growling which play an important role in keeping the flock together and helping parents and children to identify each other in large flocks.
The male and female of a mating pair build a nest together, and both sit on the egg while it incubates for about a month.
Flamingo chicks are born with grey and white feathers. They do not turn pink for a year or two. Their beaks are straight, and begin to curve as they grow and mature.
Flamingos are not endangered but these are… plastic lawn flamingos (Phoenicopterus plasticus) are an American cultural icon that was introduced in 1957 by artist Don Featherstone. In the 21st century, they are considered endangered. Efforts are underway to revive the art form, and in 2009, Madison, Wisconsin, named the plastic pink flamingo the city’s official bird.