Flamingo Rising
Phoenicopteri (Phoenix’s wings) – also known as flamingos. We know them for their distinct and beautiful style. They have long necks, they come in roaring shades of pink, and they form heart images when standing face to face. They have also become part of popular culture. Many people in the USA use plastic flamingos as lawn ornaments.
source: http://blogs.oracle.com
Author Lewis Carroll gave us beautiful images to work with when he envisioned the Queen of Hearts using flamingos as croquet bats.
The first major casino in Las Vegas was named the Flamingo.
source: http://www.taproot.com
Flamingos are intriguing creatures. They live in huge colonies, under complex social structures, and form strong bonds between pairs. They feed their offspring with crop milk, perform synchronized ritual displays, and filter-feed on shrimp and algae using specialized sieving beaks. In larger colonies they are known to swap mates, and they like standing on one leg for some reason.
The most fascinating recent image of them was taken from a bird’s-eye view. (see bottom of page) .
For a video of flamingos, click here
Image sources:
http://www.zoofood.com/flamingo.html
http://www.squidoo.com/flamingo-pictures
http://www.itsnature.org/air/birds-air/flamingo/
http://timurban.blogspot.com/2010/07/animals_04.html
http://www.hiren.info/desktop-wallpapers/animals-birds-pictures/pink-flamingo#800×600
http://photography.nationalgeographic.com by National Geographic photographer Robert B. Haas
Flamingos are weird animals. They are awesome though. Real testament to the power of random adaptation.
[...] off Bunawan, a township located in the southern Philippine province of Agusan del Sur. The animal, nicknamed “Lolong,” is now under close observation by wildlife authorities for signs of stress [...]