Birdland

Flamboyant Pink Flamingo

Flamingos get their famous pink coloring from the shrimp and other crustaceans that they eat. They are shy around humans, but in the wild are gregarious and historically have lived in large colonies of up to one million birds. They can live 30 years or more. The word “flamingo” comes from the Spanish word “flamenco” – like the fast and lively Spanish dance. A flock of flamingos is called a stand, or a flamboyance. Bonaire, in the Dutch Antilles and where this wild bird was photographed, is one of the few nesting places for pink flamingos.

Photo by Park Hill resident Mark Silverstein