Flamingos are beautiful, elegant, and sometimes goofy acting birds, especially when finding a mate. They can thrive in harsh climates and live peacefully in large groups. Their name is derived from the Latin word 'flamma' meaning flame or fire.
Flamingos held in captivity must have their wings clipped to prevent escape. A well-fed, healthy flamingo is vibrantly colored while those in captivity often lose their bright hues.
Flamingos are very social birds; they live in colonies whose population can reach into the thousands. These large colonies are believed to serve three purposes for their survival: avoiding predators, maximizing food intake, and efficiently using scarce nesting sources.
Flamingos pair-up and aggressively defend nesting territories. They locate a suitable spot (usually chosen by the female) and work together to build the nest. Both male and female protect their home.
During the lockdowns of 2020, my husband and I found ourselves in captivity surrounded by a flock of pigeons. We were isolated and believed we were the only ones questioning what felt to us as an extreme overreaction to a respiratory virus. The world had lost its color. All the beautiful smiling faces disappeared behind dehumanizing masks.
Unfortunately, we are not flamingos and had a hard time finding our proverbial flock. They were trying to clip our wings and dull our existence.
Fortunately, we did find each other and slowly those who had our wings clipped began finding our way back to each other. Now our colony is thriving and growing again. But make no mistake, you messed with our nest, and we won't forget it!
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