A Day to celebrate Pink Flamingos !

A Day to Celebrate Pink Flamingos !

Written by Tricia of UpCycledStuff

Before you get too excited about another informative and well written bird article by a Team EFA member, let me just tell you that Pink Flamingo Day is a celebration of those tacky yard ornaments designed by Don Featherstone that first arrived in yards in 1957.

After a quick look at the clown forum calendar (http://www.clown-forum.com/calendar.php?c=1) you’ll see that May 29 is the day to pull out those fabulous pink plastic birds and adorn the lawn with a flock.

The plastic pink flamingo has a rich history including a 1996 Ig Nobel Prize for Art. (http://improbable.com/ig/) These prizes are awarded for achievements that first make people laugh, and then make them think. But long before this recognition the flamingos appeared in a self titled film, “Pink Flamingos” and even spent some time as enemy #1, with many communities banning the iconic birds all together.

While I personally think that a great way to round out a month long celebration of birds is with a little kitsche, you know you’ll have to learn a little something about these beautiful LIVE birds too. This is Etsy for Animals, after all...

So here are three must know facts for your next summer BBQ:

1. The joint that you probably call the knee, is actually the birds ankle. Pay attention to the way it bends “backward” the next time you see one sit down.

2. The bird’s feather color does not come from food coloring. It’s actually due to the carotenoids in the crustaceans that they eat. If they don’t get these crustaceans (or special dietary supplements in captivity) when it’s time to molt, their new feathers will be void of color.

3. To avoid losing their eggs to rising water levels, both the male and female will construct a mound with mud and twigs. The female will lay one egg at the top of this mound which may be up to 12” in height.

Need more pink flamingos?

Scroll down to the post below this one and enjoy a lovely all EFA member Treasury: Pink as a Flamingo or click this link: http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4de174410f5a8eef1d88c737/pink-as-a-flamingo