Flamingos Have Moved Indoors

American Flamingos, CC 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The West Indian Flamingo is the national bird of The Bahamas.  That's what they tend to call them there.

You also hear this species referred to as American or Caribbean Flamingos.  Those are just three different common names for the species Phoenicopterus ruber.

This particular species may or may not have been the inspiration for the original plastic flamingo lawn ornaments.  But it could have been.  (More about the plastic ones later.)

The originator of these items, which seem to magically sprout up in yards across America from time to time, is artist Don Featherstone.  Working from pictures in National Geographic, he created the first pair in 1957, as an employee of Union Products.

 After the lawn ornaments became so popular that other companies started making copies, Featherstone added his signature to the genuine article. While there have been numerous imitators over the years, the original design was produced by Union Products until they closed in late 2006.  

Today, the copyright, as well as the original molds are owned by Cado Produts.  They alone have the right to product these now classic ornaments with Featherstone's signature on them.  And, they are making them in greater quantities than ever.  It seems those kitschy pink birds are not about to go away!  

So, when you purchase a pair of pink flamingos (the real thing is usually sold in pairs)  for your yard, be sure to get the ones with the artist's signature on them!   Look for it on one side of the bird's body, beneath the wingtips.  

They're available now on Amazon, in the original pink, and also in white, sky blue, and black. 

Flamingos at the Miami Zoo, CC via Wikimedia Commons

4 - They like to be with lots of others, and do not do well alone or in small groups.  That's why you probably won't see a zoo with only two or three or them.  There will be over a dozen at an absolute minimum.

5 - They are good swimmers and fast flyers.  They don't swim very often, but that doesn't mean they can't.  As for flying, they can reach speeds of 35 mph.  That's faster than a dolphin swims, and dolphins are pretty fast swimmers.

6 - At Nassau's Ardastra Gardens, in The Bahamas, you can see the world famous Marching Flamingos.  Never heard of them?  Now you have!  And, there's a video below, so you can see them, too.

Here is a sampling of some home decor ideas with flamingo flair from your friendly designers at Zazzle.  Toss a stand of flamingos on your couch, mount a pink and purple clock on your wall, or indulge in a fun and frivolous tea time.

The flamingo show at Ardastra Gardens, in Nassau, The Bahamas, has been going on regularly since 1957, the same year Don Featherstone created his famous plastic pink flamingo lawn ornaments.

As the video explains, these large pink birds are not easily trainable. But someone did it here, decades ago. Today, they don't know exactly how he did it.

But, here's the neat part: The flamingos themselves train new members of the flamboyance (flock.) So, the show goes on.

If you are planning on going to Nassau, and want to see them live and in person, they march daily, in the mornings at 10:30, and each afternoon at 2:10 and 4:10.

They sure are fun to watch. Enjoy the video!

Those marching flamingos are just a whole lot of fun.

Raise a toast to those entertaining tropical birds!  And what could be more appropriate than to toast with a little bubbly or wine in a glass made for the occasion?  Let a flamingo wine caddy keep you bottle at the ready for you.  Then, just pour, and enjoy ... either before dinner, or along with your meal, served, appropriately enough, on pink flamingo dinnerware.