Greater Flamingos—double left click to enlarge
I shot these most lovely and unique creatures on Barbados Isle—a land teeming with assorted wildlife. Flamingos are a most remarkable bird to watch in movement. I love the way these long-neckers twist and curve their throats every which way. It is also a delight to view their flashy, vibrant, living color! It is due to their red-hue that they are called Flamingos (Portuguese for flame).
The Greater Flamingo is the only tall, pink bird known to mankind. I guess that is why people love to place plastic replicas here and there in their yards or have fancy art pieces duplicating them in their homes. Of course, the plastic artistic thingamajigs, only stand on one leg, just like the real thing. The reason for this Flamingo behavior is not understood, except by God, their Creator.
These notable pink birds weigh in at nine pounds. They are quite tall—being around six-feet. You can spot them in warm, watery regions on many continents, often located in a flocking of several thousand, called a “pat.” You see, God made them to be completely gregarious. They certainly are not loners like the Herons, who somewhat resemble them in body structure. Whenever I view a Blue Heron, it is always fishing all by its lonesome.
Flamingos are generally non-migratory birds, dwelling in delightful climates. If they do migrate due to adverse circumstances, they will travel mainly at night or at high altitudes to avoid possible predation by eagles. Christ Jesus has provided many avis genuses with nocturnal vision. (I do find their nighttime escapades interesting, as on occasion when my husband, Alan, and I have been outside late at night, we hear active avis’ of various species. I have stated to Alan, “I think those birds should be in bed.”)
Every Flamingo possesses twelve black flight feathers in each wing—simply an amazing structure, characterizing the creative competence and color coordination of God. Just think of the remarkable structuring of all His aviators and their multi-colored flight wings that often catch our eye. Along with these powerfully constructed flight feathers, He implemented the gift of speed, as Flamingoes can soar at 37 miles an hour. God’s ways are certainly past man’s comprehension.
Flamingos love to dance like ballerinas. They will spread their wings wide in their prance to reveal the vibrant red of their wing feathers. Such showoffs! When flaunting their colors, they will run across the water and take to the air, only to land again and repeat the ritual. They, like the Blue Heron, are extremely lovely to observe. However, both the Blue Heron and the Flamingo honk. This, in my opinion, distracts from their glamour—it being so contrary to their displayed loveliness and gracefulness. It certainly revels God great sense of creation humor! I giggle when I watch a Heron and its graceful moves and later hear its wild, loud-racking, off-key cries when it takes to the air.
Flamingos favor estuaries (the point at which rivers flow into the sea) and saline or alkaline lakes. God created Flamingos to be athletic swimmers; though of course, they are not usually pictured in this setting.
They own black-tipped bills with a distinctive, noted downward bend; wondrously designed by Jesus Christ. This remarkable beak allows them to feed on small organisms—plankton, tiny fish, fly larvae, and similar. In muddy flats or shallow water, they use their long legs and webbed feet to stir up the bottom. They then bury their bills, or even their entire heads, and suck up both mud and water to access tasty morsels. A Flamingo’s beak is a filtering structure—straining its food from the water; like the Northern Shoveler duck and all dabbling ducks.
When Flamingos find that perfect mate, they make the union for life as designed by God. Both parents assist in forming a nest of mud for their one offspring. It is formed to be over a foot tall to protect the egg from high water and heat—a very unique structure: Flamingo Nest
The couple take turns incubating their white and round, bundle of joy. Their little one is born gray and white and will not turn pink for two years. Both parents also assist in the raising of the baby, which includes its milk feedings. Yes, both male and female produce crop milk and share in feeding. (crop milk is secreted in the gland lining of the upper digestive tract and contains more nutrition than bovine and human milk.) Doves and pigeons also produce crop milk that resembles pale yellow cottage cheese and is extremely high in protein and fat. Young Flamingos feed on this blood cell enriched milk for about two months until their bills are developed to filter feed.
The Flamingos’ pelvis and ribs resemble that of a Stork and Heron as you can see by its body form. Of course, all these water birds also display long necks as well. Jeremiah 8:7 reveals, even the stork in the sky knows her seasons. God ingrained common sense in the stork family of avis.’ They wisely utilize it, and He applauds them. God’s children, the Jews, had thrown all common sense to the wind during the time of the prophet, Jeremiah. They chose to be wilder than birds. They could have easily asked forgiveness and been delivered from the sins that plagued them. Unfortunately, they forsook the love, care and compassion of God. They had fallen into apostasy (wavering from God and His commands). Obedience to God always produces blessings. Disobedience always produces countless grievous repercussions. May you and I learn from the Stork.
