Flamingo Friday: Two Reactions to the Same Phenomenon

When they aren’t billing each other, putting on courtship displays, preening, feeding, or mating, the flamingos at the zoo are usually sleeping in typical tall-bird style—that is, upright on one leg, all grouped together like a big flock of pink-and-orange popsicles. The sheer number of them engaged in synchronized dozing is pretty impressive, as is their balance: they’re like a whole yard-full of lawn decorations, but with their heads tucked in.

The mother of a family of zoo visitors who passed by the enclosure during a flock-wide nap immediately recognized a photo opportunity. She waved her kids in front of the exhibit, whipped out her camera, and, peering through the viewfinder, ordered, “Okay, everybody on one leg.”

Later, another little group passed by the dozing flamingos and had a different response. A young woman stared at the birds for a moment and exclaimed, “They look like stomachs!”

And, you know, I’d never thought about it before…but they kind of do.

It just goes to show, you can learn something new every day.

{A note: I do write all text and take all pictures. Please do not reproduce either without my permission.}