Flamingo
By Caitlin R. Kight
Reaktion
With its distinctive pink colouring and one-legged stance, the flamingo is possibly the most easily recognized bird in the world. But what most of us don’t know is that there
are actually six different species of flamingo, each differing in size and hue, and despite excellent fossil records, scientists have, until recently, had a difficult time positioning the flamingo within the avian genetic tree. Flamingo untangles the scientific research on this unusual bird and looks at its role in popular culture and the arts through the ages, from the croquet mallet in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to the flocks of pink plastic birds on lawns across the U.S. Flamingo introduces the history of the bird, its behaviour and habitats and discusses why it has become such an iconic animal. It reveals how the birds get their extraordinary colour, and details the significance they have had in world cultures, whether as a spiritual totem or a commercial symbol of the tropical life. Flamingo provides valuable insight into just what makes this flashyfeathered character so special.
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