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Flock Of Flamingos Comes Home To Roost This Summer At Maritime Aquarium

NORWALK, Conn. – Birds of a feather flock together. And in the case of flamingos, the features are pink and the flock is called a stand, colony, regiment or a flamboyance.

Flamingos will be on exhibit this summer at the Maritime Aquarium, starting this Saturday.

Flamingos will be on exhibit this summer at the Maritime Aquarium, starting this Saturday.

Photo Credit: Contributed
A flamingo dips its foot into the water in the courtyard at the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk.

A flamingo dips its foot into the water in the courtyard at the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk.

Photo Credit: Contributed

And you can see the leggy pink birds up close and personal and learn more about them this summer at the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk.

A small flamboyance of flamingos will be standing – often, on one leg – in the aviary on the aquarium’s riverfront courtyard from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. That’s May 27-Sept. 4. The exhibit is free with admission.

“For family fun this summer, The Maritime Aquarium has more big sharks, the greatest variety of jellyfish, the only black dragon and the ‘greenest’ research vessel, while also being the most affordable aquarium in New England,” said Dave Sigworth, the Aquarium’s publicist. “This flamingo exhibit is the pink icing on the cake.”

Sigworth added that the flamingos exhibit will complement the new IMAX movie, “Amazon Adventure,” opening July 1 on the aquarium’s six-story screen.

“People love flamingos because they’re just such a big and beautiful and interesting bird,” said Sigworth. 

Ancient Egyptians are said to have used the flamingo to represent the reincarnation of their sun god. The birds have turned up in cave paintings in Spain and in ancient art of Peru. Alice used a flamingo as a croquet mallet when she went through the looking glass. And, of course, pink flamingos became a cultural icon of tropical travel.

The six Chilean flamingos on display are native to southern South America are distinguished from other flamingo species by their paler plumage and by their grayish legs with notably pink “knees.” 

The birds are on loan for the summer from a zoo in Louisiana. Get details on aquarium admission, hours and more at www.maritimeaquarium.org.

And just how do flamingos stand steadily on only one leg? Researchers have recently discovered why the species is more stable on one leg than two. Click here to read the story at the Atlantic. 

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