The pink flamingos, coming from the French region of the Camargue, come to spend the winters in the Orbetello lagoon.
When to see the pink flamingos in Orbetello
A spectacle of nature!
For the past 25 years, the western lagoon has been tinged with pink from autumn to spring.
The maximum attendance, in general, occurs in December. The morning is the best time to spot moving islands in compact spots! Then there are 2-3 days a year when the western lagoon becomes really pink due to the massive presence of flamingos. A rare and unforgettable show, but unfortunately unpredictable. Some specimens are present throughout the year, although they have nested only once here. 26 chicks were born in 1994 and then never again, probably because they were annoyed by the excessive intervention of man on the territory.
Where to see the pink flamingos in Orbetello
For a "close" encounter of pink flamingos I recommend the Ornithological paths of the WWF natural reserve of the Orbetello lagoon (at Ceriolo, Patanella, Casale Spagnolo in Giannella). You can observe them from very close by using the numerous huts equipped for bird watching.
If, on the other hand, you are content to observe them a little further away, without difficulty, follow the road that starts from Orbetello Scalo (by car, by bike, on foot ... as you wish!) And which runs along the entire western lagoon. Especially in the first section, the one in front of the hospital, you will certainly see someone!
Curiosity about pink flamingos
- The scientific name of the flamingo has a Latin etymology: phoenix = phoenix (that is "purple", from the color of the phoenix) and pteron = wing; which is literally translated as "purple wings".
- The pink flamingo is born white. Change color with power. It feeds mainly on algae and small crustaceans that contain beta-carotene, a red-orange pigment, which gives it its characteristic pink color.
- But why are flamingos on one leg?
This mystery was revealed by researchers Young-Hui Chang and Lena H. Ting.
Tactical position. To answer the question, the researchers analyzed the movement of flamingos by positioning them on a platform that is able to analyze the balance and have discovered that animals are seven times more stable while they sleep.
In conclusion, flamingos are physically "made" to stand on one leg. - The male of a pink flamingo is a special father, he shares the care of the baby with his mother ... suckling.
It is not real milk and it does not come from the breasts but it is goitre milk, a partially digested food mixed with mucus produced by the throat tissue and is regurgitated in the mouth of the small flamingo.
The flamingo's symbolism
The flamingo is considered, since ancient times, a symbol of positivity and elegance and in Egypt it was considered a sacred animal to Ra, god of the sun. With the Hindus he represents the animal that leads souls to the afterlife.
His pink plumage recalls the ability to give and receive love and open up to others.
Seeing a flamingo invites us to analyze our emotional relationships.
Each flamingo has 12 black feathers for each wing, which are essential for the flight that occurs mainly at night. 12 in numerology is very important because it refers to the original fullness and totality, indicating a complete cycle as the months of the year.
Its elegance has fascinated many poets.
Pablo Neruda, to whom he dedicated the poem "Flamenco".
It was his body made of feathers
his wings were of petal
it was a rose flying towards sweetness.
I left those regions
I dressed in tailcoat and iron
m 'have bitten many pains
but at the bottom of myself
like in that lost lake
continues to live the vision of a bird
or indelible angel who transformed
the light of day
with the splendor of his presence
and its rosy movement.
The "flamingo mania": all crazy for flamingos!
The pink flamingo has become the most fashionable bird! Everyone has gone crazy for this animal. The beaches are full of flamingo-shaped inflatables.
Plastic Pink Flamingo was invented in 1957 by Donald Featherstone while working for the company Union Products, and soon became an icon of pop culture that earned him the Nobel Prize for Art in 1996.
Andy Warhol made them part of Pop Art. In 1987 the governor of Massachusetts proclaimed the plastic bird "an essential contribution to American popular art".
In the nineties, in America, the pink flamingo became a popular housewarming gift, a kind of lucky door and from the houses it soon passed to the streets invading many places with big neon-style Las Vegas signs (where one of the most famous casinos just call Flamingo).
