"We would know if one of ours was missing."Īccording to Border, most zoos pinion their flamingos, a process that involves removing a joint in the wing to disable flight. "We keep track of our flamingos," says Chuck Border, a senior bird keeper at the zoo. The bird is almost certainly a local, but it didn't come from the San Diego Zoo or SeaWorld, Yuen notes. "We haven't seen any conflicts or competition between the flamingo and some of the other native shorebirds that are foraging," he says. The mating process is complex ritual, involving a dance like. They may pine over the death of their mate, but may also choose a new one after the first mate’s death, depending on the disposition of the bird. (Also see " How a Wayward Antarctic Seal Ended Up on a Brazilian Beach.") The American flamingo is a monogamous creature, meaning the bird chooses one mate during its lifetime, and sticks with it until death. As long as that continues, the refuge plans to leave the bird alone. So far, the flamingo seems to be getting along with its neighbors. "Black skimmers, forester terns, double-crested cormorants, and the endangered California least tern all rest here," notes Yuen. This is why they are often found inland of small lakes and. The prefer areas with a large concentration of salt in them. The largest amount of them is found around the Caribbean which is why they are so commonly referred to as the Caribbean Flamingo. In these native habitats, the birds feast on a diet of algae, brine shrimp, and plankton-the same foods that San Diego's sole flamingo and a host of other birds enjoy. The American Flamingo is found in the West Indies, Yucatan, and along the Galapagos Islands. On the Yucatán Peninsula, Caribbean islands, and Andean Plateau, American flamingos flock to shallow, saline ponds by the thousands. Fish and Wildlife Service reintroduced tidal flow to those ponds, creating the perfect landing spot for migrating birds-including, apparently, flamingos. "It does have a band on its leg, and it looks like the flamingo has had its wings clipped in the past, but it is now fully flying."Īccording to Yuen, the American flamingo is happily foraging in the refuge's salt marsh, much of which consists of restored, shallow ponds that were once used for commercial production of salt. ( Read about a jet-black flamingo spotted in Cyprus.)
Instead, "we think the bird is a fugitive," having escaped from a private collection says Andy Yuen, complex project leader at the refuge. Most likely, the bird isn't a wayward traveler, lost in the midst of migration. The gift fluttered in on Valentine's Day-a single, pink flamingo splashing down under the shadows of downtown San Diego.Īs of this week, the bird is still living in the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge, home to some of the last vestiges of southern California's wild marshland and estuaries.
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