Are you an extrovert kind of person who loves to be with different people and know about them? Do you know that you have a bird version of yourself? Yup! Talking about Flamingo. They are a kind of creatures that love to be social. But that’s not the only thing that makes them different. Starting from their soothing pink color, to their poise nature, a lot of stuffs make the Flamingoes stand out above the rest.And all of those traits have attracted people so much that they ended up extracting several symbolisms. Let’s know about some of them.
Symbolism:
Balance:
First thing that the flamingos are known for is that they stand on one leg. Not just that, they are expert for remaining in perfect balance while standing with solely one leg. The actual reason why they do that has not yet been discovered, but people have extracted symbolic meaning from such nature. Because of their poise, they are called to be a symbol of balance. It teaches you to maintain balance in your life, it doesn’t matter what the circumstances are. It also teaches you to keep your emotions in balance. And the way they devote more energy in standing on one leg, it shows how you can stay focused once you learn to keep everything balanced.
Social Being:
Flamingo can represent being social since they prefer to live within community. They have a tendency to gather where there is freshwater lake and form a flock surrounding the area. The biggest flock that has been documented consisted of more than a million member. That is the reason why they are called to be an emblem of social being. There’s another symbolic meaning you can derive from their social nature. And that is, with other flamingos around, they have a sense of security. And just like the bird, we also cannot do anything alone without ensuring security. We too need people to watch our backs.
Harmony:
Since they live within community, they also believe in harmony. This symbolic meaning also comes right from their pink appearance that is stated to be the color of harmony. It’s a fact, you will have to have smooth synchronization to live within society. Just like people, flamingos do the same which is why they are called to be cheerful being. Socially, the flamingoes exemplify a content and peaceful coexistence with one’s flock.
Family And Nurturing:
Such birds are devoted parents who defend their eggs, chicks as well as their nest aggressively. They take care of their children and stand by them. That is why, they are known as a symbol of family. They are called to be good parents who can also be better partners. It can enlighten you about the significance of nurturing your children.
Endurance:
Flamingo is such a bird who can fly longer distances in their migration passage. The way they cover a long journey shows their endurance side. For this, they are known to be a symbol of endurance who persevere in the toughest situations and never give up, because they know they will get a reward ultimately when reaching the finish line.
History And Culture:
In early Egyptian cultures, the Flamingo was considered a personification of the sun god Ra. The people felt that they are there to remind you of the work of the sun god. They used to go out of their way to make sure the birds were preserved. Peruvian stories portrayed them as bird sacred to different protectors or heroes of humankind.
They are preserved and often found in a variety of artworks. There are several stories in which the Flamingo is called to be the savior of animals because of its ability to bend its neck and its association it has with both the land and sky. Some legends consider them man coming in the form of the Flamingo that now possesses extra abilities that he never had before.
Several books contain references to Flamingos that include the classic Alice in Wonderland. The story revolves around Alice who uses Flamingo as a mallet to play croquette. You will also find the bird in different characters in different books, be it for kids, youth or adults. For the latter, there are also books focusing on the real information about the Flamingo. Many people keep plastic Flamingoes as ornaments in their yards. It is considered an inexpensive and fun way to decorate the landscaping. You’ll also will see the bird as part of collectibles which include water globes, magnets, as well as in travel browsers.
Millions of plastic Flamingoes are annually sold around the globe. You can call one of the major icons in the state of Florida.
As the Flamingo is not a threat to human, it gives a good vibe to the people in different cultures. People regard them as a unique creature because of their soothing pink color, long necks and legs.
They also have become an emblem of different restaurants, bars, and also of casino on the strip in Las Vegas. As they are considered to be standing out above the rest, people use them as symbol thinking it will help them stand out above others. Because it is certain that Flamingoes certainly can catch attention right after you see them.
Things To Know
- Flamingo congregates in lagoons or mudflats, where it can hunt for shallow saltwater prey with ease. Such habitats make it tough for predators to negotiate.
- Their pink skin comes from beta-carotene in the crustaceans and plankton which is consumed by the bird. Diet of a zoo flamingo includes algae, plankton, shrimp, and crustaceans from different waters. If those foods don’t provide enough pigmentation, they can turn gray or white, although, it doesn’t affect their strength and health.
- It takes them around 3 years to turn their feathers into pink or red.
- They are monogamous species that lay only one egg every year. If that egg is damaged, stolen, or lost, or does not hatch, they don’t tend to lay a replacement.