Why Flamingos Are Wonderful
The summer may not be the first time of year when one thinks of dressing gowns, especially the warm sort that are so pleasant to wear on a cold winter’s morning. But for others, they are a must at any time of year.
Either way, whether you fancy treating yourself or you have a sibling with a birthday approaching, a flamingo dressing gown is one of the funkiest things a girl can wear.
Providing that classic two-tone combination of pink against a black background, the garment comes with a pink inside lining, pink pockets, pink belt and, of course, lots of flamingos in a variety of poses.
The great appeal of this really is the birds themselves. So cool and pretty in pink, if they didn’t actually exist they would have to be invented. After all, nature never produced a pink panther and look what happened there!
It’s not just the colour that makes flamingos special, but the story of how they get to look that way. When these birds hatch they are actually grey, but they feed on crustaceans and plankton that contain carotenoids, the group of pigments that give plants and animals colouration towards the red end of the spectrum (as the name suggests, this is what makes carrots orange).
As a consequence, these pigments are absorbed by the birds and find their way into the feathers, producing that amazing colouration.
The reason there are not lots of other pink birds around is that the kind of lakes and lagoons that flamingos live in are often pretty inhospitable to other species, due to being too salty or acidic. They are found in parts of southern Europe, but most flamingos live in Africa, central America and the hotter parts of South America and Asia.
Even the way they eat is quite cool. First, they use their feet to stir up the mud and loosen their prey. Then they dip their heads upside down and take in a big mouthful containing both water and food, before straining out the water through hair-like appendages similar to those seen in some kinds of whales. This helps them avoid swallowing too much acidic or salty water.
It’s not just their feathers or feeding that looks comical, yet is real. They appear to have legs that bend backwards at the knees. However, incredible as it might seem, these are in fact not their knees, but their ankles. This makes them perfectly adapted to wade around in the water with all the flexibility they need in their legs.
Many birds as large as this are flightless, but flamingos are in fact very good flyers too.
Needless to say, flamingos are messy, hang around in huge flocks (known as a ‘stand’) and are not the kinds of birds you can keep as a pet, which is why you might fancy a trip to the zoo to see them.
However, with a stylish flamingo dressing gown, you can enjoy the colours, the character, the beauty and the wonder of some of the most recognisable and beautiful creatures on the planet in your own home, all in great comfort and style.