Ancient writers, struck by the vivid coloring of its wings, called this the Fiery-winged Bird; this term was designated in France by the word flambert, or flamant; from which came the name Flamingo, by which the Bird is popularly known.
Flamingoes inhabit the margins of lakes and ponds, more rarely the seashore. They feed on Worms, Molluscs, and the Spawn of Fishes, which they capture by the following stratagem: Placing their long neck and head in such a position that the upper mandible of their bill is the lowest, they stir the mud about in every direction, thus easily succeed in disturbing the small Fish which have settled in it, and capturing them while blended with the thick sediment. They also use their feet for working the ooze and detaching the fry and spawn, to which they are partial.
They love company, and live in flocks, which are subject to strict discipline. When they are fishing they draw themselves up into long, straight and regular files, protected by sentinels whose office it is to give a signal of alarm on the approach of danger. If any cause for uneasiness should arise, the scout-birds give a piercing cry, not unlike the note of a trumpet, and the whole flock immediately wing their way to a place of safety.
Flamingoes are very shy and timid, and shun all attempts of Man to approach them; the vicinity of animals, however, they disregard. Any one who is acquainted with this fact can take advantage of it, for, by dressing himself up in the skin of a Horse or an Ox, he can effect immense slaughter among these beautiful creatures. Thus disguised, the sportsman may shoot them down at his ease, so long as their enemy is unrecognized; the noise of the gun only stupefies them, so that they refuse to leave, although their companions are dropping down dead around them.
Some authors have asserted that the Flamingo makes use of its long neck as a third leg, walking with its head resting on the ground like a foot. The fact that has doubtless given rise to this supposition is the position of the neck, necessitated by its peculiar method of seeking food. We are told about a Flamingo reared in captivity which, being accidentally deprived of one of its limbs, found out a remedy for its infirmity by walking on one leg and helping itself along by means of its bill, using the latter as a crutch; the master of the Bird, noticing this, fitted it with a wooden leg, which it used with the greatest success. But this story, which applies very well to a domesticated Bird which was maimed, and consequently under peculiar conditions, does not prove that this is a common practice.
The Flamingo makes itself a nest which is as original as its own personal appearance. It consists of a truncated cone, about twenty inches in height, and formed of mud dried in the sun. At the summit of this little hillock it hollows out a shallow cavity, in which two eggs are laid, rather elongated in shape, and of a dead white color. When hatching the eggs, the Flamingo sits astride on this novel imitation of a throne, with her legs hanging down on each side. The young ones run about very soon after they are hatched, but it is some time before they are able to fly—not, indeed, until they are clothed with their full plumage. At two years old they assume the more brilliant colors of the adult Bird.
The Flamingo is found in all the warm and temperate regions of the globe. On certain islands off the American continent they exist in such numbers that navigators have given them the name of the Flamingo Islands. In the Old World they are found spread over a region below the fortieth degree of latitude, principally in Egypt and the Nile tributaries; during the summer they seek a cooler climate. The height of these magnificent Birds reaches to about five feet; when they are flying, in the peculiar formation common to most aquatic Birds, with the neck stretched out and the legs projecting behind, they look, in the clear sky, like gigantic triangles of fire.
The ancients greedily sought after the flesh of the Flamingo, which they regarded as the most choice food. The tongue especially was thought to be an exquisite dainty. At the present day we no longer eat the Bird; to modern palates its flesh is disagreeable in flavor, and it retains a marshy smell which is far from being pleasant. With regard to the tongue, the Egyptians, it is said, are content with extracting an oil from it, which is used to flavor certain food.
THE FRIGATE BIRD.
The Frigate Bird is principally characterized by a strong, robust bill, longer than the head, with mandibles hooked at the point; the front of the neck bare of feathers; wings very long and narrow, first two feathers longest; tail lengthy and forked; feet short; toes united by a membrane deeply notched.