The American flamingo, shown in the exhibit, is the best known of the four species 

 that are found in the western hemisphere. It occurs in the West Indies, in Yuca- 

 tan, and along the coast of northern South America. Flamingos formerly bred in 

 abundance on some of the Florida keys, but there have been few authentic records in 

 the United States since 1902. Our group represents a scene in the Bahamas. 



Flamingos are gregarious throughout the year and single flocks may include thou- 

 sands of individuals. With few enemies other than man, these birds are held in check 

 primarily by the limited availability of suitable food and nesting sites. In favored lo- 

 calities, such as the shallow lakes of eastern Africa, hundreds of thousands of birds may 

 be found together in a relatively small area. In the words of one observer, "To see one 

 of these enormous flocks rise suddenly when alarmed is a wonderful spectacle; as you 

 approach them, so long as they are on the water at rest, they look simply like a mass of 

 faintly rosy snow. A rifle is fired, and then the exposure of the upper and under coverts 

 of the wing turns the mass into a gigantic, brilliantly rosy scarf, waving to and fro in 

 mighty folds as it floats away." 



Breeding colonies of flamingos are particularly spectacular. The nests, as shown in 

 the Bahama group, are built in shallow lakes or tidal waters and consist solely of mud 

 that is dredged up in the vicinity. The size of each nest is determined by the depth of 

 the water; few exceed eighteen inches in height, or just sufficient to raise the eggs a few 

 inches above the surface of the water at its highest stage. One or very occasionally two 

 whitish eggs are laid in the shallow cup at the top of each mound. Formerly it was be- 

 lieved that flamingos straddled their nests while brooding, but it has been found that 

 they sit on their folded-up legs as do other birds. Newly hatched young have straight 

 beaks and are fed by regurgitation. They leave their nests within a few days but are 

 fed by their parents for several weeks thereafter. 



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