After the eggs are hatched, they both catch fish to feed the young
until they are old enough to feed themselves.
The American flamingo, with his gorgeous scarlet feathers, is a superb
fellow. He is very shy, and peculiarly afraid of man. On account of its
fine apparel, it has been more closely pursued than almost any other
bird. It does not go north like some of the herons, but Audubon says it
has occasionally been seen in South Carolina. Its constant home,
however, is in the southern part of Florida and along the Gulf coast.
Like the herons, of which I told you in ST. NICHOLAS for May, 1877, the
flamingoes are sociable, and live in flocks. They have webbed feet,
which give them an advantage over the herons in enabling them to swim
as well as to wade. I have never been able to get near enough to these
birds to gain any personal knowledge of their habits.
The nest of the flamingo is a curious affair; usually built in a
marshy, muddy place, in the form of a mound. It is made of sticks and
grass and mud to the height of two or three feet, with a hollow in the
middle to hold the eggs. The male is said to assist in the construction
of the nest, but this is probably mere conjecture, for I think no one
living at the present time has been able to get near enough to these
birds to watch their habits, and their nests can be reached only with
great difficulty.
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