Tired Flamboyance

Currently on view at Fernando Luis Alvarez Gallery

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Tired, exhausted, drained, but madly in love– The flamingo loses its pink. Both female and male flamingos work together to care for their single incubating egg as they prepare for their chick to hatch. Upon arrival, the parents give all that they can to make sure their baby is cared for– to such an extent that the parent’s vibrant pink feathers begin to shift to a grayish hue due to a lack of the rich sources of carotenoid pigments found in their diet, which they give to their children.

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Dr. Paul Rose told Thomas Ling of Science Focus that “the breeding is so intensive and so much of their food is used for their chicks. During this time their white color basically means, ‘Please leave me alone. I’m a little bit exhausted from breeding - I’ll join in the dancing later.’”