American Flamingo at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge

On an unseasonably warm and foggy Florida morning I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to video a rare visitor to St. Marks NWR – an American Flamingo. Although the bird has a feeding style similar to other waders I’ve seen, it is unique in its circular pattern and rhythm, using both feet. It wasn’t until I was editing the video that I noticed that the bird appears to be missing its feathers underneath its body, behind the legs – I think I’m seeing pink skin – not feathers -- with a visible vent. If you’re not a science-minded birder you might want to stop reading here. If you’re still reading…another behavior that I found unusual was that unlike many other wading birds that I’ve observed and videoed including Reddish Egrets, Roseate Spoonbills, Great Egrets and others that leave the water they’re feeding in before relieving themselves, this bird relieved itself in the water right in the path in which it was feeding, and it had a very different appearance from the white liquid stream of other waders.