Birds are convenient pegs to hang ideas on. They help define people and processes. Hawk-Eye, an increasingly popular computer-aided visual technology that has had a revolutionary impact on many a sport, refers to the incredible eyesight of hawks. Anyone who repeats any information mindlessly is said to be parroting it. There is an abundance of similar examples.
However, there are still whole categories of avian species that could be allowed to better enrich our language. The flamingo is one such bird. There are metaphorical references to this exceptionally beautiful creature in a few languages, but they are far from common usage.
In certain regions, the flamingo is a symbol for discernment. It denotes the ability to separate the valuable from the drossy. “There is a detailed description of the flamingo — called poo naarai — in the Tamil literature of the Sangam era. Its characteristics and behaviour are explained, including how it discards muck while eating its food. The flamingo is a filter feeder with a sophisticated mechanism in its beak that enables it to filter out unwanted things,” says K.V.R.K. Thirunaranan, founder of The Nature Trust.
In Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland , Lewis Carroll compares the flamingo’s beak and long neck to a mallet used in the sport of croquet. In fact, he goes one dangerous step ahead and uses the metaphor in a way that may appear cruel to our sensibilities. His central character Alice attempts to play a game of croquet with a flamingo and a hedgehog, both breathing. As hedgehogs are inclined to roll themselves into a ball, Carroll has made his hedgehog a ball in the game of croquet he narrates.
However, the writer could be absolved of cruelty towards flamingos and hedgehogs as Alice is in a world free of the rules that bind ours. Moreover, Carroll writes that the unusual croquet game does not take off as the flamingo and hedgehog are clueless about the rules.
With long, slender legs and neck, and an endearing mix of pink and white, flamingos are an icon for beauty. And, the way they stretch, move and curl their necks, stand on one leg and walk, makes them a symbol of elegance. With such eye-catching features, they can overshadow any other birds in their vicinity.
The Pulicat Lake is known for a mammoth diversity of birdlife. Yet, the Pulicat Lake Bird Lovers' Society has singled out the flamingo, having its annual festival centred around this bird. Every year, with the support of the Government, the Flamingo Festival is organised in Sulurpet. Yes, flamingos descend in thousands on this lake, but that is not the only reason for this special honour. For many bird lovers, the flamingo is beautiful in a way that can diminish other avian creatures.
Despite being a stunner, the flamingo has also been associated with garish and unsophisticated art. This association originated in the United States — and remains largely confined to it — after ‘plastic pink flamingos’ had become an indispensable element of lawn decoration. The success of the plastic pink flamingos is packed with irony and paradoxical humour: They are much loved and bought by the dozen because they are considered dreadful-looking and lacking in taste. Planting plastic, pink versions of these birds in lawns of unsuspecting friends continues to be a popular prank in that part of the world.
