Wednesday, July 28, 2004
Golden Gate Subspecies?
Argus Online - More Local News: "FREMONT -- It's the quintessential lawn ornament and an icon of the Art Deco world. It's a mixed drink, made with vodka, Cointreau, orange juice and sloe gin.
And sometimes, it really is a bird.
Just ask Don Masters. On a weekend bike ride at Coyote Hills Regional Park, the Fremont resident says he saw a Pink Flamingo -- the bird best known for its pink color and for standing on one leg. 'I looked it up in my bird book,' he said. 'It was an exact match for a Chilean Flamingo.' Masters said he was able to get within 20 to 30 feet of the bird before it waded out into deep water. 'It didn't seem scared of me at all,' he said.
According to Paul Ferreira, supervising naturalist for Coyote Hills Regional Park, 'It wouldn't be unusual' to see one of the birds in the area. He said he saw one several years ago. Ferreira was not as sure, however, about Masters' ability to identify the exact type of flamingo by its color. He said coloration of the birds is affected by their food source, and a deep color could be attributed to the salt content of the brine shrimp in the waters by the Dumbarton Bridge.
As to how the bird got there, Ferreira suggested it might have come from a private residence. 'I've heard of people with individual lakes that have them,' he said. He said that most people who have flamingos clip their primary feathers so they can't fly away. Ferreira said another possibility was that the bird Masters said he saw was an escapee from Six Flags Marine World.
'No,' said Laura Guinasso, a senior trainer at the combination wildlife and theme park in Vallejo. Guinasso said that Marine World flamingos are pinioned, meaning that the portion of their wings that support the flight feathers "
And sometimes, it really is a bird.
Just ask Don Masters. On a weekend bike ride at Coyote Hills Regional Park, the Fremont resident says he saw a Pink Flamingo -- the bird best known for its pink color and for standing on one leg. 'I looked it up in my bird book,' he said. 'It was an exact match for a Chilean Flamingo.' Masters said he was able to get within 20 to 30 feet of the bird before it waded out into deep water. 'It didn't seem scared of me at all,' he said.
According to Paul Ferreira, supervising naturalist for Coyote Hills Regional Park, 'It wouldn't be unusual' to see one of the birds in the area. He said he saw one several years ago. Ferreira was not as sure, however, about Masters' ability to identify the exact type of flamingo by its color. He said coloration of the birds is affected by their food source, and a deep color could be attributed to the salt content of the brine shrimp in the waters by the Dumbarton Bridge.
As to how the bird got there, Ferreira suggested it might have come from a private residence. 'I've heard of people with individual lakes that have them,' he said. He said that most people who have flamingos clip their primary feathers so they can't fly away. Ferreira said another possibility was that the bird Masters said he saw was an escapee from Six Flags Marine World.
'No,' said Laura Guinasso, a senior trainer at the combination wildlife and theme park in Vallejo. Guinasso said that Marine World flamingos are pinioned, meaning that the portion of their wings that support the flight feathers "
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