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Bird Photos: Escapees: Flamingos

These birds were present on 10/20/96 Salt Pond A18 at the south end of San Francisco Bay in Alviso, Santa Clara County, CA. This large salt pond was part of the Cargill (previously Leslie Salt) pond complex. They are (were?) private and access was provided by an employee who spotted the birds.

   
 

After a morning session of banding passerines at Coyote Creek Field Station (Riparian Station, at the time), a worker came by from this closed salt pond to tell us of some flamingoes roosting there. We followed him out to a vantage point where we could see three, pink, long-legged waders roosting. I photographed these birds on 10/20/96. In the background to the left appears to be the wind tunnel at Moffett Field.

Yeah, they're virtually "dot-birds", so I enlarged the center of the image below.

   
 

The rightmost bird's bill looks convincing if the pink color isn't good enough. I don't know from whence these birds came. I suppose they could have escaped from the San Francisco Zoo, or Marine World. It appears that the bill on the right bird has extensive black on the distal end which might make these Chilean Flamingos. The darker (pinker?) tibio-tarsal joints ("knees", but really ankles) also support this possible ID.

   

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