One of the most striking and unusual in its appearance birds in nature are flamingos. However, for most Russian-speaking people this creature is interesting for a completely different reason. The fact is that determining the gender of the word “flamingo” is quite problematic due to its end and origin. Let's find out what it really is, and also consider the origin of this term.
Who are flamingos?
The gender of the word in question will be indicated below, but first you should familiarize yourself with the lexical meaning of this noun.
Flamingos are the common name for a special type of bird, with pink or bright red feathers (depending on variety).
Due to the distant external resemblance to storks in the past, these creatures belonged to the order of Aracoids. However, most recently, scientists decided to allocate for such unique creatures their own family (Flaming) and squad (Flamingo-like).
Etymology of the word in question
Archaeological excavations confirm that several million years ago flamingos (the gender of the noun will be discussed later in the article) were carried out on almost all continents known to mankind.
However, today such beautiful creatures are preferred by countries with a hot climate. Moreover, for life they need ponds, on the banks of which they usually nest. In this regard, the habitat of these birds is Africa, Central America, Asia, the Caucasus, the South of France and Spain.
It was the last of the above countries that gave the world the word “flamingo” (el flamenco) that was so unusual for the ear.
However, the term in question is not native to Spanish. He appeared in it thanks to the Greek name phoinikopteros. Literally, this term translates as “winged phoenix”.
Moreover, if we take into account that the name of the famous mythical bird is derived from the Greek term φοίνιξ (crimson), we can assume that in antiquity flamingos was called "purr." Interestingly, among the Slavs this bird was called almost the same - “red-winged”.
An interesting fact: some scientists believe that the fabulous phoenix is one of the ancient types of flamingos. In favor of this theory is the fact that the first known written mention of this creation belongs to Herodotus. Moreover, the “father of history” connects the existence of a bird with the temple of the Egyptian supreme deity Ra.
And, as you know, his symbol was flamingos (for this reason, the sun god was even depicted as this bird with a human body).
Flamingo and flamenco
Before you deal with the genus of flamingos, it is worth learning a few more interesting facts about this creature. In Spanish, the noun in question is also a homonym for the name of incendiary dance and music - flamenco.
The connection between these two words is not officially recognized by all linguists. However, everyone can notice that the traditional male and female outfits for this dance and its passionate movements themselves resemble el flamenco plastic. Therefore, the fact that flamenco is named after flamingos is beyond doubt.
A little about the morals of these birds
Before you know what kind of "flamingo" is, it is worth considering the features of these creatures as a species. To date, six varieties of these creatures have remained on the planet with a color from pink to dark purple.
The growth of one individual ranges from 0.8 to 1.5 meters. Despite their very modest dimensions (from 2.5 to 4 kg), they are quite voracious creatures that are able to consume daily products with a total weight of about a quarter of their own weight.
Flamingos feed on various small creatures found in plankton. These are crustaceans, mollusks, algae or even worms.
In contrast to the predominant majority of birds, the mobile part of the beak in these creatures is the lower. It is noteworthy that their chicks are born with a direct beak, and the "company" bend is formed a little later - at the age of two weeks.
The relations of these creatures with these creatures are similar to penguins: they also organize peculiar "kindergartens" for their own children.
For many years, these birds belonged to the order Ciconiiformes, not only because of the habit of living near water bodies, but also because, if it is necessary to maintain body heat, they can stand on one leg.
Due to its ability to adapt to the most difficult climatic conditions, the life span of this bird is usually fifteen to twenty years. However, in zoos, the age of flamingos can be more than thirty.
Flamingo: What gender is this noun?
Having learned a lot of interesting things about these birds and the origin of the word itself, it is worth focusing on the main thing: what is his genus? The correct answer would be - masculine.
Flamingos refers to the evasive terms of foreign origin, which are called animals and birds. And such words, according to the rules of the Russian language, are always masculine. Similarly, other “problematic” names of exotic creatures such as a kangaroo, cockatoo parrot, pony or chimpanzee fall under this principle.
What kind of female is a flamingo?
Although the noun “flamingo” in question is masculine, it can sometimes be coordinated with adjectives and verbs as feminine.
We are talking about those cases when the proposal mentions that this bird is a female, or when this fact is clear from the context. In this case, agreement with the word “flamingo” is acceptable in such a way as if it refers to the female genus.
For example: “A flamingo mother carefully fed her charming cub.” However: "The little flamingo that his mother fed off the coast was apparently very hungry."