Symbolism of Flamingos (13 Surprising Meanings)

Famed for their blood-red feathers (the literal translation from Greek), the symbolism of flamingos relates to more than just the symbolism of their feathers. They are famous for standing on one leg, with the other tucked under the body. They’re known as being a little mysterious precisely because this behavior is a puzzle.

Common flamingo meanings include:

• You should stand tall
• There is safety in numbers
• Seek balance in your life
• You’re in tune with emotions
• You’re a team player

Here we take a look at some of the more popular meanings flamingos have in the areas of history, spirituality, and even garden furniture.

> This article is from our A-Z series on bird symbolism.

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Pink Flamingo Symbolism (Summary Table)

Flamingos could have any of the following meanings:

#	Flamingo Symbolism	Meaning
1.	You are What you Eat	Beware of your diet. Make sure you are not consuming anything that is not good for you.
2.	Stand Tall	Be proud of who you are.
3.	Safety in Numbers	You need to look to people around you who you trust and make sure you stand behind one another.
4.	Water Loving	The flamingo might appear to you in a dream when you are missing the ocean. It’s common for people who have recently moved inland.
5.	Emotional Intelligence	The flamingo spirit animal can help you to see other people’s emotions and empathize with them.
6.	Balance	Flamingos have amazing balance. A vision of flamingos may be a sign that you should seek more balance in your life.
7.	Teamwork	As a spirit animal, the flamingo helps you to have the strength to work with others and can deliver you the teamwork skills you need to achieve success.

What do Flamingos Symbolize?

When most people think of flamingos they think of pink long-legged birds. But the morphology of this wading bird also lends itself to many other visual representations.

1. You Are What You Eat

Due to a diet rich in algae and invertebrates, flamingos get their pink color. The carotenoids in these foodstuffs act as pigments that lend themselves to the tone.

For humans observing this, it’s a stark reminder of the importance of our health and our nutrition. Just like flamingos, although it isn’t so obvious, we are also the sum of what we eat and how we move.

So we better be more conscious!

Read Also: Dead Cardinal Spiritual Meaning & Symbolism

2. Stand Tall

The average flamingo can stand anywhere from 3.5 to almost 5 feet in height. That’s very tall for a bird. It’s also a reason why we imagine them towering off the ground.

One lesson to be learned here is that grace comes from extension and posture. A long-legged flamingo using its vertical assets can be just as impressive as a human doing the same. It’s all about being proud of the body you’re born with.

It’s also a reminder of beauty being in the eye of the beholder. What might be deemed an ugly aesthetic to some, isn’t the view of all. But just for the record, I think flamingos are beautiful.

3. Safety in Numbers

Flamingos eat, swim, and live in large numbers. Evolutionary-speaking that helps them survive. Each bird looks out for one another as they also do possible dangers. Here, we can see they’re very similar to Geese but opposite to the reclusive barn owl.

Looking at a crowd of pink this way helps us remember that sometimes we’re better off having one another’s backs.

4. Water Loving

We mostly view the flamingo as belonging in shallow water, using their legs to keep their body and beaks well above the surface. This design helps them massively with feeding. They’re much better placed to spot larva, insects, mollusks, and crustaceans.

Being on the water (or close to it) seems to be the place the flamingo feels most at home. Just like beach for coastal loving humans. For more on water symbolism see our article on the symbolism of the ocean.

Flamingos as Spirit Animals

Flamingos play a big role as totems and spirit animals for believers of animism. Their nature, as well as their appearance, cast many different meanings. Let’s look at the more common ones.

5. Emotion

Flamingo-people in animism are said to be intellectual sponges that are very in tune with people’s emotions. Maybe this idea has something to do with the sight of a group of flamingos (actually referred to as a ‘flamboyance’). Gathering in their thousands, in locations as diverse as salt flats, lakes, swamps, and lagoons, they’re a very calming sight.

6. Balance

Another quality that animists believe flamingo-people to have, due to their contemplative nature, is balance.

Said to process details and interpret information carefully, adopters of the flamingo as a spirit animal are deep and balanced thinkers. They also never rush to conclusions and remain patient. A lot like the birds themselves, who look still and unmoving when viewed from afar.

Maybe this has something to do with flamingos’ well-known ability to perch on a single leg for hours on end.

7. Teamwork

Flamingos are usually photographed close to one another. Both in flight (which they do at high altitudes possibly to avoid predation) and on the ground.

Perhaps this is a reason why teamwork is said to be another important quality in the realm of flamingos and spiritualism. People with whom the animal resonates are often very family and friend orientated. Very rarely are they loners or people who enjoy solitude.

Symbolism of Flamingos in History

The image of the flamingo appears in several cultures in different ways. Here we take a look at its meaning in Ancient Egypt, Greece, and India.

8. Hieroglyphics

One interesting way the bright coloring of flamingos has been used in the past is in their use in Egyptian hieroglyphics. Used as symbols to denote the color red, they appear on the writings of tombs, sarcophagus, ornaments, and many other artifacts of the ancient Egyptian world. In terms of religion, the civilization also considered the animal the physical manifestation of Ra, the Sun God.

9. Hindu Gods

Despite their Indian population tripling in recent times, the flamingo has long been present in the eyes and ears of the subcontinent. Known in the Hindu sacred texts of the Ramayana and Mahabharata as the animal form of Lord Indra and the Goddess Gayatri, they are considered a blessing in most parts of India.

Mumbai’s Sewri mudflats are also known as one of the world’s best places to see big populations of the lesser flamingo species in a single spot.

10. Luxury and Rarity

Thanks to flamingo populations in the Mediterranean, the bird is also a prominent symbol in Ancient Greek art. Considered an omen of luxury and rarity, it sometimes appeared on pottery from the era. Some of which have had a strong influence on the flamingo’s appearance in modern art and design.

Flamingos in the Home and Garden

Aside from being the name of a 1977 American comedy about a drag queen running wild ( considered one of “the most outrageous films ever”), the symbol of the pink flamingo has a peculiar place amid home and garden decor.

11. Pink Flamingos in Feng Shui

According to the rules of feng shui, a philosophy centered on arranging pieces in a living space to achieve harmony in the natural world, flamingo-based paintings are said to be great additions. Associated with migration and finding new freedom, a flamingo art piece is thought to bring energy to a home.

12. Plastic Flamingo

Alongside the garden gnome, the plastic flamingo is hugely popular as a garden ornament throughout the US. First designed in 1957 by American artist Don Featherstone, who even called his model ‘Diego’, plastic flamingos have gone on to become an icon of kitsch.

Weirdly the city of Madison in Wisconsin adopted the plastic flamingo as their official bird. Forward Madison FC, Madison’s soccer club, even has the symbol on its crest.

Flamingos in Dreams

13. Romance, Success and Love

Dreaming about flamingos is said to be a positive experience. On one hand, it evokes romance and balance. While on the other it points to success and love.

Another romantic bird is the cardinal.

Embrace Your Inner Flamingo

Flamingos, unlike many other animals, don’t appear in too many idioms or phrases. One that does exist though, although not regularly heard, is that of “being a flamingo in a flock of pigeons.”

Plainly speaking, it means to embrace your quirks and idiosyncrasies and celebrate your uniqueness. Doing so will also get others around you to do the same.

Summary

The symbolism of flamingos is very deeply rooted in positive ideals. Not only do they promote individual independence and self-love but they also remind us to lift up and energize those around us. There are very few negatives in the way of their associations.

For other information on the symbolism of flying creatures, consider checking out our articles on the symbolism of bees, wren, heron, and sparrows.