International Flamingo Day 2024: What You Need To Know

Photo by ViktorHladchenko/Shutterstock.com

April 26, 2024, marks the fourth worldwide recognition of the fabulous fowl. Zoos and wildlife refuge and conservation groups across the globe have held celebrations for the beautiful bird on this annual date, and flamingo fans have utilized the day to show appreciation to the special species in their own ways, too.

The latest edition of this young holiday begs multiple questions to those unfamiliar or still learning about it. That’s why we’ve put together this guide of everything - or at least most, anyway - that you need to know about International Flamingo Day.

What You Need to Know About International Flamingo Day

The holiday began in 2020 thanks to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). More specifically, it was the organization’s Flamingo Specialist Group who rallied together to make International Flamingo Day happen. Now, every April 26, flamingos are at the forefront.

That specific date was chosen because it was John James Audobon's birthday. Audobon, who lived from 1785 to 1851, was the premier wildlife artist in America. He is who the many Audobon societies are named after.

The purpose of the day’s creation was to raise awareness for the protection of flamingos and their natural habitats and promote a greater understanding of the birds and the challenges they face. The idea is that by having at least one day each year in which flamingos have this special designation, it promotes discussions on and education about the bird, which could have a knock-on effect for generations to come.

Zoos and other wildlife associations hopped on board quickly after the day’s announcement. Even though the first International Flamingo Day fell in the early months of the pandemic, zoos around the world did what they could to show support for the fabulous fowl. The holiday has only grown in stature since as communities find it easier to congregate now than they did then.

There is a reasonable chance that a zoo or adjacent organization near you is hosting some sort of event, benefit, or special as part of their celebration of International Flamingo Day. We urge flamingo fans to check their local zoo’s website and social media for more information.

But don’t let that control how you think you should celebrate the coming flamingo-inspired holiday. Even if your zoo doesn’t have anything planned, that doesn’t mean you can’t still go and connect with the flamingos anyway. Better yet, bring along your kids, grandkids, niece, or nephews to help spread knowledge to the younger generations, so flamingos can remain important to people for years to come.

Don’t even feel pressured into that, though. It’s quite understandable to not be able to drop everything to go to the zoo, especially on a weekday. You don’t have to do that to celebrate flamingos on their day. Instead, you could share information about flamingos on social media, or you could draw a wonderful depiction of a fabulous pink fowl and hang it up on a lamp post at a busy intersection for all to see. Or, maybe watching flamingo videos all evening long is more your speed.

You do you. As long as the beautiful bird is on your mind on that day, you’ll be doing it right!

The Six Flamingo Species & More Flamingo Facts

One thing that the Flamingo Specialist Group wants people to learn through International Flamingo Day is that there are six species of flamingos, so we thought it would be valuable to remind our readers of an article we did long ago not long after our inception about the flamingo species and their characteristics. You can check it out here in case you need a refresher.

You can find plenty more information about flamingos on our blog, like why the birds are usually some shade of pink, what flamingos choose to chow down on, weird flamingo stories, and so much more. We’re proud to not only be the world’s No. 1 flamingo shop but to also serve as one of the best databases for flamingo information on the planet.

What Is The Popular Flamingo Doing to Celebrate?

You know we love flamingos too much to not do something for International Flamingo Day. We just had to do something for our flamboyance.

We want to make this special flamingo day a memorable one, so this April 26, we are offering flamingo fans an exclusive 30% discount on their orders for anything in our store. 

Use discount code: FlamingoDay30 at checkout, or use the following link for it to be automatically applied: 30% Discount

We hope that in making it easier to spread flamingo cheer, we can support the increased awareness of the issues flamingos face and continue to share the love that these amazing creatures pour out in the world every single day!