The Feral Flamingos of Sacramento's Capitol Park by Herbert T. Brewer Author of The Adventures of the Capitol Weasel Capitol Park Sacramento, the Capital of the State of California, is blessed by a beautiful and historic Capitol building -- restored a generation ago at great expense -- and its surrounding Capitol Park. Capitol Park encompasses a large area, bounded on the north by L Street, on the south by N Street, on the west by 10th Street, and on the east by 15th Street. In all it is an area of ten square blocks. The dominating feature is of course the Capitol building itself and its office annex, but the park also encompasses memorials to veterans, rose gardens, shaded paved paths, and a wide variety of trees and shrubs. Capitol Park is also home to numerous playful squirrels, countless birds, and (the subject of this 1
narrative) a feral colony of flamingos originating with the Forty-Niners who brought the birds' ancestors as pets. We begin with a photographic excursion. The California State Capitol as viewed from the southwest. The view looking upward from the rotunda, into the dome 2
One of Many Rose Beds in Capitol Park One of Capitol Park's Resident Squirrels Enjoys a Peanut 3
A Dog Takes a Break on a Warm Day in Capitol Park Capitol Park's Monument to Father Junipero Serra 4
The Flamingos "I have enjoyed watching the flamingos in Capitol Park. I feed them peanuts." --Jim W., long-time Sacramento resident 1 Along the southern side of Capitol Park, a bit east of the driveway into the garage under the building, is a compact but adequate pond, well shaded and cooled on all but the hottest days by the abundant nearby trees and shrubs. This pond is home base for an unusual colony of feral flamingos, descendents of a few birds brought west by pioneers seeking their fortunes in the gold fields of the Sacramento Valley. This is a little known and even less remarked sidelight of that vigorous and rough-hewn era. The sentimental attachment of the occasional miner or camp hand to his trusty companion flamingo does not sit well with our image of the type. Consider, for example, Charles Nordhoff's observation published in 1874: "'When the gold was discovered,' said a Californian to whom I had expressed my wonder at the admirable quality of the State's population, 'wherever an Eastern family had three of four boys, the ablest, the most energetic one, came hither.'" 2 Many men and women (mostly men) came west: "In April of 1849, some 30,000 Americans started for the goldfields by land." This was in addition to the 25,000 who came by sea, in an extraordinarily difficult passage whatever route was taken. They brought many animals with them, but most were more typical farm animals and the occasional dog. 3 Two Flamingos Filter Food from a Puddle 5
Survival of the descendents of the original few flamingos has always been a dicey proposition. Fortunately, a solicitous public in Sacramento and a concerned wildlife establishment has enabled a small number of these oddly attractive birds to survive and even thrive in Capitol Park. California, for example is the only U.S. state besides Hawaii to ban ferrets. One key reason is the danger those predators pose to endangered species, especially birds. (See Kenneth W. Umbach, "Ferrets: A Selective Overview of Issues and Options," listed in the Notes and Sources section at the end of this paper, for more information on ferrets and the hazards they pose to ground-nesting birds.) Although mountain lions are also a hazard to large birds and are found in outlying areas of Sacramento County and in nearby counties, they are not found in downtown Sacramento. (See Kenneth W. Umbach, "Mountain Lions and California State Parks," listed in the Notes and Sources section at the end of this paper, for information on that issue.) At some point, Africanized honeybees could pose a threat, but it is uncertain when and in what numbers they will arrive in that portion of California's Great Central Valley. (See Kenneth W. Umbach, "Africanized Honeybees in California," listed in the Notes and Sources section at the end of this paper, for information on the so-called "killer bees.") Fortunately, security for all that inhabits and uses Capitol Park is within the jurisdiction of the California Highway Patrol, a presence that doubtless deters those who would harass any wildlife. Vigilant California Highway Patrol Officers Protect Capitol Park Additional security is provided by watchful observers making use of balconies of the Capitol. 6
Trained Observers Keep an Eye Out (North Side) For the time being, the flamingos find sufficient food in the shallow ponds of the park, with such supplementation as Fish and Game officials may choose to provide. Flamingos are of course admirably suited to scooping small morsels from shallow waters. Flamingo's Bill Designed for Scooping, Filtering 7
As described by The Ultimate Visual Dictionary of Science, "Fringes on either side of the bill sift water and trap small animals and plants." 4 As long as their local environment remains sound and undisturbed, the birds should maintain a steady state. But there are concerns. What's Ahead for These Noble Birds? The future of the Feral Flamingo's of Sacramento's Capitol Park is clouded by environmental challenges: changing climate -- perhaps due to global warming -- and definitely pollution and population growth and dense commercial development. Equally if not more critical is the current budget crisis that may require cutbacks in protective and supportive services, both law enforcement (such as the mounted CHP officers pictured above) and wildlife intervention. No one can predict with certainty whether these remarkable birds will be there for future visitors to see and enjoy. Notes and Sources Although this is an informal piece intended for the author's friends and family, it seemed appropriate to cite sources for some of the information in the event that the report reaches a wider audience. The paper has also drawn from the author's extensive personal observation and includes photographs he has taken in Capitol Park. Reference books Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2002 CD edition. Web resources California State Assembly, State Capitol Museum page, http://www.assembly.ca.gov/acs/acsframeset15.htm. California State Department of Parks and Recreation, Capitol Park page, http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=495 (especially recommended) Sea World, Flamingos educational resource page, http://www.seaworld.org/infobooks/flamingos/home.html (especially recommended) Other books and articles of related interest Background on the Gold Rush Holiday, J. S. The World Rushed In: California and the Gold Rush Experience, an Eyewitness Account of a Nation Heading West (N.Y.: Simon & Schuster, 1981. 8
Selected unusual California wildlife issues Umbach, Kenneth W. "Africanized Honeybees in California." CRB Note, vol. 6, no. 2, April 1999. Sacramento: California Research Bureau, 1999. Umbach, Kenneth W. "Ferrets: A Selective Overview of Issues and Options." CRB Note, vol. 4, no. 3, May 1997. Umbach, Kenneth W. "Mountain Lions and California State Parks." CRB Note, January 1994. Also see notes below. Notes 1 Mr. W. may have confused flamingos with squirrels. The former do not eat peanuts; the latter do, and with great gusto. 2 Charles Nordhoff, Nordhoff's West Coast: California, Oregon and Hawaii (originally published in 1874; republished in 1987 by KPI limited, London), p. 19. 3 Geoffrey C. Ward, The West: An Illustrated History (Boston: Little, Brown & Co., 1996), pp. 122-123 4 DK Publishing, Inc., 1998, p. 164. Copyright 2003 Kenneth W. Umbach. All rights reserved except as follows: You may print a copy of this article for personal use. You may print multiple copies for nonprofit educational use (not for sale or redistribution). You may link to this page (http://www.umbachconsulting.com/feralflamingo.pdf). Educational institutions may place a copy of this file on a server for educational use, but if they do so are requested to notify Ken@UmbachConsulting.com. All text and photos (other than direct quotes included in the page) are the original work of the author, Kenneth W. Umbach, writing under pen name Herbert T. Brewer. 9