When Thorpe checked with the experts, he was told that this particular flamingo must have escaped from a zoo or private aviary. They were right on the second count. State wildlife officials said Thursday the pink flamingo belongs to renowned ornithologist S. Dillon Ripley, the former head of the Smithsonian Institution. Ripley, believe it or not, keeps about 1,200 exotic birds on his Litchfield estate, including seven flamingos. The other six flamingos on the farm are pinioned, which means they can't fly.
Chilean flamingos are able to survive cooler weather than the American flamingo, say bird experts.
The only flamingos previously sighted in the state have been rare escapes from zoos or private aviaries. Michael Bean, an ornithologist and farm manager for Ripley, said he doubted he can capture her in the cove, but is considering making a trip to the park. Bean said the bird has left home twice before and has each time returned on her own.