Rest in Peace, pink plastic flamingo creator

I am sad to report that the inventor of the pink plastic flamingo died last week at age 79. Back in 1957 Don Featherstone created a plastic flamingo with a couple of rod-like legs. He named it Phoenicopterus ruber plasticus.

The plastic bird was an instant hit for Union Products, a maker of plastic lawn ornaments in Leominster, Mass., where Featherstone worked. In 2009, the city of Madison, Wis., declared the pink plastic flamingo the city's official bird.

I snapped the photo of this one in the Pine Near RV Park in Winthrop, Wash., where a flock of 70 of the plastic birds (some are blue, not pink) makes a regular appearance, sometimes with holiday themes. This solar-powered fowl was modified by a local flamingo aficionado to glow at night.