Flora the flamingo stood at the edge of the shimmering lagoon, her long legs wading through the shallows. The morning sun painted the sky in soft pinks and oranges, matching the feathers she had so carefully preened that morning. She lowered her head, dipped her curved beak into the water, and took a deep drink.
Nearby, a young sandpiper named Pip tilted his head in confusion. “Flora! How can you drink that? It’s salty! I’d be thirsty for days if I drank that!”
Flora chuckled, shaking droplets from her beak. “Ah, Pip, that’s because flamingos have a special trick!”
“A trick?” Pip hopped closer, eager to learn.
Flora nodded. “Inside my head, just above my beak, I have a secret weapon—special salt glands! They help me get rid of the extra salt so I can drink from the lagoon without a problem.”
Pip’s eyes widened. “So, where does the salt go?”
Flora lifted her head and gave a little shake. “I push it out through my nostrils! It’s almost like sneezing, but just for salt.”
Pip scrunched up his beak, imagining sneezing out salt. “That’s amazing! So you don’t need fresh water at all?”
“Not really!” Flora said. “I can drink fresh water if I find it, but I don’t have to. The salt glands keep me from getting sick, so I can live in places where other birds wouldn’t last a day.” She gestured with one elegant wing to the wide, pink-tinged lake, full of other flamingos wading and feeding.
Pip fluffed his feathers, impressed. “I wish I had secret salt powers.”
Flora laughed, nudging him playfully with her wing. “Every bird has their own special talents. You’re fast, you can dig for tiny crabs, and you have sharp eyes!”
Pip thought about that and puffed out his chest. “I guess you’re right! But still, sneezing out salt is pretty cool.”
Flora smiled and took another drink of the salty water, while Pip happily searched for breakfast, realizing that every bird—big or small—had their own way of thriving in their world.
Animalstories 