Cast in flaming pink polyethylene, the flamingo became an emblem of what Nancy delicately calls the “T-word”—tackiness. Sears eventually dropped the tchotchkes from its catalog.

Creating the display is renowned California-based metal art design company Metal Zoo. The cost of the flamingo is roughly $2,000, with the city agreeing to pour a concrete pad prior to installation.

From yard art to paintings, sculptures, mailboxes, T-shirts, ties, socks and underwear, the likeness of a flamingo can show up nearly anywhere in Florida. Flamingos even adorn Florida's highly ...