Call them kitschy, tacky, campy or tasteless but don't call them extinct.

Yes, pink plastic flamingos -- dubbed by their creator, Don Featherstone, phoenicopteris ruber plasticus -- are ba-a-a-a-ck.

What? You didn't know production of the quirky, wire-legged lawn ornaments had stopped in June 2006?

It's true. Citing rising costs for electricity and the plastic resin, Union Products, maker of the original pink birds closed its doors last year. After a run of 49 years, Featherstone's signature flamingos perched on the edge of extinction.

For some, the news hit hard. Hard enough that aficionados began snapping up the remaining stock in retail stores and on the Web. Even secondhand Featherstone flamingos were in demand on eBay.

But there's good news. HMC International of New York bought the copyright and the authentic Featherstone molds and plans to resume production of the iconic birds by Labor Day.

It's true pink flamingo lawn ornaments never quite disappeared from the stores. Some were the final castings by Union Products, others were knockoffs.

Original Featherstone flamingos are made of molded plastic resin in a rich pink with two-tone black and yellow beaks and eyes.

And they had two stances. One, nearly three feet tall, stands erect, as though proudly surveying its territory. The second with its beak down, as if searching for a quick bite.

But the real clue whether you're holding a true Featherstone is on the tail section. His signature is across the rump of the lawn ornament.

(Note: For those of you who own, or are searching for, vintage Featherstone flamingos, be aware. Featherstone's signature didn't appear on the birds until 1986 and for a few years around 2000 it was temporarily dropped until howls of protest from aficionados had it restored.)

If your bird doesn't match, it's one of the many knockoffs on the market.

But when you're talking pink plastic birds does it matter?

As J.C. Waszkiewicz, head of HMC International, told an Associated Press reporter, he expects retailers who buy his firm's flamingos wholesale will appreciate subtle design differences between knockoff plastic flamingos and the originals.

"Once I began discussions about buying Union Products, I started examining the different products on the market, and I realized Mr. Featherstone created a great looking flamingo. There are other people who have tried to capitalize on his design, but none that I've seen hold a candle to the quality and design he created," Waszkiewicz told the AP.

So where can you find authentic Featherstone flamingos now?

Flocks of them are on the Internet. Several companies, including Archie McPhee -- www.mcphee.com -- sellers of novelties, toys and knickknacks bought up some of the last ones produced.

And Amazon.com has them too, along with copies of the book Featherstone and Tom Herzing wrote in 1997 to commemorate the bird's 40th anniversary -- "The Original Pink Flamingo: Splendor on the Grass."

-- CALLING ALL BIRD LOVERS

Love them or loath them, pink flamingo lawn ornaments have become a permanent part of our pop culture and garden decor.

On the pink avian's 40th anniversary, Don Featherstone asked the proud owners of the famous birds to send him photos demonstrating their affection for the plastic flamingos. The result? He and Tom Herzing wrote the tongue-in-cheek coffee table book, The Original Pink Flamingo: Splendor on the Grass (available at www.amazon.com).

Inside the book you'll find over 100 photos sent in by owners of the famous birds including: "Biker Birds," "The Wedding Party," "Beachcombers" and "Anyone for Bridge."

This is the 50th anniversary of the bright plastic birds and we're curious if anyone has a Featherstone flamingo. Will you admit it? Will you tell us when you bought it and why? Or if a gift, who presented you with your American icon?

Send me a note -- lhulse@tricityherald -- and, if possible, a photo of your birds. Be sure to include your name, address and daytime phone number.

Or mail your info to: Tri-City Herald, Attention Loretto Hulse, P.O. Box 2608, Tri-Cities, WA 99302.

Tell all, and I'll share your quirky sense of lawn decor with Herald readers.

* Loretto J. Hulse: 582-1513; lhulse@tricityherald.com