I make Flamingos...(and also live in FL
) What I do is to make kind of a round base and then slightly flatten it. I add wings to both sides and then either make folded legs below...or don't (and make "dangle legs" from seed beads). The neck is a little trickier...my flamingos are always resting--the neck drapes across the back. I do this because I hate the idea of the neck breaking off.
Here is a picture of one:
This was one of my first and not one of my favorites...
I have another here:
http://www.glassartists.org/Gal19609_Birds.asp