Amaranth starting to bloom

Amaranth is an ancient food plant, used by the Aztec, Incan, and Mayan cultures. Both the leaves and the seeds were used for food. Much information is available on this plant and its uses at Wikipedia.
The flowers on this small planting are just starting to open and will develop into bright pink plumes.
If I leave some of the plants after they go to seed, the birds will enjoy eating the seed.