The Fort Worth Zoo just announced the hatchings of 17 lesser flamingo chicks over the last month. Plus, zoo officials say more are on the way.
This is great news given that lesser flamingos are extremely difficult to breed under human care and reproduce less than any other flamingo species found in U.S. zoos, according to a release. Currently, the Fort Worth Zoo boasts the most successful lesser flamingo breeding program in the world, with the hatchings of 382 chicks since the program began in 2002.
But these little blessings don’t come out pink from the get-go. Instead, lesser flamingos are born a fluffy white or gray. Zoo officials say the chicks will eventually get their characteristic pink plumage by age 3 or 4, thanks to pigments or carotenoids found in their diet.
For years, the Zoo’s lesser flamingo collection was housed in an outdoor habitat that resulted in little breeding success. After making adjustments to the birds’ nesting habitat, which included adding heating lamps, a small pool and mirrors to provide the illusion of more birds, Zoo staff celebrated the first successful hatching. And at that point, the Zoo’s lesser flamingo “love shack” was created.
These breeding efforts are incredibly important to create a long-term, self-sustaining population of these birds in the U.S., zoo officials say. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), lesser flamingos are listed as near threatened, primarily due to habitat alteration. For now, the chicks are housed behind-the-scenes where they are receiving around-the-clock feedings and care from keepers and their parents.
