Llanelli welcomes new flamingo chicks
The first flamingo chicks have hatched at WWT Llanelli Wetland Centre! Eight fluffy Caribbean chicks are now residents of our Centre here in Penclacwydd, with more due to hatch soon.
Some of the younger chicks are currently cuddled up to their parents in their nest and will start moving around in a few days but those which are a couple of weeks old are now finding their feet and stretching their long legs for the first time.
One parent stays with the chick for the first 10-15 days, and as the chick gets older, they will be looked after in crèches by a few adults. Parents will recognise their own chicks by their calls.
If you want to spot a flamingo chick whilst they are small though then you’d better be quick! Flamingo chicks grow up fast – 5mm on each leg every day! Chicks will grow their first adult feathers at 3 months but will still be grey in colour. They don’t turn their recognisable pink colour until they are three years old.
This year has seen a large number of flamingo eggs laid at the Llanelli site – 24 in total, although not all of the eggs are thought to be fertile. It is hoped that at least 10 chicks will hatch in the next few weeks.
Even our staff were taken by surprise at the high number of eggs laid.
Richard Edwards, Grounds Manager at WWT Llanelli Wetland Centre said: “When the flamingos lay eggs, we carefully take them into incubators and replace them with wooden ‘dummy’ eggs, and the flamingo cares for it just like the real thing. We remove the eggs to protect them from predators such as crows, magpies and the black-backed gull. This year due to the high number of eggs laid, we actually ran out of ‘dummy’ eggs so I had to borrow the demonstration egg from the centre’s learning department that we use for our flamingo talk!”
Richard added: “Once the chick starts tapping from within the egg, known as pipping, it is vital that we put the egg back into the nest. This is how the chick starts communicating with its parents to start forming a bond. When the chick then hatches, it’ll recognise the voices of Mum and Dad. Thankfully we don’t get any of the eggs mixed up! We always ensure that all eggs laid are labelled and we hold a map of the nests so that the parents get the correct egg back!”
Around 80 flamingos are raised each year at WWT centres to maintain their captive populations (so flamingos do not need to be taken from the wild), which are used to educate the public and raise awareness of WWT’s role in flamingo conservation.
For the best chance of seeing a flamingo chick, WWT Llanelli Wetland Centre holds Flamingo talks throughout the summer, where you can enjoy a close-up look at the flock using binoculars and a telescope. Flamingo watch and talks are held at 1pm everyday from the 21st July until 31st August.
And if you really love flamingos, make sure you go along to the flamingo fun days on Saturday 9th August and Sunday 10th August where a whole host of flamingo-themed activities will be taking place. More information on summer events at WWT Llanelli Wetland Centre can be found at http://www.wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/llanelli/whats-on
