Flamingo diary
Flamingos are one of the most popular animals exhibited in animal collections. If you’re keen to learn more about them and delve deeper in the ways in which WWT keeps its flamingos then follow Paul's diary up-to-date with all things flamingo. Paul Rose is a PhD student from the University of Exeter’s Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, currently based in the Conservation Programmes Directorate at WWT, who is investigating the social behaviour of captive flamingo flock
Caribbean flamingos are not just for the Caribbean!
One of the most striking and flamboyant of sights at WWT Slimbridge (and at WWT Llanelli too) are the stunningly crimson Caribbean flamingos. Also know as American, Cuban or rosy flamingos, they have the scientific name Phoenicopterus ruber, which basical
2 August 2024
Mr James - End of an Era
As a scientist, I have always been taught to view animal behaviour objectively. To not humanise the actions and activities of the animals that I study. To not get overly attached to research subjects. However, when you work closely with animals, they beco
17 July 2024
International Flamingo Day - Caring for Flamingos Around the World
Flamingos are global. They occur in the wild on every continent except for Antarctica and Australia. And birds kept under human care are found in zoological collections across many, many countries. Flamingos have awed and inspired humans and our culture f
21 April 2024
Flamingos are egg-cellent!
Easter is a time for renewal, rebirth and new life. Whether you celebrate the religious festival or simply the arrival of spring and (fingers crossed!) better weather, Eastertime is when everything seems to suddenly start growing, multiplying and breeding
30 March 2024
Goodbye to the Greater Flamingos!
There's a big change to the flamingo collection at WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre. The large flock of greater flamingos has vacated the “Flamingo Lagoon” exhibit. Greater flamingos have been resident at WWT Slimbridge since the “Severn Wildfowl Trust
15 November 2023
Young birds of a feather like to flock together
Autumn is now upon us but this Flamingo Blog is all about flamingo chicks and the summer breeding season. Summer in the UK is when flamingos are likely to start nesting. These are, after all, birds that like to nest in areas of heat and lots of sunshine.
11 September 2023
Flamingo dads are flamtastic!
Flamingo dads are some of the most hardworking and devoted of parents in the animal kingdom. Find out why in this Flamingo Diary post!
6 June 2023
Birds of a feather really do flock together
New research from WWT Slimbridge shows that flamingos choose their friends based on similar personalities. It seems that birds of a feather really do flock together and opposites might not attract!
20 March 2023
Indoor flamingos- how do we know they are OK?
When you see WWT flamingos housed indoors, like they may be during an bird 'flu outbreak, it is important to ensure they are comfortable and can behave as normal. But how do we know they are OK? Find out more in this festive edition of Flamingo Diary.
27 December 2022
Ancient dinners for ancient birds
No doubt avid readers of the WWT Flamingos Diary are familiar with the filtering behaviour, and unique bill anatomy, that all six species of flamingo use to collect their food. These bill and behavioural adaptations allow flamingos to inhabit extreme wetl
2 October 2022
Educating the world about pink birds
The flamingos and other animals in the living collection at WWT centres are not just housed to look beautiful and be interesting for visitors to see. They play a vitally important role in education and engagement, providing a valuable link to the natural
24 June 2022
Ten years of flamingo friends
WWT has a long standing research theme investigating the social lives of the flamingos in our care. Across all six species, we have collected data on their likes and dislikes, their personalities and differences in activity. We have looked at how colour,
24 May 2022
Tough Birds, Fragile Homes. International Flamingo Day 2022
International Flamingo Day (IFD) occurs each year on 26th April. It is a day set up by the IUCN Flamingo Specialist Group (FSG) to celebrate the six amazing species of flamingo and their wonderful wetland homes. Of these six species, four are of conservat
8 April 2022
Flamingo Diary is back!
It's been a tumultuous few months (and couple of years to be fair!) for the living collections at WWT, what with a global pandemic and a UK-wide Avian Influenza restrictions for their dedicated living collections keepers to contend with, but as spring fir
29 March 2022
When is a WWT flamingo a happy flamingo?
What is animal welfare? And how do we measure it? Why is WWT's bird welfare award winning. Find out more in this issue of the Flamingo Diary.
30 August 2021