A flirty start to 2015!
There's much activity going on with the flamingos at WWT Slimbridge since the start of the new year. Birds seem to be getting right into the swing of things for this year's coming breeding season and the greater and Caribbean flocks have really notched up a gear with their courtship displays. So there is an excellent excuse to brave the wind and rain, and pop out to see them looking at their best. Whilst it may not be the tropical temperatures that we associate with flamingos, this is the time of year when the birds start to pair up. They are much more sensitive to changes in the climate than we are, and so whilst the change in day length is barely noticeable to us, the birds will pick up on this and their thoughts turn to spring and summer.
Take a look in the Caribbean Flamingo Pen for the tallest, brightest males. You will see these right at the back at present, doing lots of head-flagging and wing-saluting. See the photo above and the short video below. They are eager to the turn the eyes of the girls and get the whole flock dancing.
[yframe url='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzZw5Yw70Xw']
Over in Flamingo Lagoon things are also looking rather more active too.
[yframe url='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUd9IyXODrA&feature=youtu.be']
I have noticed many more birds performing their courtship display this year, when compared to last year, which is an excellent sign and hopefully (fingers crossed) this will translate into more breeding pairs come summer. As the flamingos get more and more settled into this new enclosure (and remember if you're a bird that can live into your eighties you have a long memory, so whilst the Lagoon is now three years old, it's still new for the birds!) they will be more and more encouraged to breed. Hence the exaggerated number of birds that are now displaying. This is quite the spectacle and one that you will hear before you see. Again, look out for big, tall males leading the charge.
I was fortunate to get a glimpse of the greater flamingo flock in their spacious indoor housing just before the new year. As Lydia, avid flamingo fan that she is, was about to go and feed them, I went along to get under her feet. It's always nice to see the greater flock indoors at this time of the year because you know that there will be lots and lots of courting going on. And it shows how happy they are inside their new house too! The noise is also amazing...
[yframe url='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7wmj3dMV-E']
A very Happy New Year to all Flamingo Diary followers.
