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
Exciting developments at Martin Mere!
I popped up to WWT Martin Mere briefly the other day on my way back from a research meeting and I thought I would provide a quick update on the activities of the flamingos that reside in Lancashire. Whilst this diary is mainly Slimbridge-focussed, my P
23 August 2013
Playing, squabbling or dancing?
The showy displays of flamingos are really easy to observe and continue to delight visitors every year at each of the four WWT centres that house these birds. Flamingos are very vocal and their strident calls carry far across each Wetland Centre. Indeed,
19 August 2013
An update on the "making babies" boom
Slimbridge is still a veritable hive of flamingo breeding activity. With many Caribbean chicks toddling around their enclosure and Chilean nest building going through the roof (in a manner of speaking). The eminent re-arrival of another summer heat wave i
9 August 2013
Flamingos, elephants, killer whales and giraffes
This month, I am reminded that a year ago I was attending a conference in Germany that centred on social relationships within groups of animals of different species. What do these social relationships mean for the individuals within a group? How do we
3 August 2013
How do you make a baby flamingo? The Slimbridge recipe.
So in this instalment you're in for a real treat as I have asked duckery warden and all round "incubation expert" Phoebe Young to provide an insight into how WWT have developed the perfect method for producing happy, health flamingo chicks. Phoebe has als
23 July 2013
The Chileans are quite the architects!
There is a flurry of excitement at WWT Slimbridge at present as the warm weather (OK, sun-baking heat wave!) has provoked much breeding behaviour in the large flock of Chilean flamingos that reside in the South American Pen. This flock of birds has been l
21 July 2013
When is the flamingo's tail not the flamingo's tail?
You may have noticed that flamingos appear to have a rather long, floppy tail that, like the rest of their plumage, is exaggerated and flouncy. However if you take a closer look and wait until a flamingo opens its wings, you will see that the what looks
10 July 2013
Youngsters go for a wander
So what's the latest from the Caribbean enclosure? More chicks are hatching and can be seen in the nest mounds right against the back fence. The chicks that are slightly older are becoming more adventurous and are starting to explore their wider surroun
6 July 2013
New arrivals for the Caribbean flock
Can you spot a beady little eye poking out from a nest under the mass of legs of caring parent flamingos? The first Caribbean chick of the season hatched last week at WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre. There are new chicks in
1 July 2013
Notable birds to look out for... the Andean who likes to float.
Swimming is a behaviour that all flamingos will indulge in. You can see this quite a lot with the greater flamingo flock at WWT Slimbridge in their new "Flamingo Lagoon" enclosure. Swimming is good exercise for flamingos; it keeps their feet and legs heal
27 June 2013
Eggs and nests galore!
A quick "flamingo breeding season" update for you all. So far the Caribbean flock at WWT Slimbridge is in full swing and has produced 20 eggs that are being expertly tended by Phil, Sparky and Phoebe up in the Duckery. So be sure to look out for the woode
16 June 2013
The flamingos and the red tractor
There's a bit of an "urban legend" (even though we're quite rural here at WWT!) going around Slimbridge that the flamingos love the sound of tractors and, to be specific, the sound of red tractors. Now the analytical, unsympathetic scientist in me could
11 June 2013
Notable birds to look out for... the love-struck lessers.
Sunshine! It surely does make a change and for the lesser flamingos at WWT Slimbridge this has sparked a great deal of breeding activity. Lesser flamingos are very special birds. Not only are they the smallest species of flamingo, weighing as little as
9 June 2013
June brings sunshine and nesting Caribbeans.
There's a lot of activity going on in the Caribbena flamingo enclosure at WWT Slimbridge this week. The bad weather of late is long forgotten by the flamingos and this lovely warm spell has seen the Caribbean flamingos start to lay eggs. The flamingo bre
3 June 2013
Who decides what a flamingo group does?
I know that it seems like the majority of my diary entries are about the bad weather and I can assure folks that I am not some wannabe weather forecaster, but hey, let's try and turn the rain, wind and hail into something positive and interesting co
26 May 2013