Home improvements for the Caribbean flamingos
If the living standards for the flamingos at WWT Slimbridge couldn't be high enough already, Sparky, Phil & Co. have been making changes to the Caribbean flamingos' pen this past week to make it even better for these brightest and most flouncy of flamingos. The birds have had their very own gardening team in to remove some over-grown bushes and to create an even more "flamingo friendly" environment to show-off the birds to visitors as best as possible. Alongside of these horticultural endeavours, the flamingo's nesting area has been given a "once-over" and a new concrete edge has been created to enable the aviculturists to more accurately control the flow of water over the island.
This water flow is especially important as it helps the flamingos build their well-known mud nest mounds to the right shape and size. Controlling the water flow allows for the island to the wet when it needs to be wet, and dry when it needs to be dry. This way, the mud stays at the right consistency for building and it will also set firm without cracking once the nest is complete. The flamingo's nest is a remarkable structure, expertly engineered to protect the chick from a range of environmental conditions (I am sure I have waffled on about flamingo nest building in past posts...) so it is essential that the birds are able to have their favourite type of mud during the breeding season. Fortunately for the flamingos, the experience and expertise of WWT's aviculturists means the right kind of mud is always forthcoming.
