Want to see some happy flamingos?

18 February 2014

Hello all. Just a short one as I wasn't expecting to be writing another update anytime soon but today's amazing weather (actual sunshine!) and distinct lack of continual rain has made the flamingos feel right in the mood for fun and frolics. Now, I am not sure how you go about measuring "joy" in a bird but if I leave my dull, boring scientist façade at home, I reckon that "joyful" is the only word that can used to describe the behaviour of the Slimbridge flamingos today.

The Andeans, always a pleasure to watch, were tootling to and fro in their pool. Spot the attempt at a bit of a courtship display too. And I do love it with they go swimming. Like bright pink swans they paddle furiously along their pool, whistling to one another as they go. Brilliant!

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPza7meBzRs']

And these guys too have made me chuckle. The young Caribbean flamingos that search this same pen. A few weeks ago you could hear their voices breaking. Yes, I believe that is the correct term! Going from a real chick-like murmuring to proper adult-style cackling. And today, spurred on by the Andeans perhaps, the class of 2013 were practising their courtship display. Is that a bit of hand-flagging and the odd wonky wing-salute I can see? Excellent!

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etO85G86XjY&feature=youtu.be']

And finally, to wedge in a bit of science (because I can't help myself), there is a way you can tell just how happy a flock of flamingos is. And that's down to how spread out the birds are across their exhibit. The wider they are all dispersed when sleeping or resting, the happier they are. As beautifully demonstrated by the Slimbridge lesser flamingos (who love to line up along the fence line in their enclosure as widely as they can) and by the Caribbean flamingos, who go all the way from the walnut tree to the far back wall of the pen. Good bird keeping = happy birds :-)