First flamingo chicks of the year hatch at WWT Slimbridge
The first flamingo chicks have hatched at a wildlife centre in Gloucestershire.
The three Greater Flamingo chicks have been born into the largest flock in the UK which is kept at Slimbridge Wetland Centre. Many more are expected to hatch over the coming fortnight.
The stunning attraction Flamingo Lagoon was created in 2012, during the work the flamingo house was upgraded, the environment enhanced and a new nesting island was built just metres away from the public viewing gallery.
In their first day flamingos, which are born grey with straight beaks, often eat their own shell to gain calcium.
Flamingos are attentive parents and feed their young a crop milk through a special gland. In their flamingo ‘milk’ some of their distinctive pink colouring is released which temporarily causes the parents to fade in colour.
With its large flocks and rearing expertise Slimbridge Wetland Centre in Gloucestershire is the focus of much flamingo research.
Four of the world’s six flamingo species are classed as ‘Vulnerable’ or ‘Near Threatened’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It’s thought there are less than 30 breeding sites left in the whole world.
Visitors can see all six species of flamingo at Slimbridge.
