We’re record beakers! Flamingo chick numbers at all time high at Slimbridge
A flamingo flock is busy rearing 35 fluffy chicks smashing the previous record held for the species at WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre.
The Greater Flamingo flock in Gloucestershire with 245 adult birds is the largest in Europe.
In 2010 the flock reared an impressive 25 chicks to set a new record, staff at the Centre are amazed that they have added an extra 10 baby birds to the record this year.
Mark Roberts, aviculture manager, said: “It is really quite incredible as the wet weather in May certainly made rearing challenging for them.
“Their nesting island is now made out of sand rather than mud which has been shown in recent studies to be better and they really like the environment of Flamingo Lagoon, so I think it must be down to these factors.
“It is a stunning sight to see all the chicks around the nesting island; the observatory has been busy with visitors enjoying watching all the action.”
Now the successful flock is taking great care rearing the bumper yield of chicks using supervised ‘crèches’ to allow the parents time to themselves.
Flamingos in the wild and in captivity rear their chicks using crèches. The chick’s parents still crop feed the bird but for long periods of the day the chicks will stay with each other with just seven or eight ‘nanny’ adults supervising them.
Mark added: “The crèches are fun to watch. If a plane flies over or if there is any other disturbance that they deem a threat the chicks all huddle together with the ‘nanny’ birds forming a protective ring on the outside."
“Flamingos are extremely sociable birds with a complex hierarchy. This emphasis on flock behaviour starts from when they are just days old when they join the creche.”
The Greater Flamingos’ home Flamingo Lagoon was enlarged in 2012 with a new nesting island built near to a sunken observatory offering visitors a unique and close-up view of all the breeding and nesting action.
With its large flocks and rearing expertise WWT Slimbridge 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 WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre.
