Less than two weeks old they need special care and hand feeding
10 and 12 days old these baby Flamingoes at Woodland Park Zoo are white when they hatch and turn pink as they mature, gaining the famous pink color at about one year old from the shrimp they eat.
Photo by Patrick Robinson
Sat, 09/23/2023
Woodland Park Zoo is tickled pink to announce that over the past few weeks, five Chilean flamingos have hatched off exhibit. The new chicks mark the first hatching of the species since 2016. The five chicks bring the zoo’s flock to 48 flamingos. The sexes will be determined, and they will be named in the near future.
The exercise session outdoors allows the chicks to walk and stretch to strengthen their legs.
A baby flamingo regards its own shadow that somehow has a beak too. Photo by Patrick Robinson
Animal Care Manager of the West Team at the zoo lets the chicks come to her. Photo by Patrick Robinson
A team of dedicated and expert zoo staff are hand-raising and hand-feeding the chicks behind the scenes. In about 30 days, the chicks should be able to eat on their own.
This chick was hungry and Kayla Hanada was feeding it with a syringe. Photo by Kimberly Robinson
Chilean flamingo chicks hatch with a whitish, gray down and can acquire extensive pink feathering that can be mixed with gray-brown contour feathers at about 1 year of age. Juveniles usually have full pink feathering by 2 to 3 years of age. These hardy, social birds of South America stand an impressive 40 to 42 inches tall and can live as long as 70 years.
The adult Flamingo population at the zoo is no longer breeding. Photo by Patrick Robinson
The eggs were acquired from Zoo Atlanta because Woodland Park Zoo’s existing flock is aging and no longer breeding. The eggs were selected under the Flamingo Species Survival Plan, a cooperative breeding program across accredited zoos to help ensure a healthy, self-sustaining population of the species.
Three of the five new chicks out in the yard to strengthen their legs. Photo by Kimberly Robinson
The five chicks will soon join the zoo’s ambassador animals program.
The ambassador animals help build guests’ empathy for animals and promote ways to take action for wildlife. Guests have the opportunity to meet these incredible animals through engaging, up-close experiences at the zoo’s theaters and other programs across the zoo. When not in a program, the chicks will live with the zoo’s flock of adult flamingos.
Animal Keeper Kayla Hanada of the West Team at the zoo hugs a Flamingo chick. Photo by Kimberly Robinson
Chilean flamingos have a range that extends from an elevation of 15,420 feet in the altiplano (high mountain plateau) to lowland saline estuaries where some overwinter along the southwest Chilean coast. The flamingo habitat at the zoo mimics the coastal salt marshes and estuaries of the temperate forest zone of Chile, specifically the island of Chiloé where flamingos find winter refuge.
An adult Chilean Flamingo regards its reflection. Photo by Patrick Robinson
To celebrate the hatchings, become a Digital ZooParent by adopting a Chilean flamingo. The ZooParent program supports the zoo’s animal care, education and wildlife conservation efforts in the Pacific Northwest and around the world.
Zoo hours: 9:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. daily.
Accessibility: Information about accessibility and resources, one-to-one aides, sighted guides, mobility equipment rentals, and a sensory map and tools can be found at www.zoo.org/access. For questions or to request disability accommodations for zoo programs or events, contact zooinfo@zoo.org.
