A rare Chilean flamingo chick has successfully hatched at the Curraghs Wildlife Park for the first time since 2006.
Flamingos lay eggs in a nest they construct from mud in a pillar shape to protect it from flooding and overheating.
Manager Kathleen Graham, said: “Everyone is delighted. It’s been 18 years since we’ve had a flamingo fledge from a nest and the good news is that it’s relatively easy to spot for visitors.
“In the wild, flamingos eat small crustaceans and other microscopic animals and plants by filter feeding. Whereas, in zoos, they eat a special flamingo diet that contains pigments essential for maintaining their distinct colour.”
The chick is easy to spot and now keeping up with the adults, having fledged the nest they constructed on the spider monkey island! The chick will keep the grey plumage for two to three years before turning pink!
The South American species is considered ‘near threatened’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) due to falling numbers.
In human care, they can live to around 40.
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