Greater flamingo chicks hatch at Martin Mere!
West Lancashire’s WWT Martin Mere Wetland Centre is celebrating the arrival of several fluffy flamingo chicks within its Living Collection.
The greater flamingo chicks hatched between late April and early May and are already exploring beyond their nests, something flamingo chicks typically do within five to seven days of hatching.
Born with soft grey down feathers, the chicks will gradually develop their famous pink colouring as they mature, usually reaching their iconic shade at around two years old due to their diet which contains carotenoids.
The new arrivals remain with the existing flamingo flock and are being carefully looked after by both the adult birds and the living collection team. Visitors may spot the chicks gathered together in a “crèche”, a form of flamingo day care where a small group of adults act as babysitters while the chicks stay close by.
The chicks will return to their parents regularly for feeding. The feed is referred to as “crop milk” and is regurgitated directly into the chick’s beak from the parents. It is rich in fat, protein and those natural carotenoid pigments.
You can often distinguish between the parents and other adults due to their paler pink appearance, as they lose some of their nutrients feeding their young.
As the chicks grow older, their beaks will begin to curve downwards like the adults, which allows it to start filter feeding foods like brine shrimp, insect larvae, and algae.
Victoria Fellowes, Visitor Experience Manager at Martin Mare, said: “Flamingos at Martin Mere have been wowing visitors since not long after opening in 1975. Some of the flamingos in the flock are even around 50 years in age. We’ve seen generations of chicks successfully hatch into the flock, and we’re hopeful for many more years of adorable chicks to come.
The chick news comes at the perfect time for families, with views of the fluffy flamingos available over the May half term (23 May - 31 May). Visitors hoping to catch a glimpse of the chicks can find them around the Greater Flamingo habitat, one of the first exhibits visitors encounter entering the living collection area.
Inspired to visit?
WWT members enjoy unlimited visits all year round. Non-members can enjoy 10% off when prebooking online.
Header photo credit: Gary Gray
