Flamingos in the Pink after Summer Baby Boom

It’s shaping up to be a bumper year for flamingo births at Birdland in Bourton-on-the-Water.

A clutch of greater flamingo chicks have already hatched, and the high number of new nests and eggs suggest the colony is heading for a potential record-breaking baby boom.

“It’s been a successful summer for new chicks so far and we’re delighted to see some birds breed for the very first time here,” said Head Keeper Alistair Keen.

“Breeding is a great indication the birds are happy and healthy and is also a really important part of our role as a wildlife collection as many of them are now at risk in the wild,” he added.

The greater flamingo is the most widespread and largest member of the flamingo family. Fully grown adult male birds can grow in excess of 180 cm tall.

In the wild flamingos eat small crustaceans and other microscopic animals and plants which are obtained by filter feeding. 

The continuously-moving beak acts as an efficient filter for food collection when water is pumped through the bristles of the mouth. 

The typical lifespan for the bird in captivity is an astonishing 60 years and one individual at an Australian Zoo lived to be 83.

With its combination of woodland, riverside and gardens, Birdland features more than 500 birds, ranging from birds of prey and parrots to cassowaries and cranes in a mix of free-flying and aviary displays. It is also home to England’s only colony of breeding king penguins.

Images by Cotswold House Photography