Zoo Miami has embraced a burst of pink, with the hatching of a Caribbean flamingo chick on June 14, a hopeful symbol of the species' potential resurgence in Florida. Following a careful 28-day period of artificial incubation, as detailed by WSVN, the chick was born to a 21-year-old female and a 9-year-old male at the zoo's Avian Propagation Center, where it remains under watchful care.
The chick’s sex is currently unknown, and its early life consists of nurturing activities designed to promote its growth and wellbeing. As Local 10 reports, daily walks and swim sessions are integral to the flamingo’s physical development. The process was initiated as a proactive step to safeguard the fragile life from the whims of nature—predation, or the tosses of extreme weather, which can threaten eggs left in the natural environment.
Ron Magill, Communications Director at Zoo Miami, has expressed hope for the chick's seamless integration into its flock once it's fully feathered and feeding on its own. “It will be accepted without any issues,” he said in a press release, as reported by Local 10.
Zoo Miami advocates for the recognition and recovery of the Caribbean flamingo, known scientifically as Phoenicopterus ruber, and boasts of the species' native history in Florida. Noting the bright salmon coloration that springs from their diet, Magill informed that these monogamous birds have shown signs of reestablishing themselves in the state, spurred on by the ongoing Everglades restoration efforts. Thanks in part to the work by the Conservation and Research Team at the zoo, Caribbean flamingos are now listed as native Florida bird.
The arrival of the new flamingo at Zoo Miami comes with anticipation. Officials at the zoo are fostering a conducive environment, hoping that the species will make the zoo a permanent home and successfully multiply. To witness more of the zoo’s new addition and its early efforts to stride and swim, viewers can find pictures in the original press release or visit the Avian Propagation Center at Zoo Miami.
