Flamingos breed at British zoo for the first time ever... After staff put up mirrors to help get them in the mood

By DAVID SCHOLEFIELD



Small miracle: Marwell Wildlife Park's first ever flamingo chick



A zoo is celebrating the birth of its first ever flamingo chick - conceived after keepers got the birds in the mood to breed by putting up mirrors for them.



Staff at Marwell Wildlife Park have been willing the exotic birds to produce offspring since 1972.



Now, almost four decades later, they've finally got their wish - after employing the ingenious tactics to get the creatures in the mood.





Leg up: The flamingo chick conceived after keepers got the birds in the mood to breed by putting up mirrors





Greater flamingos are more likely to breed in larger colonies where they feel secure.



So keepers tricked them by installing mirrors and piping in the sound of flamingo calls from speakers. They also put up fake nests with dummy eggs.



To their delight, their first chick was born and, with eight eggs left to hatch, it is hoped there will be more arrivals before the end of the year.



Keepers say their latest addition, which is now two weeks old and just 1ft tall, is doing well and proving very popular with visitors.





Broody: A flamingo sits upon its nest. Behind it, the reflection of another bird in a mirror set up by zoo staff



Young flamingos are born grey and white and do not turn pink for two years.



For the first three to four weeks, the chick is fed entirely by the parents who secrete a creamy pink liquid called 'crop milk'.



source: dailymail

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A baby Chilean flamingo walks near its father

A baby Chilean flamingo walks near its father, Thursday, Oct. 14, 2010, at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. The chick was born on Oct. 3, 2010, and is one of two chicks born so far this fall at the zoo from several eggs that are currently being incubated. Baby flamingos can take up to two or three years to fully develop the pink feathers of mature adults.




A baby Chilean flamingo swims Thursday, Oct. 14, 2010, at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. The chick was born on Oct. 3, 2010, and is one of two chicks born so far this fall at the zoo from several eggs that are currently being incubated. Baby flamingos can take up to two or three years to fully develop the pink feathers of mature adults.




A baby Chilean flamingo stands near its father, Thursday, Oct. 14, 2010, at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. The chick was born on Oct. 3, 2010, and is one of two chicks born so far this fall at the zoo from several eggs that are currently being incubated. Baby flamingos can take up to two or three years to fully develop the pink feathers of mature adults.



A baby Chilean flamingo drinks water, Thursday, Oct. 14, 2010, at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. The chick was born on Oct. 3, 2010, and is one of two chicks born so far this fall at the zoo from several eggs that are currently being incubated. Baby flamingos can take up to two or three years to fully develop the pink feathers of mature adults.





A baby Chilean flamingo drinks water, Thursday, Oct. 14, 2010, at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. The chick was born on Oct. 3, 2010, and is one of two chicks born so far this fall at the zoo from several eggs that are currently being incubated. Baby flamingos can take up to two or three years to fully develop the pink feathers of mature adults.




A nesting Chilean flamingo adjusts the position of a wooden "dummy egg," Thursday, Oct. 14, 2010, at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. Two chicks have been born so far this fall at the zoo from several eggs that are currently being incubated. Nesting birds such as the one shown here are given wooden "dummy eggs" to sit on that will be exchanged for their real eggs two days before their chicks hatch, which allows the eggs to be cared for and incubated by zoo staff in a more protected environment.




A nesting Chilean flamingo adjusts the position of a wooden "dummy egg," Thursday, Oct. 14, 2010, at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. Two chicks have been born so far this fall at the zoo from several eggs that are currently being incubated. Nesting birds such as the one shown here are given wooden "dummy eggs" to sit on that will be exchanged for their real eggs two days before their chicks hatch, which allows the eggs to be cared for and incubated by zoo staff in a more protected environment.




A baby Chilean flamingo stands near its father, Thursday, Oct. 14, 2010, at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. The chick was born on Oct. 3, 2010, and is one of two chicks born so far this fall at the zoo from several eggs that are currently being incubated. Baby flamingos can take up to two or three years to fully develop the pink feathers of mature adults.



photo: AP photo

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