The Louisville Zoo announced Thursday that a 60-year-old female Chilean flamingo hatched two chicks, a record age for the species. The milestone comes during a busy season for the flock, which has produced six chicks total, all of them hand-reared by the zoo’s bird keepers.
Hand-rearing means around-the-clock attention in the early weeks, from feeding schedules to careful monitoring of the chicks as they grow. Visitors usually see the end result, a bright flock strutting across the water, not the weeks of work that get the birds there.
The chicks themselves are worth a visit. They hatch covered in snowy white down, shift to gray as they mature, and eventually develop the pink plumage flamingos are known for. If you’ve been looking for a family outing, the Suncoast has plenty of places to see birds up close, from Mote Marine in Sarasota to the zoo and aquarium spots around Tampa Bay.
Planning a family trip to see some Florida wildlife this season, and where do you usually take visiting friends?
