Chilean Flamingo

August 2016

There will be gray hues among the pink at Waterfowl Lagoon when Lincoln Park Zoo’s newest Chilean flamingo chicks grow large enough to join the flock. The two chicks (one female, one gender unknown) hatched behind the scenes and are being hand-reared by our animal care experts.

Upon birth, chicks show gray plumage, which transitions to the iconic flamingo pink after two–three years. The zoo’s flock receives a specially formulated diet to meet all of their nutritional needs. In the wild, algae and plankton contribute to the species pink plumage.

For Chilean flamingo survival in the wild, it’s good to be just another face in the crowd, as this species depends on crowded conditions for predator protection and to stimulate breeding. The Chilean flamingo’s ability to tolerate the extreme conditions of their native habitats in Peru, Chile, Brazil and as far south as Argentina, well equips Lincoln Park Zoo’s flock for Chicago’s winter weather.