Home / Environment / Baby Flamingo 'Florida' Hatches at Zoo Miami!
Baby Flamingo 'Florida' Hatches at Zoo Miami!
12 Jun
Summary
- A white Caribbean flamingo chick named Florida hatched recently.
- Flamingos gain pink color from shrimp in their diet.
- Urban development threatens wild flamingo breeding grounds.
A new Caribbean flamingo chick, named Florida, recently hatched at Zoo Miami on Saturday, June 6. This nearly three-week-old hatchling, currently pure white, is being nurtured in the zoo's Avian Propagation Center. Its parents are a 22-year-old female and a 10-year-old male, though the egg was artificially incubated for safety.
Caribbean flamingos get their iconic pink color from carotenoids found in shrimp and algae. Chicks are born gray and gradually develop their adult coloration over approximately three years. While native to Florida, wild Caribbean flamingos struggle with breeding due to urban development impacting their natural nesting sites.
Researchers are optimistic about renewed nesting in the region, noting recent sightings of these birds. Successful Everglades restoration efforts are seen as a positive sign for the natural resurgence of these magnificent creatures in their native Florida habitat.
