Three Times the Charm: ABQ BioPark Welcomes Trio of Fuzzy Flamingo Chicks

The BioPark is thrilled to announce that three new flamingo chicks will soon be joining the American flamingo flock at the BioPark Zoo. 

“The chicks are doing great, and our staff is so dedicated,” said BioPark curator of birds Karen Waterfall. “Our care team has been hand-raising the chicks and monitoring them closely to help them meet their developmental milestones.” 

Last year, the flock welcomed one new male flamingo named Ziggy, and Waterfall is happy to see the momentum continue into 2025. This year’s hatchlings are especially big news because this is the first year in a long while that this many have been hatched. 

“Before Ziggy, the last one that hatched here was in 2014.  We had had maybe a couple eggs in between there, but nothing that was fertile,” said Waterfall. “We've not been through this before, so we're just so excited.” 

At this age, their outward appearance does not distinguish if they are male or female, so the care team will have to schedule a blood test in about a month to determine the gender. 

To ensure their safety, the eggs were removed from Flamingo Island to a behind-the-scenes incubator with decoy eggs being left in their place. About 28 days later, the first chick hatched on July 11 and was soon followed by another on July 30 and one more on August 6. 

“The oldest one is quite a bit bigger, but the other two are closer in age. They're about a week apart, so we're trying to get them to be friends right now so they can grow up together,” Waterfall said. 

The BioPark’s bird care team has been working hard to ensure the chicks have the best start in life. Once hatched, they began frequent feedings of formula then began a gradual transition to pellets. Within a week, animal care staff started taking them outside in short bursts to get some sun and exercise their legs. 

“Exercise is extremely important to make sure those long legs develop properly,” said Waterfall. “The younger ones are going out once a day right now. The older chick is going out twice a day for walks, and in the afternoon he goes out with the other flamingos to get introduced to the pool.”

Zoo guests can see the chicks out on their walk at the wattled crane habitat in Africa daily around 11:15 am, during which the cranes will be in a separate holding area while the chicks explore. The older one can also be spotted at Flamingo Island daily during their walk, usually around 1:30 pm. 

Beyond their exercise outings, the trio remain indoors currently to protect them from the elements, but Waterfall estimates the oldest chick will be out on Flamingo Island permanently around mid-October. The two younger ones will follow shortly after.