Flamingoes? » Adelaide Zoo

Flamingoes?
14-06-2007

I've visited Adelaide zoo regularly over the years, but I have'nt been for a little while now.

Can anyone tell me whether the two old flamingoes are still alive there?

14-06-2007

i believe they are, a chilean and a greater - but both a veeeeeery old. as are the one or two animals left at taronga. the only decent collection of flamingoes in the region are the animals imported by auckland some years ago - yet to breed.

14-06-2007

yeah you are right they are very old, thyeres a sing at teh zoo stating this and it also says "Flamingoes dont live forever' the zoo will be sad with out them, they are such characters, because they are so old they are almost blind, they are very fun to work with though

14-06-2007

Thanks for that, it's great to know that they are still alive.

The greater flamingo was imported in 1933, which means that it is at least 74 years old.

The chilean flamingo was imported in 1948, making it at least 59 years old.

There is now only one flamingo at Taronga, a chilean also from the 1948 importation. It has been "retired ", that is, it is no longer on display.

15-06-2007

I don't think the Auckland ones are likely to breed. Some of them were killed by a member of the public a couple of years ago, and I believe the flock is now too small for the birds to be interested in courtship etc

15-06-2007

it has been quite awhile with not much to report however they still have around 18 from memory (only one was killed as far as i know) and i have no idea how long flamingos take to mature. in brazil i visited a birdpark that bred their falmingo flock of roughly the same size or less by using mirrors to trick the flamingos into thinking they were more numerous with great success.

15-06-2007

flamingoes mature at about three years of age, but some are known to breed at two.

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15-06-2007

If the breeding size of a flock was so vital that only one or two birds dying would make it too small then shouldn't the zoo have imported a few more? Especially as it was a costly exercise in the first place. Mind you it has been a number of years.

15-06-2007

yep flock size is extremely important. Caribbean flamingoes will breed with just a few pairs but all other species need quite large numbers. Small groups will occasionally lay and hatch an egg or two, but its little more than random. Someone from Auckland Zoo is welcome to set me right if I'm wrong here, but it seems that because of the cost and rigmarole involved in importing the birds in the first place they only brought in the bare minimum. I think it was two or three birds that were killed or had to be put down after the attack on them (I could be wrong). I thought it was silly bringing in such a small number when they first announced it but you know what the politics in zoos are like! As I understand it, now the zoo is really only considering them to be display or "advocacy" birds and doesn't have much hope of breeding them properly.

I think Taronga Zoo also tried using mirrors to try and get their birds to breed when they still had a small flock.

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15-06-2007

Many Zoos around the World have used the 'Mirrors' technique to try and get their birds to breed. Even now it is almost ALWAYS reported by the press, as if its a novelty!

What I'm not so sure of is whether this technique actually has a successful outcome or not. My guess is if the captive flock is already a sizeable one, then it could give the birds the impression of the mass numbers sufficient to stimulate breeding. If the group is only small, it probably dosn't make any difference as the noise and social interaction, choice of mates etc between the 'real' birds must also be equally important.

Incidentally I believe the first place ever to breed Caribbean Flamingo in captivity(i.e. pinioned state) wasn't at a zoo, but at the Haleah(?) Race Track in Florida in the 1940's. They had a very large colony of Flamingoes living on a lake in the centre of the racecourse and of course climate was similar to the Carribean too, so it was pretty similar to nature.

16-06-2007

even if auckland zoo's flamingoes dont breed, they have a guaranteed flamingo display for another 50-60 years. on tarongas, the lone bird is behind the scenes in an aviary near the bird-house, but id be suprised if it lasts the year out....taronga tried mirrors too, it didnt work.
in my lifetime of visiting taronga the flock has dwindled from three, to two, and now one bird, so it has been kind of sad. no doubt, african elephants are going down the same road

16-06-2007

you're exactly right. Hialeah Racetrack produced their first chick in 1937 but it failed to survive (it died after 14 days). They then bred successfully in 1942. The next captive breeding (away from Hialeah I mean) wasn't until 1956, at San Antonio Zoo. Of course for a very long time zoos only kept flamingoes as display birds, on ornamental ponds with neatly-clipped lawns, so they had no breeding opportunities anyway.

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17-06-2007

and london zoo bred a flamingo, probably a greater flamingo way back in the 1870s!!!

Auckland flamingoes
17-06-2007

They are still there , and still on display . ( across from lion island )
My personal view is that they should have imported a few more than the bare minimum , so as to cover any unexpected loss of a few individuals . But I dont have any say re Auckland Zoo policies

But even if they dont breed , they should still last for quite some years as a small flock .

18-06-2007

i reckon if you used mirrors and plastic birds and built fake nests in conjunction with soundscapes of wild flocks - things would look up. just a guess....