Flamingoes? » Adelaide Zoo

18-06-2007

You never know pat, it just might work. Many zookeepers agree that flamingoes aren't the brightest of birds

23-06-2007

i remember having to feed the taronga pair on work experience in 2005. had to be careful around especially because any sudden movements and they could've panicked, breaking those fragile legs of theirs.

24-06-2007

maybe running a film of Flamingoes breeding on one of the African Lakes on a big Plasma screen would do it?

Its interesting that Oz/NZ zoos have such small numbers of these birds. Many European zoos have a sizeable flock of flamingoes somewhere near the zoo entrance as an 'eyecatcher' for the visitors. It still seems possible to import them as nowhere can breed sufficient numbers to replace those that die. I always feel rather sorry for captive flamingoes as pinioned birds must suffer a good degree of stress in my opinion and I once saw a newly imported bunch being pinioned, it wasn't a pleasant sight....

24-06-2007

it is extremely expensive importing birds to NZ or Aus, even more so nowadays with stricter biosecurity laws. The Auckland Zoo flamingoes were bred at Slimbridge (I think). To prevent any chance of disease being brought to NZ the eggs had to be artificially incubated, then the chicks hand-reared in strict quarantine at Slimbridge so they were never in contact with any other birds, and then when old enough were flown to NZ where they were quarantined again before being released into their zoo enclosure. The expense and relative difficulty involved in this is why only a smallish flock was imported and why there is probably not much chance of more birds coming in any time in the forseeable future.

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nod if you can read this

26-06-2007

these questions is really just for AbiSmith from Auckland Zoo:

how many of the Auckland flamingoes were killed or had to be put down after that attack on them? How many does the zoo actually have now?

and how long have they been at the zoo now? Because Nigel says (in the Auckland Zoo thread) that he's been told they are now starting to mature and hopefully will start breeding. But flamingoes mature at 3-5 years (some breed as young as two), and surely they've been at the zoo much longer than that? The smallest successful greater flamingo flocks in captivity aren't any smaller than about 15-20 birds (an egg laid now and again isn't a successful breeding flock, they have to breed regularly).

Thanks

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nod if you can read this

26-06-2007

auckland zoo list holding 16 flamingoes - 8 male and 8 female. if memory serves correct they imported 18 birds, which means two have since died.

12-06-2008

The Chilean flamingo at Adelaide (if it is still alive - Taronga's is) was imported 60 years ago this month (as an adult). They are the two remaining members of a flock of 80 which was imported in June 1948.

If the Greater flamingo is still alive, it has been at Adelaide for 75 years this year.

Hope they are both still going strong.
This should be Adelaide zoo's "Year of the Flamingo."

12-06-2008

on tuesday they were still going...

12-06-2008

I didn't know that they lived so long. On Zootycoon they don't live very long at all and i just assumed it was the same in real life.
By the way what is the longest living bird?

12-06-2008

Yeah its bad how the flamingos in zoo tycoon don't live very long. Maybe (just an idea I will put in) the Taronga one could be moved to Adelaide to live out its life with other animals but may be too old to be moved down to Adelaide. Just so it could live the rest of it's life with other flamingos.

12-06-2008

Its a nice thought, but probably not practical. "Yellow Band" (as it is called) is an ancient bird, and probably wouldn't survive the trip.

15-06-2008

last time i saw it it looked like a strong wind could blow it over! but dont worry its not living alone its in an off exhibit avairy with a few other water birds, cant remember what exactly but some ducks and few other older birds

15-06-2008

Thanks torie, thats good to know.

It'll be a sad day when it goes.(The darn bird is about the same age as me!)