N.C.’s first lesser flamingo hatches

Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Park in Scotland Neck hatched its first lesser flamingo chick on May 3, and the long-legged pink parents are very proud.

Lesser flamingos are considered particularly difficult to breed in captivity. Only two other facilities in the world have hatched chicks in recent years.

To overcome breeding challenges, Park General Curator Brad Hazelton built a facility specifically for the flamingos – stocked with clay for nest-building and mirrors lining the inside walls. In the wild, lesser flamingos flock together in groups that can exceed one million birds. The mirrors create the illusion of a large flock of flamingos to stimulate the bird’s breeding instinct.

The lesser flamingo is the smallest of the six flamingo species and is native to the Great Rift Valley in Africa. With more than 60 birds, the park houses one of the larger collections in the country and hopes to establish a successful captive breeding population for the species.

The flamingo flock and new chick can be viewed from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday at the Waterfowl Park. The facility is open Memorial Day.

For more information, visit the Park’s Web site or call 826-3186.