The flamingo family at the Detroit Zoo just got a little bigger!
Zoo staff announced Thursday the hatching of five flamingo chicks in recent weeks. The babies -- four greater flamingos and one Chilean flamingo -- are being cared for in the Zoo's African bird habitat.
Greater flamingos are born gray and white and don't turn pink until age 2. Chilean flamingos are born with grayish-brown feathers that turn pink in about 10 weeks.
The new chicks bring the zoo's flamingo flock to 59 greater flamingos and 21 Chilean flamingos. They all share a habitat with spoonbills, storks, cranes and vultures.
Flamingos can live more than 20 years in the wild and twice as long in human care.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for Detroit Zoo visitors to see flamingo chicks and super-attentive flamingo parents,” said Scott Carter, DZS chief life sciences officer. “It will be fun to watch these five downy little chicks grow into tall, pink flamingos.”
Think pink! Five flamingo chicks — four greater flamingos and one Chilean flamingo — were hatched in recent weeks at the Detroit Zoo, where they are being reared by their parents and foster parents. #VitaminZ
Learn more: https://t.co/OqDSsSliEu pic.twitter.com/9aLq13SRtq
— Detroit Zoo (@detroitzoo) August 30, 2018