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The Handrearing of a Chilian Flamingo And £; 'E (j) CJ) :§ o >­ .0 o (5 .c 0.. PInk Floyd The Handrearing ofa Chilian Flamingo and its Introduction to the Flock Floyd (second from right) seen as a member ofthe flock. He can be distinguished be the light by Chris Smith gray down on the headand neckand by the lighter shade ofpink on the body andwings. Shortly Animal Technician after Floyd was introduced to the flock, several pairs C!f.flamingos successfully hatched and Oklahoma City Zoological Park reared theiryoung. ink Floyd: to many people it is birds care. However, after one of the hatching, chicks stay in or near the the name of a rock band that has first eggs disappeared from the nest, nest for about the first week. After Precorded many cIa sic albums the remaining and subsequent eggs leaving the nest, chicks congregate such as "The Wall" and "The Dark Side were pulled and replaced with dummy with other chicks, forming creches or of the Moon. ' To the personnel at the eggs. The eggs were placed in incuba­ nursery groups. These creches can Oklahoma City Zoological Park, it is also tor at a temperature of 99.5° F. (37.5° consist of several thousand young the name of its first captive-hatched C). The hygrometer was maintained birds. Chilean Flamingo, Phoenicopterus between 82-84°F (30-31°C). The eggs Adult flamingos take turns watching chilensis. were turned five times daily. A total of over the chicks. While the chicks are in The Oklahoma City Zoo has exhib­ eight flamingo eggs were pulled from the nursery, the parents continue to ited Chilean Flamingos since 1966, but the nests. feed their offspring. Parents are able to it was not until 1993 that any of the The eggs were to be placed back in recognize their chicks from their calls. birds began nesting. esting did not the nests when the chicks reached the After about five weeks, the chicks are occur until after the exhibit had been air cell or pipped, the first steps in the able to begin feeding on their own, but expanded and renovated and several hatching process. The chicks would usually do not fledge until about 12 new birds were added to the flock. then hatch under the parents and be weeks of age. The new birds brought the population rai ed by them. Midway through Hatching and hand-rearing only a to 23 (12 males 11 females). September, while eggs were still under ingle flalllingo chick can pose a chal­ The exhibit measures approximate­ artificial incubation, the nesting flamin­ lenge. A chick requiring handfeedings ly 100 ft. (30m) by 60 ft. (20m) with a gos abandoned their nests. The fol­ and without other birds to associate 20ft. (7m) by 10ft. (3m) pool. Heavily lowing week, the first chick hatched while growing up would certainly planted flower beds surround most of after a 28-day incubation period. Out become imprinted on people. the exhibit, which provide a comfort of the seven remaining eggs that were Unfortunately, since the plan to place zone between the birds and zoo visi­ pulled, six were infertile and one died the hatching egg back under the adults tors. Dirt mounds were provided for early in development. was no longer possible, the chick the flamingos to use for their nests. In their natural environment, flamin­ would be hand-reared and later intro­ Several pairs began producing eggs in gos nest in colonies. Adult pairs will duced to the flamingo colony. May 1993 and continued to lay typically nest at the same time as other After hatching, the chick was left in throughout the summer. The eggs birds in the colony. Both parents incu­ the incubator for 24 hours to absorb its were initially left in the nest under the bate eggs and care for young. After yolk sac and dry off. The chick was 42 July/August 1997 then moved to a hrooder hox and pro­ Floyd did not associate with any of their exhibit. However, he has since vided with a heat lamp. The brooder the other birds at first, instead prefer­ outgrown his light gray juvenile feath­ box measured 8 ft. x 2 ft. (2.5m x ring the company ofkeepers. But, after ers, and is now barely distinguishable .75m), with dividers 15 in. (45cm) high several days, he began to flock with from the other flamingos. With only a evelY 2 ft. C75m). These allowed the 2.2 African spoonbills Platalea alba, numbered leg band to accurately iden­ boxes to he expanded as the chick which were the largest birds in the tify him, Floyd now appears to be as grew. Outdoor carpet was used on the wintering facility with him. one with the flock. bottom of the hox, which could he After Floyd began showing interest easily cleaned and disinfected. To help in other birds, several attempts were Summary reduce the severity of imprinting, a made to introduce him to the Chilean The first Chilean Flamingo small mirror was placed in the hrood­ Flamingo flock on display. Several Phoenicopterus chilensis to hatch at the er hox, which allowed the chick to introductions were tried on warm Oklahoma City Zoological Park was associate with "another" hird. sunny days through the Winter. also the zoo's first hand-reared flamin­ The chick, named Floyd, was fed a However, the introductions were not go. The chick was raised on a syringe­ gruel that consisted of 4 oz. Cl15g) successful, as neither Floyd nor the fed diet, and soon became imprinted hlended smelt, 4 oz. Cl15g) krill, three flamingo colony showed interest in on people. Through a lengthy process, cooked egg yolks, and 2.5 oz. (70g) each other. the chick was introduced to other birds Gerber® High Protein baby cereal. The next spring, he was moved to and eventually returned to the flamin­ Two vitamin su pplements, Vionate(D the flamingo exhibit to be permanent­ go colony without showing signs of its and D-Ca-Fos®, were added to the for­ ly placed in the colony. A "howdy" initial imprinting. mula. The formula was blended into a fence was set up, similar to what had Acknowledgments semi-thick soup and fed through a been used before. Floyd was allowed To the personnel of the Oklahoma City syringe. Five feedings were given to view the flamingo colony during the Zoological Park: Steve Wylie, Director, jack Grisham, General Curator,jim Fish, Curator, Darcy daily, plus an additional night feeding day, but was brought inside a barn for Henthorn, Neil Carter, Ken Hovey, Doug Latham, for the first three weeks. The chick was the evenings. Floyd remained in the jeff Papp, Eddie Witte, Sea World of Florida and allowed to feed until it was full. For the "howdy" area for about two weeks Busch Gardens. first day, Floyd ate an average of3cc of hefore he was allowed to mingle with Products Mentioned in Text formula per feeding. During the first 30 the colony. D-Ca-Fos® Natural Bone Ash with Vitamin 03 days, Floyd averaged a 5.1% gain in Gradually, Floyd began to flock Supplement produced by Fort Dodge Laboratories, Inc., Fort Dodge, Iowa, weight (Table 2). with the colony, but was still imprint­ 50501 During the third week, a dish with ed on people. To help him learn to Flamingo Fare® produced by Reliable Protein ground smelt, krill and Flamingo associate with other flamingos, several Products, Rancho Mirage, California, Fare® (a commercial flamingo diet) birds from the flock were brought 92270. was offered to the chick in addition to inside with him for the night. This con­ Gerber® High Protein baby cereal produced by Gerber Products Company, Fremont, the syringe feedings. Water was added tinued for several weeks. By early Michigan, 49413. to the dish to soften the food and to summer, Floyd was associated with the Vionate® Vitamin Mineral Powder produced by allow the chick to filter feed. Floyd flock well enough to be left out with it Gimborn-Rich Health, 4280 Northeast gradually became more interested in permanently. Throughout the transi­ Expressway, Atlanta, Georgia, 30340, feeding from the dish than being tion, he gradually became less imprint­ syringe fed. By five weeks of age, he ed on people, and learned how to References del Hoyo, josep, Elliot, Andrew, and Sargatel, was refusing hand-feedings in favor of behave like a flamingo. jordi, eds. Handbook of the Birds of the dish diet. Today, Floyd can still be seen the World Volume 1. Lynx Edicions, As Floyd outgrew the brooder box, among the other Chilean Flamingos in Barcelona 1992. ~ he was introduced to an enclosure used for wintering ibises, spoonbills, and waterfowl. Initially, he was kept in "Quality Leg Ballds With A Worldwide Reputatioll!" the room alone, but as the weather turned cold, other birds had to be PARROT BANDS' COCKATIEL BANDS' LOVEBIRD BANDS' PARAKEET BA DS Since brought indoors for the winter. Rather CANARY BANDS' FINCH BANDS' STAL'ILESS STEEL FEEDING NEEDLES 1978 ALL SIZES PLASTIC BANDS' FEEDING SYRINGES' CLAW SCISSORS than immediately putting Floyd in a BAND CUTTERS' PIPETTES' NETS group of unfamiliar birds, he was placed in a "howdy" area so he and Closed Month "New" the other birds could gradually of July become acquainted with each other. A Stainless Steel Send self addressed stamped section of the room was fenced off Parrot Bands envelope for brochure! with chicken wire, allowing Floyd to L & M Bird Leg Bands ~ see the other birds, but not interact P.O. Box 2943 • San Bernardino, CA 92406 Dept: :·;:"X~:·····:, • with them. After a few days, Floyd was Phone: (909) 882-4649 • Fax (909) 882-5231 allowed outside of the "howdy" cage.
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