May 15th, 2009

North Carolina's First Lesser Flamingo Hatches Out And Sylvan Heights Is Tickled Pink

Scotland Neck, North Carolina-

Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Park 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 and only two other facilities in the world have hatched chicks in recent years. 

To overcome the challenges in breeding this species, Park General Curator Brad Hazelton designed and built a facility specifically for these 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 over 60 birds, the park houses one of the largest 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 at Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Park, Tuesday through Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and will be open on Memorial Day.  For more information, visit the Park's website at www.shwpark.com or call (252) 826-3186. 

Contact:

Brent Lubbock

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Scotland Neck, NC 27874