New Flamingo Exhibit!
African Flamingos at Safari West!
The greater flamingos, Phoenicopterus roseus, are the first African flamingo flock to settle at Safari West and number around thirty five individuals. Safari West acquired the flamingos from a wild caught population originating in South Africa.
Over the last year, the captive population in North America has numbered around 500 individuals with 35 successful hatches. Safari West’s hope is that our new group, which brings the number of North American greater flamingos in captivity up to approximately 535, will create many more successful hatches and contribute to greater genetic diversity among the captive populations in North America.
These colorful birds with their deep pink wings add to the beauty of the landscape at Safari West as they enjoy their striking new habitat. They’ve settled into a lovely lagoon bordering their equally long legged Safari West neighbors, the reticulated giraffes. Guests can view the greater flamingos during their visit to Safari West.
Greater Flamingo background:
- Greater flamingos are pale to medium pink in color with deep pink wings edged with black feathers and a pink splash of color on a light pink bill.
- The largest of the flamingos at just over four feet tall and weighing almost eight pounds, greater flamingos can be found in Africa, northwest India, the western Mediterranean, southern Europe, and the Middle East.
- The greater flamingo is classified as CITES II within the CITES Appendices (www.cites.org) meaning it is a species which is not necessarily threatened with extinction at present, but could become so in the future if appropriate protective measures are not observed.
General Flamingo Information:
- Members of the Order Ciconiiformes, (which also includes ibises, storks, and herons), flamingos have hooked beaks, webbed feet, and plumage that repels water.
- Chicks are usually white or grey and parents range in coloration from pale pink to crimson, depending upon the species.
- They are generally considered to be non-migratory birds, although there are instances where a pattern of migration has been observed in some species.
- Their primary diet in the wild includes blue-green algae, (known as Spirulina), crustaceans, and small insects.
- The pink color of the feathers on adults comes from carotenoid pigments extracted from their food. Females and males share the same coloration.
- Fossil evidence indicates that the group from which flamingos evolved is approximately 30 million years old.
- In the Andes Mountains, fossilized flamingo footprints have been found and have been dated at around seven million years.
For reservations 1-800-616-2695 or email reservations@safariwest.com
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 Photo by John Burgess, Press Democrat |
