The Fort Worth Zoo says 17 threatened lesser flamingo chicks were hatched at the zoo over the last month and that more are on the way.
The zoo said the chicks, which are born a fluffy white or gray, will get their characteristic pink feathers by age 3 or 4 thanks to their diet. For now, the zoo said the chicks are receiving around-the-clock feedings and care from keepers and their parents, out of public view and away from the Flamingo Bay habitat.
According to the Fort Worth Zoo, "lesser flamingos are extremely difficult to breed under human care and reproduce less than any other flamingo species found in U.S. zoos." The zoo said they have the "most successful lesser flamingo breeding program in the world, with the hatchings of 382 chicks (so far) since the program began in 2002."
The zoo said they had little breeding success at their previous flamingo habitat but after making adjustments, including the addition of a heating lamp, small pool and mirrors to make it look like there were more birds, they welcomed their first hatchling.
Get DFW local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC DFW newsletters.
"And at that point, the zoo's lesser flamingo 'love shack' was created," the zoo said.
Lesser flamingos are listed as near threatened by IUCN, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, the zoo said, primarily due to habitat alteration. The zoo said their breeding efforts are "incredibly important to create a long-term, self-sustaining population of these birds in U.S. zoos."
