All flamingo species gather their youngsters together
in nursery groups, watched over by ‘babysitters’
while the parents go off to feed and bathe.
As its own filtering mechanism develops,
the chick is fed directly by its parents.
Gradually, over the course of three
to four years, the grey juvenile
plumage changes to the deep pink
of the mature bird.
A pale parent flamingo
mingles within a gaggle
of non-breeding birds.
Colour is integral to
flamingo society; intensity
and brightness of hue
are used by birds to select
partners and to signal
intention to breed. Both
colour and dancing are
required to synchronise
mass breeding attempts.June 2017 55