THE first fluffy hatchlings of the year have been welcomed to the flock, or more correctly ‘flamboyance’ of flamingos at Chester Zoo.
Fourteen chicks have emerged so far - the first breaking out of its shell on June 29.
With a number of eggs still in the nest keepers are now eagerly awaiting several more hatchlings in the coming weeks.
Flamingo chicks start out life white or grey in colour and look like tiny balls of cotton wool but soon develop their iconic pink feathers, which start to appear at around six months old.
The word flamingo comes from the Spanish and Latin word ‘flamenco’ which means ‘fire’.
Out of the five species of flamingo in the world, the Caribbean birds are known to have the brightest and pinkest plumage of all.
Chester Zoo is now home to more than 100 flamingos in its Caribbean flock and more than 100 flamingos in its Chilean colony.
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