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Flamingo chicks hatch at Curraghs Wildlife Park

Josh CannIsle of Man
News imageCurraghs Wildlife Park A picture of two grey flamingo chicks - in the background are two larger pink ones Curraghs Wildlife Park
It can take up to two years for the grey chicks to turn fully pink

Four Chilean flamingo chicks have hatched at Curraghs Wildlife Park in Ballaugh, with more still to hatch, in what the park says could be "another fantastic" breeding season.

The chicks are born grey and can take up to two years to develop the pink colouring flamingos are known for.

Flamingos get their colour from pigments in the shrimp and algae they eat, so newly-hatched chicks stay grey for weeks before slowly turning pink.

The Chilean flamingo is classed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List, with the wild population in gradual decline.

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