Flamingo Same-Sex Couple Hatch an Egg Together
The Paignton Zoo in Devon has announced the births of a number of Chilean flamingo chicks, including one tended to by two dads, Curtis and Arthur. The zoo doesn’t know exactly how this happened.
“Regarding the same-sex parenting, we aren’t entirely sure how this has come about, although it is a known phenomenon in Chilean flamingos as well as other bird flocks,” Pete Smallbones, the zoo’s Curator of Birds, said in a statement. “The most likely scenario is that the egg was abandoned by another couple, so this pair have ‘adopted’ it.”
Chilean flamingos (Phoenicopterus chilensis) live in brackish or alkaline shallow lakes across South America. Their numbers have been declining in the wild as they are threatened by egg-harvesting poachers, disturbances to their habitats caused by tourism, and environmental degradation due to mining. The species is designated “near threatened” by the IUCN.
At least three other (straight?) couples – Florence and Flame, Frenchie and Del, and Flossie and Lando – have also brought new hatchlings into the world, and there are apparently more on the way. The parents, as with Curtis and Arthur, were all named by zoo visitors and enthusiasts.
“We are pleased at the success of this year’s breeding program so far,” says Smallbones. “It’s a testament to the skill and hard work put in by the Bird Team and we are hopeful that we may see more eggs hatch over the coming days and weeks.”
Photo credit: Paignton Zoo
