Have you spotted our flamboyance of greater flamingos protecting something precious…?

Keepers have discovered at least eight eggs in their nests!

Keep your eyes out for the nests next time you’re at the zoo as they are quite the sight. Flamingos usually lay one egg, but occasionally two, and the gestation period for the greater flamingo is between 27-31 days. This species usually build cone shaped nests out of mud, but if they are nesting on rocky islands, their nests may just be a small pile of stones.

When chicks first hatch they have pale grey down, which is soon replaced by a second, darker coat of down. They fledge at between 65 and 90 days old. Flamingos feed their chicks with ‘flamingo milk’ which is produced in their crop. This milk is similar to mammal milk, but is produced by both male and female flamingos. They may only feed their chicks once every few days where their feeding area is distant from their breeding area.