The greater flamingo breeding season has begun at Tama Zoo. Currently, 105 flamingos are being kept there, which is a healthy number considering past capacities. However, in order to maintain a healthy population in the future, it is necessary to continue breeding and maintain a balanced population with a wide range of generations that have experience in egg-laying and raising chicks. Unfortunately, breeding was unsuccessful the year before last and last year.

The flamingo breeding season begins with them going into estrus, performing group displays, and forming pairs. Once a pair is formed, they begin to act together and mate. After that, they search for a suitable nesting site, and once they find a good spot, they gather soil and lay one egg in a mound-like nesting platform resembling an overturned bucket. The male and female then diligently begin incubating the egg.

As this season approaches, caretakers bring in large quantities of soil, which will serve as nesting material, to suitable nesting sites. However, the original ground is hard, so they till the soil to soften it and prepare it to form small mounds, making it easier to build them. This then activates the flamingos' display, and they begin to touch the soil and lightly gather it. In the past two years, we have been able to observe some group displays, pair formation, and mating, but we have not been able to progress to the stage of nesting and egg-laying.

So this year, in addition to leveling the ground as we've done before, we decided to make several homemade nesting platforms in places that flamingos might like and see how they react. If they like the platform, we hope they'll lay their eggs there with some modifications, or even if they don't like it, we hope it will stimulate their nesting behavior, causing them to dig away the soil and build new nests themselves.

Currently, the group display is gradually slowing down, and pairs are beginning to form. They are showing interest in the nesting platform they have created, and have started to be seen sitting on it, touching the soil around it with their beaks, and sitting down. Fights over territory with other individuals have also begun to be observed in the vicinity.

A pair is formed and mating takes place.	Sitting on the nest platform I made

In the past, once one flamingo lays an egg and begins incubation, it stimulates other pairs, leading to nesting and egg-laying in quick succession. We are eagerly awaiting the first one to appear. Flamingo breeding has not been as successful as hoped, but there are signs of improvement. With hope and anticipation, we will continue to watch over the flamingos, creating an environment where they can lay eggs and raise their young in peace.


Flamingos gathering around the nesting platform
[Tama Zoo Tama Zoological Park]

(February 11, 2022)