At Tama Zoo, the flamingo enclosure experiences its annual breeding season around springtime. In 2014, the first eggs were laid in early March, and in August, 27 chicks filled the enclosure with excitement.

Around December, prior to breeding season, the greater flamingos begin their courtship displays, and this time we'll talk about the pairing dynamics of these flamingos.

Flamingos perform several types of courtship displays. These include "flag waving," where they shake their heads from side to side; "saluting," where they spread their wings and bow their heads; and "marching," where they march in unison. The flamingos repeat these courtship behaviors in groups, and once a pair is formed, they mate and begin searching for a nesting site. The flamingos that do not find a mate continue to perform the displays diligently until they win over a suitable partner.

We tracked how flamingo pairs are formed year by year, and some interesting results emerged.

At our park, we use numbered colored rings on the legs of our flamingos to manage each individual animal.

Some pairs, like male green 22 and female red 29, have remained together for 15 years since 1999 without changing partners, showing great camaraderie. On the other hand, female yellow 30 is more fickle, pairing with a different male every year. This demonstrates that each individual has a distinct way of forming pairs.
Furthermore, in 2014, the oldest male (estimated 55 years old), Green 20, successfully paired with a 4-year-old female (White 47), who was 51 years younger, and they were blessed with chicks for the first time in several years. I'm so envious!

There are various theories about pair formation in the wild, but it is generally believed that birds often pair with different partners each year within flocks of tens of thousands of birds. In captivity, unlike in the wild, the number of birds in a flock is limited and the members do not change much, so it is possible that birds like Green 22 and Red 29 may pair with the same partner for many years.

Preparations for next year's breeding season have already begun. Maintaining a safe and secure environment for the flamingos, not just during the breeding season but year-round, is key to their success. Therefore, the caretakers pay close attention to every detail, from the area they work in to how they speak to the flamingos and how they keep an eye on them, as they prepare for the breeding season.

And next year, we hope that as many pairs as possible will be able to raise chicks, and that Green 20 will continue to find younger mates, and the staff will do their best to help that happen.

Top photo: The oldest male, Green 20 (center)
Photo below: Numbered coloring for individual identification.

[Yoon Young-soo, Tama Zoo]

(September 19, 2014)