4 Flamingo Chicks Hatch At Brookfield Zoo Chicago

BROOKFIELD, IL — Brookfield Zoo Chicago on Monday announced the hatching of four American flamingo chicks.

Two of the birds hatched on July 26, one on July 28, and the youngest on Aug. 7.

All four chicks, whose genders are yet to be determined, are under the expert care of the zoo’s animal care staff and are being housed behind the scenes, but guests will be able to see them soon, according to a Brookfield Zoo news release.

Beginning next Monday, the young birds can be seen daily through the Penguin Encounter room window from 12:30 to 1 p.m., where they will engage in exercise and water play, the release said.

Then, in early September, the zoo said its staff would take the birds outdoors on the South Mall for their daily sessions, also from 12:30 to 1 p.m. These activities are important for the chicks to build the strength and confidence needed to join the larger flock, according to the news release.

When the chicks are about 2 months old, zoogoers will be able to see them daily at The Swamp along with the older flamingos who arrived at the zoo last year, the release said.

"We are thrilled to welcome more American flamingos to our family of aquatic birds," Cody Hickman, associate director of avian care, said in the zoo's statement. "Our goal is to continue breeding and hatching chicks to establish a large flock, mirroring their social groups in the wild."

Zoo guests can expect to see downy, gray-feathered chicks with their distinctive pink feathers coming in gradually as they mature, the zoo said.

Native to the Caribbean Islands, South America’s northern coastline, and the southeastern United States, flamingos are social birds typically living in large flocks, the zoo said. Fully grown by age 2, they can reach up to 5 feet tall with a similar-length wingspan, according to the release.