New Flamingo Habitat Open At Philadelphia Zoo

PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Zoo has opened its newest habitat, and has introduced more than a dozen new birds to the public.

The zoo Saturday held a grand opening of Flamingo Cove.

Flamingo Cove is an outdoor walkthrough aviary featuring one of the zoo’s most popular animals.

Updated features include a large, three-foot deep wading pool that allows the birds to swim, dedicated nesting islands for future breeding, renovated indoor spaces for the animals, and vibrant vegetation.

The zoo’s resident flamboyance of 10 Caribbean flamingos, a species that guests have seen here since 1899, are joined by a brand-new flamboyance of 14 African greater flamingos, which have not been at the zoo for nearly 50 years.

These two species are easily distinguished by their different shades of pink, as the African greater flamingos are much paler than their Caribbean cousins.

Flamingo Cove is no charge with zoo admission or membership.

To celebrate the opening of Flamingo Cove, guests can visit the nearby Shamba yard for a pink lemonade or the Backyard Beer Garden for a boozy version. Both come in a signature souvenir cup, only available through June 30.

For flamingo lovers wishing to take home souvenirs, look for flamingo merchandise, shirts, cups, keychains and more in the zoo gift shops.

"We’re thrilled to offer our guests a new opportunity to get up close to see and hear why a group of flamingos is called a flamboyance! Experiences like these get people excited about the beauty and wonder of the natural world and create memories that last a lifetime," Philadelphia Zoo President and CEO Dr. Jo-Elle Mogerman said. "As we reimagine our campus, we want to excite people to support wildlife in ways that are meaningful to them."

"Philadelphia Zoo has an important legacy with the care of flamingos, and this new habitat continues our work to always improve the care and wellbeing of all animals that call the Zoo home," Vice President of Animal Well-Being Rachel Metz said. "We are so excited to introduce Philadelphia and the region to our new, mixed species flamboyance, and we cannot wait to see their reactions to the flamingos’ new home. It is the perfect way for guests to meet and learn about these animals."

"Flamingos are such unique animals to work with," Assistant Director of Birds Christina O’Donnell said. "They are very social and are constantly engaging with each other. The team is looking forward to participating with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan to manage their population in human care and protect this species. Our fingers are crossed for chicks in the future!"

The Philadelphia Zoo was the first to discover that the flamingos’ vibrant color could be maintained through their diets. Prior to the zoo’s innovations, the color of flamingos under human care often faded to nearly white. With the addition of carrot juice to their diets beginning in 1948, flamingos at the zoo were pink once more. Today, the zoo uses a special flamingo diet that includes a pelleted feed that gives them their bright color.

Joining the flamingos in their habitat are two swan geese, native to Mongolia, and one emperor goose, native to Alaska and parts of Russia. As this habitat evolves, the zoo plans to incorporate additional birds from different species to create a robust avian ecosystem.