Flamingo fun in the sun
If you read the literature that has been produced on keeping flamingos happy and healthy it will explain a lot about how much flamingos benefit from exposure to direct sunlight and enjoy spending time in sunny areas of their enclosures. The sudden spell of good weather over the past few days has been really enjoyed the birds. Contented flamingos will sit down, tucking their legs under them, and snooze in the sunshine. Each flock at WWT Slimbridge seems to have its favourite spot for sun-worshipping and this normally means that visitors can get excellent views of the birds. The Chilean flamingos (pictured below) enjoy the grassy area just in front of the "stepping stones" in the South American Pen and if you have time, stand and watch for a little while to see some of the flamingo "soap opera" unravel.
Not only is the sunshine good for flamingo relaxation, it also gets the birds up and about and active; foraging and paddling around in their pools in search of aquatic life (algae, water bugs and insects) that the warm weather allowed to bloom. The lesser flamingos (see photo below) are perhaps the most specialist filter-feeders in the flamingo group, with beaks adapted to sifting from the top few centimetres of the water column. When the weather is nice and warm, this flock of flamingos will come right up to the water nearest the fence of their enclosure, allowing some really close-up views of their bills, such incredible pieces of evolutionary biology, in action.
