San Francisco Zoo Celebrates First Flamingo Chick Hatchings in Nine Years

Four Chilean flamingo chicks hatched at the San Francisco Zoo, marking the flock's first successful breeding season in nine years. Zoo officials attribute the breakthrough to recent habitat improvements, including a mesh netting enclosure that allowed the birds unlimited outdoor access and protection from predators and avian flu.

Curator of birds Quinn Brown said the changes, such as adding extra mud, feathers and stones for nest building and installing privacy screens, encouraged natural mating and nesting behavior. The chicks are healthy, feeding on crop milk, and will remain white until their diet causes the plumage to turn pink as they mature.