SAN DIEGO ZOO GETS FIRST FLAMINGO CHICK IN 14 YEARS.Byline: Associated Press Associated Press: see news agency.Associated Press (AP) Cooperative news agency, the oldest and largest in the U.S. and long the largest in the world. Who says money can't buy love? A $47,000 renovation of a flamingo flamingo, common name for a large pink or red wading bird, similar to the related heron, stork, and spoonbill but with a longer neck, webbed feet, and a unique down-bent bill. Flamingos are tropical birds, although large colonies have been observed high in the Andes. lagoon paid off Thursday as the first chick in 14 years was hatched at the San Diego San Diego (săn dēā`gō), city (1990 pop. 1,110,549), seat of San Diego co., S Calif., on San Diego Bay; inc. 1850. San Diego includes the unincorporated communities of La Jolla and Spring Valley. Coronado is across the bay. Zoo's romantic hideaway for the pink birds. The bird broke out of its shell about 3:30 p.m. and is expected to be swimming in the lagoon within five days. Ten more eggs are expected to hatch over the next few weeks, said zoo spokeswoman Georgeanne Irvine. The fuzzy, gray-down hatchling was being cared for by its parents, who also took turns sitting on the egg for 27 days. The normal gestation period Gestation period In mammals, the interval between fertilization and birth. It covers the total period of development of the offspring, which consists of a preimplantation phase (from fertilization to implantation in the mother's womb), an embryonic phase for flamingos is 28 days. ``The parents are taking turns keeping the chick warm,'' Irvine said. ``Then they also feed it with regurgitated food.'' Zoo officials renovated the lagoon, just inside the main entrance, to improve their flamingos' fertility. The job was completed Feb. 26. ``We have been trying for years, and finally the bird people got the funding and the ideas together,'' Irvine said. ``We absolutely attribute this to the changes we made.'' New features included a nesting island, a white sandy beach Sandy Beach (location ) is on the South Shore of Oʻahu in Hawaiʻi. It is known for its shorebreak for bodyboarding and bodysurfing. The area is also known for its strong current and dangerous shorebreak. , more palm trees, banana groves, 400 ferns and a waterfall. Keepers also added some colorful flowers to complement the flamingos' pink plumage plumage, of birds: see feathers. . Previous fertility failures have been blamed on the busy zoo entrance distracting the birds and wild foxes believed to have stolen the birds' eggs while roaming the park after dark. |
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