This Same-Sex Flamingo Couple Are Raising a Chick in an English Zoo

A male same-sex flamingo couple have hatched and are raising an adorable chick at the Paignton Zoo in southwest England.

The chick is one of several South American Chilean flamingo chicks to hatch at the zoo this summer, marking the first such event since 2018.

The chicks are the offspring of various flamingo couples, including the same-sex pair Curtis and Arthur, who were named by the public earlier this year.

While it is unclear exactly how Curtis and Arthur came to care for the chick, the zoo offered a possible explanation in a statement.

“Regarding the same-sex parenting, we aren’t entirely sure how this has come about, although it is a known phenomenon in Chilean flamingos as well as other bird species,” said Pete Smallbones, Curator of Birds at Paignton Zoo.

“The most likely scenario is that the egg was abandoned by another couple, and this pair have ‘adopted’ it,” he suggested.

Flamingo eggs hatch after an incubation period of approximately 28 days, during which both parents take turns incubating the egg on a mud pile nest. The chicks, covered in grey downy feathers, look quite different from their adult counterparts.

Unfortunately, Chilean flamingos are declining in the wild due to several factors, including egg-harvesting, disturbance from tourism, and habitat degradation caused by mining.

“We are pleased at the success of this year’s breeding programme so far. It’s a testament to the skill and hard work put in by the Bird Team and we are hopeful that we may see more eggs hatch over the coming days and weeks,” said Smallbones.

Same-sex behaviours are not uncommon in nature and have been documented in more than 1,500 species, including monkeys, lions, geese, and toads.

There have also been numerous reports of same-sex bird couples raising chicks, such as Elmer and Lima, a male Humboldt penguin pair at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in New York in 2022.