'Unlucky in love' flamingo lays first egg aged 70

[sl8]

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cyrr8zk1r3zo

"... a flamboyance of [...] flamingos"

'Unlucky in love' flamingo lays first egg aged 70

5 hours ago
Jack Maclean , Neve Gordon-Farleigh



Claudia Gooch, avicultural warden, Pensthorpe
The reserve said the egg was an opportunity for Gertrude to express her maternal instincts

A flamingo who was described as having been "unlucky in love" has laid her first egg at a nature reserve aged 70.

Gertrude is part of a flamboyance of more than 65 flamingos at Pensthorpe nature reserve near Fakenham, Norfolk.

The reserve is awaiting new arrivals of flaminglets, as many of the birds are currently sitting on their nests before their eggs hatch.

Ben Marshall, the reserve's managing director, said: "Flamingos might live 40 years and Gertrude is 70, so [at] that ripe old age to be able to display [maternal] characteristics is amazing."

[...]

[Fla Dem]

1. Congratualtions Gertrude,

Last edited Wed May 22, 2024, 10:38 AM - Edit history (2)

I'm sorry for her, the egg was not viable. But she's become the Grandmother of the flock, so lots of kids to love her.

"It's her first time of laying an egg... it probably won't hatch but for her to be able to display those natural characteristics and to have the enrichment of going through that - it's amazing."

Although the 70-year-old was able to lay an egg, he said it was not fertile or viable.
"Whilst Gertrude won’t have an egg to hatch this year, lots of our other flamingos are due to hatch their flaminglets in a few weeks.

"We know that Gertrude is very protective of the young in the flock and will make a great aunt and babysitter of the impending young!"

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cyrr8zk1r3zo

[AllaN01Bear]

2. i was just going to ask about that. thanks for posting.

[Donkees]

3. It seems that the flamboyance has only recently started laying eggs after 15 years ...

The flock numbers were increased after a renovation, in order to encourage breeding:

We are tickled pink at the arrival of the first flamingo eggs here at Pensthorpe – the first in the 15 years since we have had Greater Flamingo here.

After we welcomed another 20 new birds last year to our previous flock of 29, it was our hope that by becoming a bigger flock they would eventually breed, so we are all thrilled that doubling their numbers has produced this result.

Experts say that the ‘magic number 40’ can help to boost breeding rates amongst flamingos. Simply put, the larger the flock (technically referred to as a ‘flamboyance’), the more likely the birds are to lay!

We have done a lot of work to their enclosure to give them more space and encourage good breeding conditions as part of our Wetland Discovery Area development which opened last summer. The flamingos now reside in a splendid purpose-built habitat, illustrative of tropical lagoons more commonly found in southern Spain. The design for our enclosure includes allowing areas for breeding and specially designed winter quarters.

https://pensthorpe.com/first-ever-flamingo-eggs-pensthorpe/

Gertrude always struggled to find a partner but has now settled down with her newfound love, Gil, aged 37. After a period of flirting, the pairing has led Gertrude to lay her first egg – which is very rare for a flamingo of her age. And has proved, you’re never to old in life to find your mate.

https://pensthorpe.com/gertrude-shes-famous-dont-you-know/

[sl8]

4. Thanks for that. nt

[Donkees]

5. If their living conditions had been improved much sooner, Gertrude would have passed down her great genes.

[GenThePerservering]

6. Yo, Gertrude

robbing the cradle!

"Flaminglets"