British wildlife park welcomes birth of adorable flamingo chick after its older brother escaped to France

A rare Caribbean flamingo chick has hatched at a renowned Cornwall reserve, marking the third successful birthing in the site's history after the new chick's brother escaped to France late last year.

The fluffy white newcomer arrived overnight last week at Paradise Park Wildlife Sanctuary in Hayle, spotted peering out from beneath its mother's wing by early Thursday morning.

Curator David Woolcock described the arrival as "wonderful news," noting that by 7.30am on Thursday, "it was already looking out from beneath its mum's wing".

The young bird is currently being raised by both parents on their mud nest within the park's flamingo lagoon.

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The chick joins two older siblings who have already made their mark at the sanctuary - Derek hatched in 2019 and was raised by hand, while Frankie arrived in 2025 and was reared by her parents before making headlines with a dramatic escape.

Despite being restricted, Frankie made a break and flew to France last November, with her final confirmed sighting in Finistère in December.

Becky Waite, head of softbills at the park, said: "Frankie captured our hearts and grew into a fine young bird.

"This year we hope the new chick will do the same, but we will, of course, do things differently so she stays with the flock."

Ms Waite explained that flamingo chicks are visible from the moment they hatch, unlike other bird species.

"When a flamingo chick hatches it is not hidden in a nestbox or hut, they are visible on the nest mound from day one, so it's not surprising that all the staff become attached to the new arrival very quickly", she said.

Park director Alison Hales added that the sanctuary's humble flamingo population makes each hatching a noteworthy milestone.

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She said: "Visitors can get really close to the lagoon where the birds build their nests out of mud, so they become fully engaged in the whole laying, incubating and hatching process which happens over the summer months."

A webcam also allows the public to monitor progress remotely.

The parents nourish their offspring with crop milk, a nutrient-rich red liquid delivered directly into the chick's beak during its crucial early weeks, before it transitions to adult food.

If development proceeds as expected, the youngster should strengthen its legs and begin exploring beyond the nest within days.

Caribbean flamingos face threats from habitat destruction and human disturbance across their native range in the Americas, though reintroduction programmes have succeeded where habitats have been restored.

The species forms lasting pair bonds with both parents sharing feeding duties, and the iconic birds can reach breeding maturity at age six, and live to 40 years.

Interestingly, their distinctive pink colouring develops from carotenoid pigments in their diet, rather than being present at birth - hence why the newborn hatched white.

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