Flamingo Key

Welcome to the Flamingo Key exhibit at the Toledo Zoo. This exhibit is home to many different species of shorebirds and water birds that you would encounter in the Caribbean and similar tropical areas of North and South America. Those birds include the Caribbean flamingo, Roseate spoonbill and White stork. This exhibit has a wooden entryway with a swing door for you to enter onto a stone deck that extends into the tall netted area that houses the birds. There is a short railing along the end of the deck.

As you enter this exhibit you may hear many birds squawking or honking at each other. You might notice the sound of wings flapping as they move around the exhibit or at other birds, as well as light splashing of water as they swim or walk through the pond in the center of the exhibit. You may also hear the white storks clacking their bills together to talk to the other storks in the exhibit. Out of all the birds in this exhibit the flamingos are the most vocal with their almost constant chattering at each other.

The main species in this exhibit are Caribbean flamingos. Flamingos have a large body, long legs, a long neck and a small head. These birds are brightly colored with feathers that range from pink to reddish crimson. This coloration also covers their legs and a portion of their bill. The only other colors on a Caribbean flamingo are a small white patch around their eyes that extends onto their bill and the black tips of their flight feathers that create a black stripe on their wings when they fly. Caribbean flamingos also have striking yellow eyes and are considered the most brightly colored of all flamingo species. Flamingos are also known for standing on one foot in the water. Scientists believe flamingos do this to stay warm. By having only one leg in the cold water they reduce the heat lost from their body by tucking their other leg close to their body.

Caribbean flamingos can be found on many of the islands within the Caribbean Sea, as well as on the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico and the northern shores of Colombia and Venezuela. They can also be seen in Southern Florida, mainly around the Everglades and the Florida Keys. Since their range includes North and South America they are also called American flamingos. Within their range you can find them in large colonies as they are extremely social birds. Colonies can consist of a few birds to a couple thousand all sharing space together in shallow lagoons, mudflats and lakes. During breeding season flamingos build cone-shaped mounds of mud with a shallow cup on top for the egg to rest in. Females only lay one egg in a clutch, and the nest shape allows for protection from both the excessive heat of the Caribbean and changing water levels from tides.

Flamingos have an interesting shaped bill. Compared to other birds, theirs looks upside down on purpose. Flamingos are filter feeders. The top of their bill has specialized hairs that help filter small prey from the water. They stick their heads in the water upside down and stir up sediment on the bottom. They then take in water and press their tongue against the top of the bill, squeezing the water out and trapping food like a strainer. Their diet consists of algae, crustaceans and other small aquatic organisms. The food they eat contains carotenoids, which are the pigments that give plants reddish colors and in turn give flamingos their pink feathers. Young flamingos are not born pink but are white or grey and turn pink over time as they eat their diet.

Another brightly colored bird in this exhibit is the Roseate spoonbill. These are medium sized water birds with long skinny black legs, a pale pink football-shaped body with brighter pink shoulders, a long white neck, small red eyes and a long bill shaped like a spoon. These birds are native to coastal regions of the Southeastern United States, Eastern Mexico, Central and South America and the islands of the Caribbean. Within that range, they prefer shallow waters of mangrove swamps, tide pools and other coastal areas. They build nests of sticks and twigs within the trees and shrubs along the water’s edge, giving them close access to food.

The spoon-shaped bill serves a purpose. Spoonbills use their bills to catch food such as small fish, crustaceans, insects, mollusks and other small organisms in the water. They stick their bills in the water and sweep them side to side in long arcs near the bottom, stirring up small whirlpools that trap prey. Sensitive nerves at the end of their bill allow them to snap it shut quickly when it touches prey.

White storks are large birds with white bodies, black primary feathers and rump, long pale red legs, a long white neck, a small head with black eyes and a long red cone-shaped bill.

Their range covers central Europe and Southern Africa. White storks can be found in shallow wetlands, lakes, grassy meadows and farmlands. They are also known for building nests on rooftops in populated areas since they have long adapted to living close to people.

Their cone-shaped bill is perfect for catching food. Their main food sources include insects, worms, frogs, reptiles, fish, crustaceans and small mammals. The sharp tip of their bill allows them to probe deep into mud and dirt for prey. They also use their long bills for fishing by spearing aquatic animals. White storks are also known to clack their bills together to communicate.

Thank you for visiting the Flamingo Key exhibit at the Toledo Zoo. We hope you enjoyed learning more about the birds that call the Caribbean home. Have a great rest of your day here at the Toledo Zoo.