Philadelphia Zoo welcomes Caribbean flamingo chick

The Philadelphia Zoo family just got a little bigger—and much more adorable.

The zoo recently welcomed a Caribbean flamingo chick, the first successful hatching of the species in more than two decades. While the chick stands at just 6-inches-tall in its early days, it will eventually grow to approximately 5-feet-tall and transform from a small, gray, fluffy chick to a vibrant pink adult. 

The zoo’s newest addition is getting plenty of love and attention and made its public debut on Wednesday, Aug. 5, on The Philadelphia Zoo’s Facebook Live program, PhillyZoo@2. 

Philadelphians can help name the flamingo chick—selecting from a list of names chosen by zookeepers, people can vote on their favorite through Sunday, Aug. 9, at 5 p.m. Name choices include: Rosado, Alto and Flaco. The three names all have a special meaning from Spanish words. Rosado means “pink.” Alto means “tall” and Flaco mean “slim.” People can vote for their favorite name online at philadelphiazoo.org/flamingo.

“We are so pleased to welcome this new flamingo chick to our growing flock,” said Ian Gereg, the Zoo’s Vice President for Animal Well-Being. “After several years of preparing the flock and their enclosure for successful nesting, we are all very happy to watch the chick’s development under the care of its doting parents.”