The Los Angeles Zoo has a new animal experience called the "Flamingo Mingle" where guests can now get an up close and personal encounter with a group of juvenile Greater Flamingos.
The encounter is held daily except for every second and fourth Thursday and are available at 11am, 12pm, and 2pm. There is limited space at the encounter which makes for a very personal experience. The staff is super friendly and will answer all your flamingo questions like how they filter water with their beaks, how they groom themselves, and how they change as they mature.
This group of juveniles were born at the LA Zoo and each one has a Harry Potter name including Potter, Hermoine, Weasely, Dobby, and Dumbledore. Dobby has a fund time grooming me and try to eat some of my hair. We sat on a bench in the exhibit and were given a cup of krill water. The flamingos took turns coming to each of our cups and sticking their head deep inside to slurp up their breakfast. It was an amazing thing to watch! Their beaks open and close so fast it looks like the water in the cup is vibrating and you can see a soft part under their chin filling up with water and then pushing back out. Flamingos strain the water much like a whale strains krill with their baleen.
Because these guys were just juvenellies they were a lot lighter with specks of grey still hiding under their light pink feathers. Their beaks were especially beautiful with pink and silver swirling together like a marble. Riley was a little nervous during the feeding but got over his fear and really enjoying being so close to them. It was a great experience and definitely recommend it when visiting the LA Zoo. Tickets don't include admission. To get your Flamingo mingle tickets click HERE.
Check out the video below to see our Flamingo Mingle Experience!
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