ESCONDIDO, Calif. (KGTV) — If you visit the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in Escondido, you will notice the flamingos have the same colors as the Padres. That is not the only thing they have in common: The birds actually hang out on mounds made of baseball clay.
"The diamond mound dirt that baseball players are using for that beautiful stadium out there is the perfect kind of soil for our amazing flamingos. It is something we have added to their experience during breeding season. They absolutely love it," said Marco Wendt with the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.
Wendt says the mud helps protect their eggs. Speaking of eggs, this chick hatched about two months ago on Aug. 25. It was raised by two male flamingos.
"In August, we noticed one of our pairs was laying an egg, which was wonderful. At the same time, we had a same-sex pair that we were looking to nest build and showing those same nuisances. Everything another pair would do, minus producing the egg," he added.
The birds typically lay one egg per year. But with the males as foster parents for the chick, the other pair of flamingos were able to raise a second baby.
"Having that ability to foster that egg while producing another egg. We were able to produce six chicks this year," he said.
Wendt says the population of Lesser Flamingos is on the decline in Africa. He says the birds are losing their habitats for a variety of reasons, including climate change. So these two males stepping as foster parents is a step in the right direction and represents a diverse community.
"Coming from the community myself and being a wildlife care specialist for so many years, I want the world to understand the diversity of gender expression and same-sex pairs happens all throughout Mother Nature," Wendt said.
Same-sex pairs are seen among flamingos around the world.
