Waiting To Get Their 'Pink' On, 300th Flamingo Chick Hatches At Fort Worth Zoo

FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - There seems to be a bumper crop of birds at the Fort Worth Zoo. Workers announced the successful hatching of its 300th lesser flamingo chick.

It's only March and the bird is the 20th chick to hatch at the zoo so far this year.

The hatching of the chick is no small feat, since lesser flamingos are extremely difficult to breed and reproduce less than any other flamingo species found in U.S. zoos. The success in Fort Worth hasn't gone unrecognized, the zoo's techniques for breeding and raising healthy chicks have been utilized worldwide.

Lesser flamingos are listed as near threatened by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

The flamingo nesting habitat at the Fort Worth Zoo includes heat lamps, a small pool and mirrors to provide the illusion of more birds.

The zoo started their program in 2002 and now boasts the most successful lesser flamingo breeding program in the world.