DNA sexing of Caribbean Flamingos

DNA sexing from blood or feathers is the safest (and surest) way of determining the sex of any bird of any age. Here at the Park we prefer to pluck feathers than draw blood. One of our senior Keepers is responsible for ‘catching up’ the bird/s (in this case two of our Caribbean’s) and plucking three or four down feathers from the chest, placing them in a sealable plastic bag and sending them to be analysed in a specialist laboratory – who then inform us of the sex of the bird/s.

Images taken earlier this morning – Caribbean Flamingos being ‘caught up’ for feather plucking – to be DNA tested – to confirm the sex of the birds.