Forget about over-easy, scrambled or sunny side up. Mary McFarland likes her eggs to talk.

"This is my favorite stage - the talking egg," the birdkeeper said as she checked on the Oklahoma City Zoo's future flamingo flock.

A faint peeping came from an egg about the size of a baseball, signaling it was time to head to the "hatcher." McFarland placed the egg in a warm, humid compartment. Within 24 hours after it "pips," the tiny flamingo should be out of its shell.

"They come out all wet and sticky like a baby," McFarland said.

The recent hatch at the zoo was the third since zookeepers brought in 20 flamingo eggs from Florida earlier this month. They hope to use the eggs to increase the size and productivity of the zoo's Caribbean flamingo flock, said Darcy Henthorn, curator of birds.

"They do a lot of courtship," Henthorn said. "If you can get the numbers up - which we are going to do - we're going to have more productivity."

Henthorn and McFarland traveled to Miami, Fla., to get the eggs as part of a project with the national Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The eggs are harvested from a semi-wild flock at Hialeah Race Track. Keepers from Miami Metrozoo collect about half the eggs laid by the flock and give them to member zoos. The Oklahoma City Zoo had been on a waiting list since 2003.

"This program has been going on for years," Henthorn said. "We happened to be fortunate enough to be in line this year with three other zoos to get eggs."

The zookeepers left Oklahoma City early July 7 for a "whirlwind trip," Henthorn said. Miami zookeepers estimated most of the eggs were midterm in incubation.

"There have been incidences with zoos getting the eggs down there over the years and they'll hatch out on the plane," Henthorn said. "Now, we didn't have that happen to us. It would have been quite amusing."

A fowl task

McFarland said the zoo's bird team is ready for the challenge of caring for the tiny birds. They decorated the hallway with flamingo post cards and figurines.
After the eggs hatch, the team will have to feed the birds five times a day. Birds are fed a "seafood smoothie" through a syringe.

As they develop, they will be exposed to the flock and will be "walked" by the zookeepers. Keepers take the birds to a field and start walking.

"They will just follow the thing that is moving," McFarland said.

The flamingos will not be on public display until about eight weeks after the last egg hatches. Four of the eggs had hatched by Thursday afternoon, zoo officials said.

Source: Nathan Altadonna, The Oklahoman
Contact: Tara Henson, Zoo Public Relations
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