One Way Zoos can Decrease Biodiversity

One reason that zoos can decrease biodiversity of Chilean flamingos, is that if there are a couple of Flamingos, there is not a large enough gene pool. There can be genetic mutations in the eggs due to too much inbreeding, and the baby Flamingo will have difficulties living. Many zoos have more than a couple of flamingos which will help to increase the percentage of healthy Flamingos. On the other hand, some zoos have a little population Flamingos since they are threatend, and this can decrease the biodiversity of the Chilean Flamingo. As a result of this, more Chilean Flamingos will die, decreasing the population.     

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilean_Flamingo

http://www.theanimalfiles.com/birds/flamingos/chilean_flamingo.html

http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/animal-bytes/animalia/eumetazoa/coelomates/deuterostomes/chordata/craniata/aves/ciconiiformes/chilean-flamingo.htm

http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/info-books/flamingo/index.htm

http://www.seaworld.org/infobooks/Flamingos/fhatching.html

http://calgaryzoo.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=42&Itemid=52&animalID=196

How Zoos Preserve Chilean Flamingos

One way that zoos preserve the Chilean flamingos bright pink colour, is that they provide/feed food that contain more carotenoids, such as shrimp and fish. This will appeal to the viewers at the zoo. This also appeals to other Flamingos because the brighter the colour of feathers, the quicker mating happens. This will eventually re-populate the Chilean Flamingos. 
That is one way to conserve the Chilean Flamingos.

Another way zoos preserve the Chilean Flamingo, is to create muddy, high pH level ponds for the Flamingo to live in. Flamingos have scaly feet to protect themselves from the pH water. If there is no pH water, they feel out of place and disoriented. Many Flamingos have been know to pass away because their habitat is all wrong, they are not used to it.

And the last way zoos preserve the Chilean Flamingos, is that they lay out mud to make a nest for the baby flamingo eggs. This will help the process of incubation. If there are no nests, many of the eggs would not hatch because the parent could not sit on the egg and keep it warm.  

http://www.seaworld.org/infobooks/Flamingos/fhatching.html

Human Impact on the Chilean Flamingos Habitat

Two reasons humans have impacted the Chilean Flamingo species:

1. The water they live in, is usually polluted by contaminated run-offs, mostly from factories. The organism in the water cannot grow anymore and as a result, flamingos have nothing to eat. Since the Chilean Flamingo is in a narrow niche, it cannot find an alternative diet.       

2. The Chilean Flamingos stay around alkaline waters, and many animals don't, so construction is a big factor on impacting the Chilean Flamingo we may think if the waters get drained it will not affect too many organisms, but it does affect the Flamingos. We may also think that if the Chilean Flamingos go extinct, it won't effect the food chain, but it does. What happens when there is an outburst of algae in the water? All the surrounding micro organisms will die and the fish that eat those micro organisms will too. Now what do the crocodiles, lizards, and turtles eat? There is a chain reaction.



http://www.tournorfolk.co.uk/amazona/AmazonaFlamingoT.jpg

The Level of Risk to the Chilean Flamingos

The Chilean Flamingo is in the (near) threatened category. The main reason why Chilean Flamingos are threatened because of man. Their homes and habitat are destroyed due to construction and the waters that they live in are drained, polluted or fragmented (broken up).In the past, their tongues were rare, pickled delicacy and their feathers were wanted because of the bright vibrant colours.

Today, the Chilean Flamingos are carefully monitored, checked for dangerous diseases and their movement is tracked too. There are strict rules about anti-pollution and are enforced in the habitat of the Chilean Flamingo.They are protected by the Migratory Bird Act of 1918, which means they cannot be pursued, hunted, taken, captured, killed or sold. And the eggs, feathers or nests cannot be taken either.



http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/69/Chilean_Flamingo-Adelaide_Zoo.jpg

Species at Risk Definitions

Extirpated: A species that has become extinct in one area at least, but still exists in other area(s)

Endangered: A species whose numbers are so small it is at risk of becoming extinct or extirpated if extensive measures to protect it are not undertaken

Threatened: A species that is likely to become endangered if not protected in some way

Special Concern: A species that is not endangered or threatened but extremely uncommon or has unique or highly specific habitat requirements



http://www.surfbirds.com/media/gallery_photos/20081224110139.JPG

The Chilean Flamingos Niche

The Chilean Flamingo lives in South America and they typically like to stay in shallow alkaline water (high pH), brackish water. This water is saltier than fresh water, but not as salty as sea water. The area around this water is desert like because of the alkaline water.
They usually eat aquatic invertebrates, diatoms and algae. Many of these organisms are found in the alkaline water. 
Because of the Chilean Flamingos habitat, it does not interact with too many animals due to the fact that they live in higher pH waters.
When the weather gets cooler, the Chilean Flamingo likes to stand on one leg and pull up the other one. This helps them keep warm and it is said that this is the most comfortable position for them.
The Chilean Flamingo has a narrow niche because it only likes to eat the little organisms in the water. If the water becomes polluted or contaminated and little organisms die, the Chilean Flamingo has nothing else to eat, and they will starve to death.

The Chilean Flamingo does not live in one specific place,therefore I cannot provide a latitude and longitude. But this map highlights (the brown) the areas where they do live. Majority of them live in South America.











http://www.theanimalfiles.com/birds/flamingos/chilean_flamingo.html

A Behavioural Adaptation in a Chilean Flamingo

Behavioural Adaptation of the Chilean Flamingo

1. The Chilean Flamingo is not born pink, they are born white, but their diet contains carotenoid pigments which cause their feathers to grow with a pink pigment. Scientist say that this adaptation is based how successful breeding is. The brighter the colour, the more successful in making offspring. This is an advantage to some Chilean Flamingos because they can find a mate relatively quickly.  

  
http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2009/06/13/alg_flamingos.jpg

Structural Adaptations of the Chilean Flamingo

The structural adaptations of the Chilean Flamingo:

1. Chilean Flamingos feed with their bills upside-down. They put their heads in the water and filter feed. They have little hairs on the top half of their bills which act as a filter to clean the water they drink. This is a adaptation because if the flamingo drinks unclean water they could possibly die or get very ill. 

2. When a baby Flamingo is born, it is fed crop milk, a secretion of the upper digestive tract for the first days of its life. This helps the baby grow strong and healthy. After the baby is big enough, they leave the nest and make a group called creches. They are now able to find food on their own and provide for themselves.  

Physical Differences in Chilean Flamingos

Differences between the Chilean Flamingos:

1. The colour of pink they are, is a continuous trait because there are so many tints and shades of pink that you can't group certain flamingos by their colour.

2. How far the black extends on their beaks, is a continuous trait because it depends on how long their beak is, which can determine the length of the black. 

3. How long their legs are, is a continuous trait because there are baby Flamingos, adult and elderly Flamingos.There all different heights within an age group.  

4. Their weight, is a continuous trait because some of them eat more than others and some are just smaller in general.

5. Their height, is a continuous trait because it depends on how tall the parents are, and every Flamingo is different, so there is a wide range on how tall the Flamingos are.

6. How long their the necks are is a continuous trait because there is so many factors that could change neck length,like genetics, and not every Flamingo has the same genes so there are so many possibilities of neck length.

7. Wing span, is a continuous trait because it depends on how big the Flamingo is, and if they are all different sizes that means that there are many lengths of wing spans. An adult Flamingo wouldn't have the same wing span as a baby Flamingo.

8. The size of their body (torso),is a continuous trait because it all depends on the weight of the Flamingo because most of the weight is concentrated on the torso, so if they weigh a lot then the torso must be pretty big. 

9. The angle the beak bends at is a discrete trait because the beak can only bend so much and if it's bent at, for example, 90 degrees there must have been a birth defect.

10. The amount of black feathers they have is a discrete trait because some Flamingos don't have them and some do. There are only 2 options.


http://www.theanimalfiles.com/images/chilean_flamingo_1.jpg