Fifteen flamingo chicks have hatched at Chester zoo since July, with more set to arrive.

The first of the Caribbean flamingo chicks broke out of its shell on July 1, delighting visitors in the zoo's walk-through Latin American Wetland Aviary.

With a number of eggs still on the nest being carefully incubated by the adult birds, many more tiny arrivals are expected in the coming days and weeks.

"It's always a joy when flamingo chicks hatch, but for visitors to see this happening right in front of them in the walkthrough aviary is something really special," said Jonathan Bielby, assistant bird team manager.

The new chicks are currently grey or white in colour, with soft down feathers that resemble little balls of cotton wool.

The new chicks are currently grey or white in colour (Image via: Chester Zoo)

At around six months old they'll start to develop pink feathers - the brightest of all the world's flamingo species.

Each chick is being cared for by a different flamingo pair, as the species is monogamous and typically raises only one chick per year.

Jonathan added: "The chicks look like tiny cotton balls on legs at the moment, and they tend to stay close to their parents in the first few days.

"Before long though, they'll become confident on their legs and begin wandering further and even start taking cautious steps into the water for the first time.

"We're keeping a close eye on the eggs still to hatch, so the flock is likely to grow even more in the coming days and weeks - which is always an exciting time for the team."

The zoo's total number of Caribbean flamingo now amounts to more than 140 birds with the new arrivals - making it one of the largest in the UK.

Conservationists say breeding programmes like this are key to protecting species in decline.

Chester Zoo's Latin American Wetland Aviary opened in 2023, allowing visitors to walk among some of South America's most beautiful and threatened bird species in a space that mimics their natural wetland habitat.