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Raising Guam
        Kingfisher Chicks


        Hand-rearing an animal can be necessary for the conserva-
        tion of an endangered species. Before the Guam kingfisher
        completely disappeared from its native habitat, the last
        29 birds were brought to AZA-accredited institutions
        and entered in a breeding program, which Brookfield
        Zoo has participated in since 1988. Thanks to the
        breeding program, there are 146 individuals in zoos today.
        Kingfishers only raise one or two chicks a year, so each
        one is precious.
           Parenting is challenging for many first-time human
        parents; the same is true for parents of other species.
        “Most animals have to learn how to be parents, and
        in the process, you’re going to lose some offspring,”
        said Tim Snyder, vice president of Animal Care for
        the Chicago Zoological Society. For example, kingfisher
        parents may need five to seven days to master the feeding
        of a chick. In the meantime, one or more chicks can be lost.
        “We don’t want to lose those chicks because we need those
        birds to be in the population,” said Snyder.
           “We make sure the first couple of chicks survive by
        assisting them in the nest.” The Bird department staff
        monitor each chick, particularly its weight. If a chick’s
        weight drops or remains the same, staff members feed it.
        “We’re not hand-rearing them, but we’re helping the parents
        learn to be parents—we’re kind of being the grandparents.”
           Staff also step in when two eggs in a clutch both hatch.
        Kingfishers raise only one chick at a time. The second chick
        will usually die from either parental neglect or harassment
        by a stronger sibling. “We’ll take the second egg that was
        laid and we’ll hand-raise that one,” said Snyder. “Sometimes
        the two chicks are switched out every couple of days so
        both chicks benefit from being with the parents. We found
        it didn’t make any difference in breeding success.”
           Humboldt penguin chicks can also require hand-rearing
        by the Bird department staff. In the wild, the birds typically
        care for their chicks until they are about 70 to 90 days old.
        The adults then swim off to sea and leave their young
        to fend for themselves. In their habitat at THE LIVING
        COAST, Humboldt penguin parents can’t swim away
        from their chicks so parenthood is prolonged. To mimic
        the natural cycle and improve the health and welfare
        of the birds, animal care staff take over chick-feeding
        responsibilities when chicks reach a certain weight.          (From top): A Guam kingfisher chick receives nourishment from
        This also allows staff to better monitor chicks' food intake.   a Bird department staff member, who also monitors its weight;
                                                                      an adult bird





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