Three rare southern bald ibises hatched

Animal news | 6 August 2024

There is some very good news from our bird zone, where three southern bald ibises hatched in May and June. As our young and inexperienced parent birds have so far not succeeded in rearing their chicks, with chicks dying shortly after hatching, this year we decided to hatch the eggs in the incubator and rear the young birds ourselves.  Southern bald ibises are an endangered species and are only present in a small area of southern Africa.

The care and attention of our bird keepers have done the trick: all three chicks are doing well and gaining about 10 grams per day. To begin with, the hatchlings had to be fed six times a day. Three meals a day are now enough, with the menu including small mice and mealworms. Fish will also be added to their diet at a later stage.

As juveniles, the offspring are still covered in fluffy grey plumage. Over time, this is replaced by the typical blue-black feathers, and they develop the bald head and red cap that gives them their name.