Some tiny fluffy feet are making big news in Boston! A kori bustard chick hatched at Franklin Park Zoo on August 1, marking the first successful hatch of this remarkable species at the zoo since 2003 — 23 years in the making.
The little female is being raised by the zoo’s dedicated Animal Care team to give her the best chance to thrive, the result of a recommended breeding within the zoo community. She’s already a star pupil: the chick hatched at just 83 grams and has grown past 300 grams, eating well and gaining weight every single day.
Keeping her healthy takes teamwork — and playtime. Keepers visit her throughout the day on a careful exercise schedule, emulating the way wild chicks follow their parents across grasslands and plains. As one keeper explains, that daily movement is essential for the proper development of the legs, muscles and behavior of long-legged birds like kori bustards.
The zoo is home to three adult kori bustards — Onyx the male and females M’Guu and Kibibi. When the chick is old enough, she will move to another institution accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to help sustain this near-threatened species. Native to the savannas of southern and eastern Africa, kori bustards are among the heaviest flying birds on Earth, with adults weighing more than 40 pounds.
Franklin Park Zoo is open daily, and visitors can learn more about these magnificent birds — and cheer for the newest little chick — at the African Experience exhibit area.
Photo: Stephen Temple / Wikimedia Commons.
