USA. Chicks of an endangered bird hatched at a Florida zoo

Two chicks Ammodramus savannarum floridanus they hatched on April 10. They were incubated for 10 days, the Brevard Zoo of Melbourne, Florida, in the United States, told CNN. The young are the children of Peg and Eddie, birds specially “matched” by experts.

The chicks will be cared for by their parents for approximately three weeks before being moved to another aviary where zookeepers will monitor their health. You will not be able to see the young in places open to the public, because in the future they are to go to the natural environment and should not get used to the presence of people.

Such activities of the zoo are intended to increase the population of this bird in its natural habitat.

Ammodramus savannarum floridanus this an endangered subspecies Ammodramus savannarum, which occurs in the dry prairies of south-central Florida. It belongs to the genus ammodramusthe passerelli family (Passerellidae), the passerine order (Passeriformes).

In 2021, only about 100 individuals lived in the wild, Brevard Zoo reported. Last year, the facility released 43 captive hatched birds into the wild.

The birds, which reach almost 13 centimeters in length, are threatened with extinction mainly due to the degradation of their habitats. The subspecies inhabits open prairies in central Florida. As these were converted to agricultural land, the birds lost key elements of their habitat. According to the zoo, another factor causing their depopulation is limited genetic diversity and the associated susceptibility to bird diseases.

Brevard Zoo is a 75-acre non-profit facility in Melbourne, Florida, United States. It is home to over 900 animals representing over 195 species from Florida, but also from South America, Africa, Asia and Australia.