In the Moscow Zoo, hatched chicks of rare Dalmatian pelicans listed in the International Red Book as close to the threat of extinction, according to the website of the mayor of the capital on Tuesday, April 27.
You can see the chicks in the “Birds and butterflies of the tropics” pavilion. In June, they will follow their adult relatives into the Swamp outdoor enclosure, where they will learn to swim and fish.
“When they were born, they only weighed about 100 grams. A month later, the body weight of the older one exceeded one kilogram, the younger one is catching up with him. Both are healthy, active, with curiosity exploring the nest, parents and everything that they can reach. One of the chicks is already trying to get up, but it is too early for him: the paws are not strong enough, ”said Svetlana Akulova, general director of the zoo.
So far, newborns do not look like adult relatives: they are several times smaller, and the body is covered with grayish-brown down. They will acquire white plumage at the age of one year, and by the age of three, the adolescent molt will finally be completed. By this time, curly feathers will appear on their heads, thanks to which the species got its name.
It is noted that in Russia, curly pelicans can be found only in a few regions, in particular, in the delta of the Kuban, Volga and Terek rivers. They go to winter in warm countries. They nest in small colonies, often with pink pelicans.
In nature, their numbers are decreasing due to pollution and drainage of rivers. According to zoologists, there are currently about 12 thousand representatives of these birds in the world.
In December last year, chameleon gonocephals (forest dragons), listed in the International Red Book, hatched for the first time in the Moscow Zoo. The animals were brought to the zoo from Indonesia.
Before that, only one case of the appearance of cubs in captivity was known in the world. They were born to reptiles from the Kharkov Zoo.