Baby vulture overlooked in giraffe frenzy
I found this news in the nets… A very good news indeed for the conservation of the species. Kudos to the Zoos..
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Baby vulture overlooked in giraffe frenzy
A Eurasian black vulture chick has hatched at The Living Desert — the only such chick to hatch in captivity this year in the United States, zoo officials announced Friday.
Liz Hile, the zoo’s curator of animals, said it is an endangered species, as most vulture species are at this point.
The chick hatched May 16, when so much attention was focused on the birth of the zoo’s baby giraffe, Maliki.
The vulture is now out of the nest and flying in its enclosure, said Peter Siminski, director of conservation and education.
“They have a 10-foot wing span and weigh 15 to 20 pounds. That’s huge for a flying bird,” Siminski said.
Vultures grow quickly. The chick is now a juvenile, almost as big as its parents, he said.
There are thought to be fewer than 4,000 black vultures in the world, according to the zoo. Black vultures are severely threatened due to hunting, poisoning and habitat destruction, much like their North American counterpart, the California condor.
Zoo officials don’t know the sex of the chick, but soon will be giving it a blood test to find out, Siminski said.
Before the chick “fledged,” or left the nest, its parents shared parenting responsibilities, Hile said.
“The male is ‘Mr. Mom,’” she said, “appearing to do most of the work, from building the nest to sitting on the egg and feeding the chick.”
A rare Eurasian black vulture has hatched at the Living Desert, zoo officials said Friday. It is the only such chick to hatch in captivity this year in the U.S. (Courtesy of the Living Desert)
Eurasian black vulture facts
Both sexes look alike. Males are often smaller than females.
They are found in the mountainous areas of Spain, the Himalayas of India and Tibet, east to northeast Mongolia and Sudan, and occasionally in southern China, northern India, and on Mount Everest.
Usually pairs breed for life. A single egg is laid per mating.
They feed on medium- to large-sized carrion and occasionally hunt live prey, such as lizards and tortoises. In captivity, they eat a meat-based diet made for zoo animals and small rodents and fowl.