One of the world’s most endangered bird species has experienced a much-needed population boost after three chicks were born at Chester Zoo.
The registered charity’s tireless conservation team recently confirmed thy have successfully reared a trio of new-born blue-eyed ground doves, a species only encountered in Brazil that is critically under threat.
Keepers have painstakingly reared the hatchlings with around-the-clock monitoring and hand feeding, bringing the zoo’s residency of the avian species to a total of six. For over seven decades, no solid records of the blue-eyed ground dove existed, but they were rediscovered in 2015.
With only 11 adults now surviving in the wild, the birds face a diverse array of threats ranging from climate change to man-made fires. In early 2025, a team that combined bird conservationists in Brazilian and experts based at Chester Zoo took up the task of incubating a selection of eggs laid in the wild. The aim was to create a zoo population to serve as insurance against extinction.
Head of Birds for the zoo, Andrew Owen, has worked on the project since back in 2019 after he took part in a focused workshop designed to assist the conservation of blue-eyed ground doves. He recently journeyed to Brazil to offer technical support on a collaborative team that included international experts. Accompanying him was Chester’s Lead Keeper for Birds, who helped to hand-rear the chicks.
Owen commented that Chester Zoo felt privileged to help conserve the birds that are currently on the precipice of extinction.
