The arrival of the newest residents at the Fort Worth Zoo brought a small piece of history with them.
Three Toco toucan chicks that hatched in late June are a first-ever toucans to hatch at the zoo as part of a breeding program that fights extinction of the species.
The chicks’ mother and father also live at the Fort Worth Zoo. They’ll make home in the stone birdhouse behind Raptor Canyon in the zoo’s southern half.
From the Fort Worth Zoo:
Found in several South American countries, the Toco toucan is the largest member of the toucan family. Its bright coloration helps the bird camouflage into the fauna within its habitat. Though the Toco toucan appears to have blue eyes, its black eyes are actually encircled by a thin layer of blue skin. After several months, the young Toco toucans’ beaks will eventually grow to be almost 8 inches long.
