Crested Coua Chick

November 30, 2012

Julie Larsen Maher © WCS

We're excited to introduce you to our recently hatched crested coua. This species of cuckoo hails from Madagascar and is rarely spotted on American soil: fewer than forty of these birds reside in American zoos.

With its beak wide open, our new crested coua chick greets the world. The tiny hatchling is special in more ways than one: for starters, this avian species has only been successfully reared in four U.S. zoos. Its appearance is striking, too, with target-like markings inside its beak that are thought to assist parents in feeding offspring. While the bird is not yet on exhibit, you can meet other Madagascar natives, including a group of black-and-white ruffed lemurs, in the Tropic Zone.