Penguin Chick Hatches Out at Birdland
Delighted keepers are celebrating the successful hatching of a Humboldt penguin chick at Birdland Park and Gardens.
The chick, which hatched last month at the Cotswolds wildlife attraction, is the first to have hatched out this year and is doing well.
Birdland is home to a colony of captive-bred Humboldt penguins who live alongside England’s only group of king penguins.
Head Keeper Alistair Keen said: “We’re very pleased with how the chick’s progressing. A couple of years ago we created a series of nesting sites within the rockwork of their display and it has definitely worked as we’re expecting more eggs to hatch out soon.
“We also have a pair of king penguin eggs which we have decided to place in an incubator to help ensure they will also hatch out,” he added.
The Humboldt is a South American penguin, which can be found in and around coastal Peru and Chile.
The penguin gets its name from the cold water current it swims in, which was discovered by the explorer Alexander von Humboldt.
Humboldt penguins reach a maximum height of 70cm and weigh up to 6kg.
In the wild the penguins are under threat from climate change, overfishing and the acidification of the oceans.
They are now officially listed as ‘Vulnerable’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature which means they are at immediate or imminent risk of becoming endangered.
With its combination of woodland, riverside and gardens, Birdland features more than 500 birds, ranging from birds of prey and parrots to cassowaries and cranes in a mix of free-flying and aviary displays.
Explore Gloucestershire
25 June 2020
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