Hoyerswerda Zoo is currently welcoming several new feathered arrivals: chicks have hatched among the Sunda hornbills, snowy owls, and Manchurian cranes. According to the zoo, all three species are endangered, so these new arrivals are also important for species conservation.
The oldest of the new arrivals are the Sunda hornbills. The chick hatched on May 20 but has only just left the nesting cavity. Hornbills have unusual breeding behavior: During the breeding season, the male seals the female inside the nesting cavity with clay and feeds her through a narrow slit. Only when the chick is large enough is the opening broken open again.
