The Fort Worth Zoo has a first: the birth of three Toco toucan chicks. The Toco toucans, one male and two females, hatched on June 24 and 25.
The three chicks join their mother and father in the stone bird house, which sits just beneath Raptor Canyon at the 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.
The Fort Worth Zoo participates in a Toco toucan breeding program with other North American zoos to maintain a healthy, self-sustaining population of this species to help prevent its extinction.
www.fortworthzoo.org