Wrinkled Hornbill Chicks

On 20th July our female wrinkled hornbill went through the breeding ritual of sealing herself in her nesting box using mud and droppings and then went about incubating her three eggs.

During this phase the female is dependent on the male to bring food to a small opening in the nest. At its peak, the female and chicks were getting through 630 locusts a week, amongst other things.

On 21^st October the female came out of the nest with the first chick. The second chick followed on 3^rd November and the third appeared on 13^th November.

The footage below shows both chicks and adults in their enclosure. The chicks, which are the pair’s first, have already been micro-chipped by Paignton Zoo’s vet team. Their feathers have also been sent off for DNA analysis. 

Paignton Zoo was only one of three collections in the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums to successfully breed wrinkled hornbills last year. 
For more information please visit our blog post about the breeding habits of the wrinkled hornbill.