A flock of babies born at Zoo Miami. They're small, fuzzy and peckish. Take a look
Just in time for Mother's Day weekend, several exotic baby birds from unique species in Asia, Africa and tropical regions of the Americas will make their public debuts.
Zoo Miami has been tending to the hatching of a cinereous vulture, a harpy eagle and a pair of Abdim's storks. Most of the new birds can now be seen by the public, but some will spend quality time behind the scenes.
The first of these hatchlings, the cinereous vulture, was born on April 21. The vulture is the largest 'Old-World' vulture and one of the heaviest flying birds, with some growing to more than 20 pounds. In the wild, they live in isolated areas of Europe, Asia, and the Middle East and feed primarily on carrion.
This cinereous vulture is considered near threatened due to poisoned prey, which kills the vultures when they ingest it. Zoo Miami's cinereous vultures, including the new chick, are secluded in an off-exhibit habitat and not visible to visitors.
On April 23, a harpy eagle hatched and is being raised by its parents at the zoo's Amazon and Beyond exhibit. Harpy eagles are the most powerful birds of prey on Earth, with talons the size of grizzly bear claws.
The new chick and its parents can be seen through a CCTV image projected in real time at their habitat.
A pair of Abdim's storks also hatched in the zoo's Wings of Asia Aviary on April 27 and 28. Abdim's storks are among the smallest species of storks, reaching a height of only about 3 feet.
The chicks can be seen in their nest from the public viewing areas in the aviary, where the parents are caring for them.
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