Bird species on 'brink of extinction' sees three hatchlings born at Blackpool Zoo

Blackpool Zoo has successfully hatched and reared three bird chicks, whose species is teetering on the edge of extinction.

The Lancashire attraction described the young blue-crowned laughingthrush chicks as "absolutely vital to the survival of their kind".

Wild populations of the striking songbird have dwindled to between 50 and 250, with some 300 in zoos and nature reserves - placing them among the world's most critically threatened bird species.

In a conservation effort to restore the species to safe numbers, an additional 48 chicks have been hatched across the globe over the past year.

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Bird parents, Rupert and Melody, shared incubation duties throughout the 14-day period before the chicks hatched on April 25.

Since then, the pair have worked together to rear their young.

Despite their small size, the species possesses remarkably powerful vocalisations and produces beautiful melodies, according to the zoo.

Luke Forster, Deputy Section Head at Blackpool Zoo, said: "These stunning birds are some of the most endangered on the planet, and the three chicks will play a critical role in the survival of their species.

"All work carried out in zoos and collections across the world will help our colleagues working tirelessly on in-situ conservation programmes."

The species faces extreme threats from ingrained cultural practices involving wild songbird consumption across their natural habitat of Asia.

Mr Forster added: "With a total population of less than one thousand individuals, they are in real danger of becoming extinct due to excessive and strongly culturally rooted consumption of wild songbirds for trade, competitions, pets, export, traditional medicine and food.

"We introduced the Blue-crowned laughingthrush, along with several other species of highly endangered songbirds, in 2019 as part of our support for the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Silent Forest campaign."

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The zoo said it is "dedicated to raising awareness of the plight of songbirds in Asia".

Blackpool Zoo also houses the Bali myna - another critically endangered species with just 50 specimens surviving in their natural habitat.

"It has been wonderful to watch Rupert and Melody raise the three chicks, and I am looking forward to listening to all five of them singing their hearts out all summer", Mr Forster said.

Laura Gardner and Colleen Lynch, Curator of Birds at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden in the US, are co-convenors of the Blue-crowned laughingthrush Global Species Management Plan.

The team at Blackpool Zoo worked closely with Laura to identify a suitable breeding pair.

She said: "The heartbreaking reality for this species is that it is in real danger of becoming extinct if efforts to save them don’t work.

"The breeding programme in zoos and other collections is vital to ensure there are enough genetically suitable groups to learn from and to reintroduce into the wild.

"Parent reared birds are particularly important as they will learn all the correct behaviours from their upbringing, which will help them when it comes to having their own young in the future.

"Blackpool Zoo is one of our many shining examples of UK zoos that are working tirelessly to help this, and many other, endangered songbirds."

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