Kid Territory:Critters: Our Delightful Delilah
Delilah loves to greet Zoo visitors and bat her long eyelashes (which are really modified feathers) at them. Who can resist such a lovely bird?
Queen of her domain, Delilah has moved to one of the Zoo's show areas where she is learning how to be an animal ambassador.
Hornbills can fly, but Delilah’s wing is clipped so she can’t fly out of the Zoo.
A mouse is more than just food for Delilah. She can toss it in the air, or play tug-of-war with her keeper!
Zoo name: Delilah
Species: Southern ground hornbill
Location: San Diego Zoo
Her story
San Diego Zoo folks are a pretty friendly crew. We’re glad you’re here, and want you to feel welcome. And that’s just speaking for the employees! Our animal collection also boasts a beautiful, tall young lady who runs to greet you, flirts, and even puts on a show she invented all by herself!
Everyone loves Delilah, the Zoo's southern ground hornbill. She’s irresistible! When she tilts her head and bats her long eyelashes you’re hooked. Delilah arrived at our Zoo in 2000 as a youngster, already comfortable with humans. When Delilah was nine months old, she took up residence on Reptile Mesa, sharing an exhibit with large African lizards called white-throated savannah monitors. These unusual roommates got along fine, even though Delilah teased the monitors every day.
An entertaining gal
Twice a day a bird keeper offers thawed mice to Delilah to eat. She catches each mouse with her beak, tosses her head back, and swallows. Sometimes she holds the mouse in her beak while looking flirtatiously at her keeper. Delilah also plays with the Zoo’s staff. She pesters the keepers, following and pulling shoelaces as they rake her enclosure. The bird keepers play "chase" (THEY get chased), and if Delilah is in the mood, she’ll lay down so the keepers can pet her. Delilah is 3 feet (91 centimeters) tall and weighs about 7 pounds (3 kilograms), so this contact is important if she needs to be handled for medical care. She gets suspicious if more than one keeper shows up, yet a single familiar keeper can pet her as usual, then just pick her up and crate or carry her to the Zoo’s hospital if needed.
Where you can see her
Delilah has now entered the world of show business! With her outgoing and playful personality it seemed only natural that she become one of the Zoo's animal ambassadors and is living with other animals used for our special animal shows.
More
Job Profiles: Helping
Visitors, Taking Care of Animals,
Animal Health
Animal-themed recipes: Hornbill
Hoopla
Animal Bytes: Hornbill, Galápagos Tortoise, Lizard
San Diego Zoo:
Nighttime Zoo, Animal Shows
