Lucky Chick
Posted at 12:36 pm July 10, 2006 by Nerissa Foland
The stork has arrived, and it's a baby…. stork! A few months ago, nestled deep inside the Marsh Aviary in the San Diego Zoo's Tiger River, a milky stork hatched and began to grow. Since he was tucked away in a nest at the very top of a tree not visible from the public walkway, he's been keeping himself a secret from our guests, but not for much longer! Lately, keepers have seen him out of the nest and exploring his surroundings. And it's about time! Although his feathers are gray instead of white, the color they will become when he is an adult, he's already as big as his parents!
Milky storks Mycteria cinerea are from the saltwater marshes and mangrove swamps of Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Since they are exclusively carnivores, their diet here at the Zoo consists of ground meat, fish, mice, and insects. Our young milky stork is still being fed by his parents, and since they can consume up to 60 percent of their own body weight per day, both parents have been kept very busy!
Make sure to stop by our Marsh Aviary, across from fishing cats in Tiger River, and look for our new resident milky stork soon. As the old legend implies, this little stork is truly a symbol of good luck!
Nerissa Foland is a senior keeper at the San Diego Zoo.
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July 11th, 2006 at 3:25 pm
Such happy news, Nerissa! Every new birth is special, and this one especially so if it is an at-risk bird. I'll hope to see it in a few days, the next time I walk down Tiger River. Thanks so much for keeping us all informed.
July 12th, 2006 at 3:08 am
there are those that will disagree, but i think what lucky babies are born at zoos these days. keepers that are so concerned with their health- both physical and mental. thanks for the commentaries!
July 12th, 2006 at 8:49 am
The fishing cats are one of my favorite animals to visit - so I will definitely look for the baby stork next time I am down Tiger River. I agree with Dorothy (#2), I think any animal, baby or not, would be very fortunate to live at the SD Zoo or Wild Animal Park. You know everyone there cares deeply about their welfare. Thank you everyone for all of your hard work - I appreciate it too!
July 14th, 2006 at 3:00 pm
Thanks, Nerissa. It's nice to know that all the babies being born at the Zoo aren't cuddley and cute! We have to remember that they're all beautiful, however, especially to the keepers who take such good care of them! I agree with Dorothy, also.