What's Hatching?

Male Great Argus displaying to a disinterested White Wattled Lapwing
photo by J. Baird

The National Aviary not only is one of the premiere bird zoos in the world and a major attraction for Pittsburgh's bird-loving residents and visitors, it also is serves as a safety net that protects several kinds of birds from extinction in the wild.  Through its breeding programs for African Penguins, Andean Condors, Guam Rails, and more, the National Aviary is helping to conserve biodiversity around the world.  Just today, a Great Argus chick hatched in the Tropical Forest exhibit.  In the wild, in the jungles of Borneo, Sumatra and Malay Peninsula in southeast Asia, the Great Argus is classified as "Near Threatened" by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.  The new chick stays very close to its mother, sometimes even climbing up into her plumage and going along for the ride!