A huge success for one of the Zoo’s rarest species

Zoos and conservation centers, like Zoo Atlanta, have a ton of charismatic and lovable animals for guests to come observe and fall in love with. Whether it’s Nangka the Sumatran orangutan enjoying a mister on a hot day, Gumby the southern ground hornbill parading his lunch across his habitat, or Zuri the southern white rhino catching zoomies, thousands of people come to Zoo Atlanta every day to glimpse into the lives of creatures they would normally never get the chance to see without these institutions.

But let me let you in on a hopefully not too well-kept secret: zoological institutions are also doing a ton of important work behind the scenes. If you came to the Zoo in the past couple of years and had a keen eye, you might have found a pair of blue and yellow birds with little black bandit masks. These two might not seem like much, but they are a part of a powerful endeavor.

The blue-crowned laughingthrush (Pterorhinus courtoisi) (formerly Garrulax courtoisi) are endemic to a small area in China and were only recently rediscovered in the wild in 2000 but have been on the critically endangered list for 17 years.  BCLTs have what’s known as a Global Species Management Plan which brings together intercontinental zoo professionals to champion, strategize and invest in the survival of this species. While a lot of work is done in their native habitat to preserve breeding sites and protect the wild population, zoos have the important job of increasing the population size of ex-situ BCLTs while improving genetics to foster long-term sustainability. A population of about 300 individuals (and rising) are kept in zoological institutions in the U.S., Europe and Asia, and there are around 300 individuals in the wild.

Which brings us back to our pair!  The Bird Team spent a few years trying their best to give our male and female the perfect place to lay eggs, with little to no success. In a last-ditch effort to secure some chicks for this population, the pair was moved to our behind the scenes Avian Propagation Center for some private time. After a little courting and a lot of sharing of snacks, our pair has successfully raised and fledged two chicks that are thriving behind the scenes!

These two BCLTs will hopefully continue to help their wild counterparts as a cog in the massive, international machine committed to saving this species, that Zoo Atlanta luckily gets to be a part of.  From the largest tiger to the smallest songbird, zoological institutions and zoo professionals are working hard to preserve the biodiversity of our natural world, even if you can’t see them.

Sam Grabarz
Bird Team