PHOTOS: Tawny Frogmouth Chick Hatches at Brevard Zoo During COVID-19 Closure
Brevard Zoo welcomed its newest feathered friend when a tawny frogmouth chick named Little Frank hatched on April 21. Little Frank weighed 16 grams upon hatching.
The chick’s parents are 20-year-old Nathan and eight-year-old Hotdog, who have had five offspring at the Zoo. Because the pair have not had much success in raising chicks on their own, the Zoo’s animal care staff made the decision to place the egg in an incubator and rear the youngster themselves.
Little Frank, whose sex is not yet known, is fed a combination of meat and cat food every two hours during a 16-hour period each day.
Often confused for an owl, the tawny frogmouth is more closely related to the nightjars. This nocturnal bird is known for its bright yellow eyes, wide beak, long wings and short legs. The tawny frogmouth is native to Australia, where threats to its survival include habitat loss, pesticide use, and nonnative predators like cats and foxes.
As a not-for-profit organization that receives no recurring public funds, the Zoo has been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak in what is typically its busiest season of the year, and it stands to lose one third of its annual income. Community members can support the Zoo by visiting www.brevardzoo.org and donating, purchasing a membership or symbolically adopting an animal.
PHOTO: © Walt Disney World Resort. All Rights Reserved.
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