Kori Bustard Chicks

A biologist at Smithsonian’s National Zoo holds two kori bustard chicks on June 26, 2007. The chicks, Pipe and Tuza, hatched at the Zoo June 23 and 24. Kori bustards are the world’s heaviest flying bird and the chicks could grow to be as large as 35 pounds. The species, native to eastern and southern Africa is in decline and faces threats to its survival. The National Zoo is one of two zoos in the nation consistently breeding kori bustards in hopes of guaranteeing a secure future for them.

Jessie Cohen, Smithsonian’s National Zoo

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Telemetric Egg

Staff at Smithsonian’s National Zoo use telemetric eggs, such as this one, to record important information about kori bustard incubation. The electronic egg is put under the adult bird and records incubation temperature and the rate the parent birds turn the egg. The data are sent from the egg to a receiver and recorded 24 hours a day. This information is vital to better understand the complete biology of the species.

Jessie Cohen, Smithsonian’s National Zoo

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