Pet Pix

Julie Larsen Maher, Wildlife Conservation Society

Open wide!

The hatching of this member of the cuckoo species makes the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Central Park Zoo only the fourth zoo in the U.S. to successfully rear a crested coua chick.

Native to the island of Madagascar, the animals are born with markings on the inside of their mouths that are unique to each individual chick. Experts believe the markings are used by the bird’s parents for identification, or as a target for feeding them. They will begin to fade as the chick matures.

There are only about 40 crested couas living in American zoos.