Photos: First endangered Florida grasshopper sparrow chicks hatch at Brevard Zoo
Photo via Brevard Zoo
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - Cuteness alert! After weeks of nest building and egg-laying, Brevard Zoo has welcomed its first-ever Florida grasshopper sparrow chicks, according to the zoo's website.
Zoo officials say it began the process of breeding the critically endangered species, that are seen in only a few areas of Central and South Florida, back in March.
The four chicks will eventually be released into the wild to boost the natural population of the species once they mature and are medically cleared, Brevard Zoo says.
Photo via Brevard Zoo
A team of experts chose parents Ava and Gator for the breeding process to ensure a healthy and diverse population of the species.
The chicks will remain with their parents for three weeks and then will move to another habitat of the zoo, where they'll be monitored to ensure they can survive on their own in the wild.
Zoo officials say each bird will have a color band placed on their leg before they are released, so biologists can continue to study the species.