Riverbanks Zoo and Garden recently celebrated the hatching of a Toco toucan chick, marking the first time in over a decade that this species has successfully bred at the zoo. Proud parents Ramsay and Dora, who arrived at Riverbanks in 2018 and 2019, were introduced in June 2019, and after years of hopeful anticipation from the bird team, they’ve welcomed a new chick.
Amy Gooding, Riverbanks Bird Keeper, shared her excitement: “I screamed for joy when I found out we had a fertile egg, and now to see this little guy hopping around . . . it’s why I got into this field.” Currently, the chick is in the fledging stage, learning to fly and eat independently in the Bird Conservation Center’s Bird Room. A feather sample will soon determine the chick’s gender, and guests can look forward to seeing the new toucan on exhibit by spring 2025. Ramsay and Dora, along with another pair of Toco toucans, are being kept in private areas to encourage further breeding success.
Riverbanks Zoo’s avian program is highly acclaimed, having received multiple honors from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) over the years. These include awards for Toco toucan propagation in 1978, long-term propagation in 1998, exhibit design in 2002, and more recently, two Plume Awards in 2021 and 2023 for excellence in avian care.