Photo 2: The small white-tailed hornbill with one of its parents. Visitors to Prague Zoo may, with a bit of luck, hear their harsh calls, which they use to maintain contact in dense foliage. Photo by Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo
Prague Zoo has been breeding white-tailed hornbills since 2021. The local pair consists of a six-year-old male and a five-year-old female. This year, the young couple nested for the very first time and did so very successfully. At the turn of May and June, they hatched two chicks, which were successfully raised by the pair in a tree cavity. During the summer, they fledged and can now be observed by visitors in one of the Southeast Asian bird aviaries on the path between the Penguin Pavilion and the Darwin Crater in the lower part of the area.
Hornbills traditionally thrive at Prague Zoo. These striking birds capture attention with their large beaks and casques, sometimes colorful plumage, and their eyes, which intrigue attentive visitors. Unlike other birds, they boast long eyelashes that enhance their attractive appearance. By breeding hornbills, Prague Zoo made a significant mark back in 1994 when it successfully bred the majestic African hornbill for the first time in Europe. Another milestone was the era of breeding rhinoceros hornbills, with Prague Zoo raising the most chicks in a single institution, totaling 17 individuals.
