Nesting for the Holidays
One nest does NOT fit all–the nesting habits of different bird species are as varied as their colors and songs. The Zoo’s blue crowned motmots are naturally inclined to nest in tunnels in banks, so some Eagle Scouts worked with Zoo Supervisors to design and build a nesting structure that mimics a wild motmot nest, but also allows Keepers to monitor the birds’ activity without disturbing them. Will this type of nest actually encourage the Zoo’s two motmots to hatch chicks? That remains to be seen, but according to Area Supervisor Adam Ramsay the birds were tunneling into the holes within two hours of their introduction to the new structure. “I was hoping they’d take to it within a few weeks,” he said, “but I didn’t think they would start using it immediately. That’s certainly a good sign.” Motmots typically start building their nests in the fall in anticipation of spring chicks, so check back here in a few months to see if the Zoo has welcomed some new baby birds!