Newquay Zoo welcomes birds resembling 'dinosaurs'

Newquay Zoo has welcomed three araçari toucan chicks - two males and one female

Newquay Zoo is celebrating the arrival of three green araçari toucan chicks, which one keeper likened to something slightly more pre-historic.

It is the first time the species has successfully bred at the Cornwall attraction in its 55-year history.

All three chicks – two males and one female – have just fledged, meaning that they were now able to fly.

Dan Trevelyan, senior animal keeper at Newquay Zoo, said: "When they first hatched, they looked a lot like dinosaurs but now their feathers have grown in and we have been able to identify the sexes of the chicks by the colours of their heads."

He continued: "Males have dark black neck and head feathers, whilst the females are reddish brown.

"It has been a fantastic experience watching the chicks growing and changing day-by-day."

Toucans, including green araçaris, are not only monogamous but they also parent cooperatively.

Both the males and females take turns incubating eggs, feeding their young and caring for the fledgling birds once they start to venture out from their nest.

The female, who is 12-years-old, has been at Newquay Zoo since 2017, while the young male arrived from Cotswolds Wildlife Park in February.

Green araçaris come from the lowland forests of north-eastern South America, including Brazil, Guyana, Suriname and Venezuela.

Newquay Zoo said while the species is not considered at risk in the wild, they are vulnerable to habitat loss through deforestation and are also popular in the exotic pet trade.