For the first time in a Czech zoo, an orange-breasted fig parrot chick has been successfully raised by its parents. The achievement comes from Prague Zoo, where a male chick hatched on 27 May has now reached four months of age and is approaching the stage at which it can be considered successfully reared.
The breeding success is particularly notable because these small parrots are demanding to maintain under human care, especially due to their strict hygiene requirements. According to Prague Zoo, only three other institutions in Europe currently keep the species.
The parents’ behaviour has also been remarkable. Despite having no previous breeding experience, the pair successfully completed the nesting process and raised their offspring naturally.
“The breeding pair surprised us several times. First with their meticulous nest preparation, then by laying an apparently healthy egg. We were then amazed to discover that the egg was actually fertilised, and finally we were astonished by how exemplary their care of the chick was, raising it entirely naturally. This is unusual for many bird species, and even more so for fig parrots,” says Antonín Vaidl, curator of birds at Prague Zoo.
The chick is currently being kept in a quiet, off-show area of the Indonesian Jungle pavilion, where temperature and humidity conditions are suited to tropical rainforest species.
A breeding success years in the making
Prague Zoo has kept orange-breasted fig parrots since 2018, when the first birds arrived from the specialised Walsrode bird park in Germany. The species has been on display along the Parrot Trail since 2022.
A previous breeding attempt in 2023 resulted in a chick hatching, but it died the following day. The latest arrival therefore marks the first successful rearing of the species in a Czech zoological institution.
The chick has been identified as male through the development of orange feathers on its chest, a feature more extensive in males than in females.
Small parrots with a taste for figs
These small parrots occur mainly in New Guinea and nearby islands. They are commonly known as fig parrots because fig pulp is an important part of their diet.
Their feeding behaviour often involves hanging upside down from branches to reach food.
Despite similarities in their common names, fig parrots are not closely related to the better-known lories, although they share parts of the same geographical region.
The orange-breasted fig parrot is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. However, Prague Zoo notes that observations and population data remain limited because the birds inhabit remote rainforest areas.
Other breeding successes and foster parents
Prague Zoo has also achieved breeding success with other fig parrot species.
Red-bearded fig parrots have been kept at the zoo since 1997, with more than thirty chicks successfully raised since the first breeding in 2003. The golden-eared fig parrot, housed in the Rákos Pavilion, is currently found at Prague Zoo alone among zoological institutions in continental Europe, according to the park.
Keeping several fig parrot species also allows the zoo to use experienced pairs as foster parents for chicks of another species.
One red-bearded fig parrot chick is currently being raised by a pair of golden-eared fig parrots. Two years earlier, the arrangement was reversed, when experienced red-bearded fig parrots successfully raised a golden-eared chick.
