Four young Blue-winged Geese (Cyanochen cyanoptera) growing up at Safari Park Dvůr Králové will contribute to a research project aimed at improving knowledge and conservation of the species in the wild. The zoo is regularly photographing the birds as they develop, creating a reference database that will help researchers estimate the age of individuals monitored in Ethiopia.
The four youngsters are currently growing under the care of their parents behind the scenes at the Tropical Swamps pavilion. During this period, the adult pair has to be separated from the other birds because Blue-winged Geese become highly territorial around their nest.
“During the rearing of the young, it is essentially necessary to move the adult pair out of the aviary with the other birds, because Blue-winged Geese are very aggressive and attack practically anything that approaches the nest,” explains zoologist Michal Podhrázský. The same pair successfully reproduced last season.
The birth is particularly significant because Blue-winged Geese remain uncommon in zoological institutions, with successful reproduction occurring in only a small number of zoos.
A species found only in Ethiopia
In the wild, the Blue-winged Goose is endemic to Ethiopia, where its habitat is declining and pressure from human activities is increasing. At the same time, scientists still know relatively little about the species.
“There is still a great deal we do not know about this species. In order to protect it effectively, we first need to understand it. Through our Research Institute for Gene Pool Conservation, we have already launched a project to monitor the species directly in Ethiopia,” Podhrázský explains.
The four young birds at Dvůr Králové will now provide useful data for that work. Rather than simply documenting their development, keepers are photographing them at frequent intervals to establish how their appearance changes as they grow.
“We photograph them regularly at short intervals. This will make it much easier for us to determine the age of birds monitored in the wild and obtain a more accurate picture of the population’s status and its annual life cycle,” Podhrázský says.
The photographic database can therefore become a practical reference tool for researchers in Ethiopia, allowing observations made under human care to contribute directly to the study of the wild population.
Around 50 individuals in 12 European institutions
Podhrázský also coordinates the European programme for the Blue-winged Goose on behalf of EAZA. One of its main objectives is to increase the number of participating institutions and establish viable breeding pairs.
According to the Safari Park, only around 50 Blue-winged Geese are currently held across 12 ZIMS-member institutions in Europe. Expanding the programme is challenging because of the species’ demanding management requirements and strongly territorial behaviour.
The four young birds at Dvůr Králové therefore have a dual significance: they contribute to the European population while providing researchers with new information that could help them better understand — and ultimately protect — their wild counterparts in Ethiopia.
 growing up at Safari Park Dvůr Králové will contribute to a research project aimed){kind=link}