Barranquilla Zoo announces birth of endangered Blue-billed Curassow

A Blue-billed Curassow (Crax alberti) chick, named ‘Milagro’, has been born at the Barranquilla Zoo in Colombia. The species is endemic to Colombia and is currently classified as critically endangered.

The zoo has been working on the conservation and reproduction of this species since 2018. This birth marks the second time an institution in the country has successfully reproduced the bird. The species has faced severe habitat loss, losing 92.8% of its viable habitat over the last 25 years, with an estimated 1,085 adults remaining in the wild.

Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, Fabio Arjona, stated that a recovery and management plan for the curassow will be launched in the coming weeks. This initiative is part of the ‘ABC’ strategy (Water, Biodiversity, and Communities) to protect and recover endangered populations, as projections suggest the species could disappear from natural ecosystems by 2050 without urgent action.