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Saddle-billed stork hatched at Toledo Zoo
On Feb. 6, a saddle-billed stork was hatched in The Toledo Zoo’s Avian Breeding Center. The hatching of a saddle-billed stork is always a great event, but the circumstances surrounding the arrival of this chick are truly extraordinary.
In January, a stork egg was found submerged in water near the storks’ habitat, left there by parents Simon and Lottie. Most eggs found submerged in water are immediately discarded as the egg’s shell is susceptible to the species that attempts were made to salvage every egg. The egg was placed in an incubator, and on Feb. 3, it was X-rayed.
At that time, bird keepers discovered that there was bone development and that the egg was viable. They placed it back under the stork, and the chick hatched three days later. Keepers named the bird “Maji,” which is the Swahili word for “water.”
The baby stork is currently off-exhibit in the zoo’s Avian Breeding Center, and he is being reared by his parents. The animal care staff has been closely monitoring Maji’s progress with weekly weigh-ins, vitamin and calcium boosters and inoculations against the West Nile virus. A March 6 x-ray revealed that Maji’s legs were developing well, and he took his first walk into the yard on April 4.
Maji will likely be placed on exhibit in the area outside the Avian Breeding Center later this spring.
Maji is the eighth successful fledging of a saddle-billed stork since 2000. The Toledo Zoo has a 100 percent success rate with fledging saddle-bills, which is unusual for a zoo in a northern climate. According to curator of Birds Robert Webster, “Simon and Lottie are a healthy, compatible pair. We give them the necessary space, and the rest is up to them.”
Maji’s hatching brings The Toledo Zoo’s saddle-billed stork population to four. In addition to Simon, Lottie and Maji, older brother Jabari, hatched in 2006, will be on exhibit in Africa! later this spring. Maji’s breeding was recommended as part of a Population Management Plan from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
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