Little Wings, Big Future
Safeguarding the Future of Threatened Species
It all begins with a single pip – as a new chick uses its beak to crack the wall of the egg it once called home and takes its first breath in the outside world. What may be just a simple hatching for some represents so much more for those of us who are dedicated to the world of avian conservation.
Several species at the National Aviary are a part of an Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan® (SSP) Program. SSP Program participants work together to protect the future of the species within expert care, while also directly applying those efforts to safeguarding their counterparts in the wild. From every range of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Status – starting with Least Concern, to Critically Endangered and the dreaded Extinct in the Wild, AZA-accredited SSP Programs offer preventative solutions at every phase.
Give Today!Preserving the Future of Demoiselle Cranes
A species can be Least Concern today, and Critically Endangered tomorrow, as is the case with the Hooded Vulture, whose steep population decline only took about two decades (read on below for more). So, while Demoiselle Cranes are listed as Least Concern, each and every hatching remains critical for preserving their future. In the wild, this ethereal species continues to face heartbreaking issues such as habitat loss and water diversion, both of which compromise their extraordinarily long, arduous annual migration paths. In the Spring of 2025, the National Aviary announced not one but TWO Demoiselle Crane chicks (also known as “colts”) to our flock. As important as they are, the pair aren’t just unusual hatchings for the Aviary. Through participation in their SSP Program, the Aviary’s acclaimed Animal Care and Veterinary staff received two fertile eggs from the International Crane Foundation (ICF) for the Aviary’s adult pair, Niles and Daphne, to hatch and “adopt.”
Presently, the ICF is home to two Demoiselle Cranes, Caspian (male) and Tilly (female), who are building their relationship through a shared habitat wall. As with humans, building a relationship between two consenting individuals takes time, and with consistent positive reports noted by the ICF care team, Tilly was comfortable enough to lay eggs. With conservation and the SSP Program at the forefront, the ICF artificially inseminated Tilly’s eggs through a groundbreaking method curated by the Foundation. Following this innovative procedure, her care team began to seek out AZA-accredited facilities with mature, adult Demoiselle Crane pairs to care for and hatch the eggs. The National Aviary was more than happy to answer the call.
The National Aviary’s adult bonded Demoiselle Crane pair, Niles and Daphne, partnered together in 2017, residing outside in the Aviary’s Condor Court. Although the two make a strong genetic match, they have not been able to produce fertile eggs to this point. Surrogacy offered them the unique opportunity to be first-time parents! The Aviary Crane chicks’ dedicated neonatal care team includes aptly named Senior Aviculturist Brianna Crane and Assistant Manager of Animal Care Sylvia Ronquillo, who personally transported the fertile eggs from quarantine at ICF to their new home at the Aviary. The first egg was incubated and hatched by mom, Daphne, in Condor Court, while the second was hatched and hand-raised by Brianna in a behind-the-scenes breeding center, before joining the rest of its family in the public-facing habitat.
“Being as though this was Niles and Daphne’s first attempt at parenting, the rest of their care team and I knew they may need an extra helping hand,” says Brianna. “Raising the second hatchling behind-the-scenes allowed the first to acclimate to its new surroundings before being rejoined by its sibling!”
Now nearly four months later, the Crane juveniles have started to develop their iconic head plumage and will don adult feathers in roughly two years. Guests can come and witness the long-legged beauties of the new Crane family during their next National Aviary visit.
Additional Hatchings of Hope
In addition to the Demoiselle Cranes, the National Aviary has welcomed a handful of species in recent years whose hatchings are incredibly important to wildlife preservation.
April 2024 marked the arrival of a Critically Endangered Hooded Vulture chick, who was not only the first of its kind to hatch in the Aviary’s history, but she was also the first for parents Ralf and Opal. The chick, affectionately named Kiara (key-ahr-uh) by Aviary staff, resides in a behind-the-scenes habitat. Kiara’s momentous hatching illustrates the hopeful recovery of her species, which are notoriously difficult to hatch in human care, and who have experienced drastic population decline in the wild due to recent habitat loss and electrical collisions.
Kiara will soon be getting a new habitat-mate. That’s because earlier this year the Aviary announced the hatching of a SECOND Hooded Vulture chick, this time from first-time father Kiume (kee-oo-mah). This hands-on pap always wanted to be a dad – even practicing incubating a few rocks beforehand to prepare! Kiume’s chick recently fledged (and was revealed to be a boy!) and after “learning how to vulture” from Dad. He has now mastered the art of ripping and tearing food, as well as stretching his wings and flying. Stay tuned for his name announcement!
As far as next steps, or “flights,” go, the Hooded Vulture’s care team led by Cathy Schlott, Director of Animal Programs and Experiences, remains hopeful that the two newest Hooded Vultures may one day make a strong genetic match and contribute to the future of the species through an AZA-accredited breeding program within the SSP.
“Hooded Vultures only lay one egg at a time and have a long incubation period of 46-54 days”, says Cathy. “When you have only one egg for a population that is consistently in decline, it makes each and every potential hatching all the more special.”
Each gift to the National Aviary’s Fall Annual Campaign directly supports every new hatchling this year to date, from a young Black Kite training to become an Animal Ambassador behind-the-scenes, precious Inca Terns learning to hold their own in the Wetlands, African Penguin juveniles Nora and Oswald waddling and swimming around Penguin Point, and Guam Kingfisher chicks who may one day contribute to the ever-growing population in the wild. Securing a lasting tomorrow for species on the brink of extinction – starts TODAY.
Give Today!2025 Hatchlings
