The new chick is one of four kookaburras at the zoo. (Courtesy of Cape May County Zoo)
What’s that noise? It’s not the seagulls at the Jersey Shore. It’s the new laughing kookaburra chick at the Cape May County Zoo.
The zoo announced Wednesday that the chick hatched around May 25 but didn’t fully fledge into its flight feathers until June 28.
This is the first chick born to this set of parents at the zoo. Both parents take part in making sure it’s well cared for, the zoo said in a news release.
Altogether, there are now four kookaburras at the zoo following the chick’s recent birth.
“We welcome the arrival of the new hatchling and look forward to hearing the four-part harmony of their distinctive laughing cackle as they greet visitors to the zoo”, said Cape May County Board of Commissioners Vice Director Andrew Bulakowski, county liaison to the zoo.
Kookaburras are native to Australia and are part of the kingfisher family. They are predatory birds and maintain territories. Both parents participate in rearing the chicks, and young kookaburras will stick around to help their parents raise the next set of chicks, the zoo said.
They have a very distinctive song/call, which parents must teach to the chicks after they fledge.
Young kookaburras look extremely similar to adults, but you can tell them apart by their smaller beak and tail feather sizes.
Visitors are urged to come see the kookaburras and more than 550 animals that call the zoo home.
The zoo is open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily. The Cape May County parks are open daily from 7 a.m. to dusk. For more information, go to CMCZoo.com.
