Chester Zoo give new hope for one of world's rarest birds.

There’s a glimmer of hope for one of the world’s most endangered birds — after three blue-eyed ground dove chicks hatched as part of a global conservation effort.

With just 11 adult birds known to survive in the wild, the arrival of the chicks marks the most successful hatch since the species was rediscovered in Brazil in 2015, following more than 70 years without a confirmed sighting.

The chicks were carefully incubated and hand-reared by a team of international experts from the UK, Brazil, and the USA — including staff from Chester Zoo, who’ve been working on the project since 2019.

“This unique species is on the brink of extinction,” said Andrew Owen, Head of Birds at Chester Zoo.

“Without the dedication of conservationists, this bird may be lost forever.”

A Global Effort to Save a Vanishing Species

The blue-eyed ground dove is found only in Brazil’s Cerrado biome, a tropical savanna under threat from farming and deforestation. The chicks were hatched at Parque das Aves, a specialist bird conservation centre, with support from SAVE Brasil, Toledo Zoo, and Bronx Zoo.

The goal is to build a genetically healthy insurance population in human care, with the long-term aim of reintroducing birds into the wild.

“Each hatching represents a real chance to reverse the fate of this species,” said Paloma Bosso, technical director at Parque das Aves.

The new arrivals bring the total number of blue-eyed ground doves in human care to six. Conservationists are now working to form breeding pairs and expand the population.

Protecting the Future

The project is also focused on protecting the bird’s natural habitat. Visits to the Blue-eyed Ground Dove Nature Reserve in Botumirim have been suspended to reduce stress on the remaining wild birds.

“The blue-eyed ground dove depends on the efforts of many people and institutions,” said Ben Phalan, head of conservation at Parque das Aves.

“So that its song can be heard in the Cerrado for many years to come.”