What a little fluff ball!

Our newest bundle of joy has arrived! A tawny frogmouth chick named Little Frank entered the world on April 21 and weighed just 16 grams at the time of hatching.

The chick’s parents, 20-year-old Nathan and eight-year-old Hotdog, have had five offspring at the Zoo. Unfortunately, this pair has not had much success in raising chicks on their own, so our animal care staff made the decision to place the egg in an incubator and raise the wee one themselves.

Little Frank is fed meat and cat food every two hours during a 16-hour period each day. The sex of the chick is not yet known.

Tawny frogmouths are often confused for owls, but they are actually more closely related to nightjars. These carnivorous, nocturnal birds are known for their bright yellow eyes, wide beak, long wings and short legs. Native to Australia, the tawny frogmouth faces threats such as habitat loss, pesticide use and nonnative predators like cats and foxes.

This is a challenging time for our Zoo. As a not-for-profit organization that receives no recurring government funds, we rely on earned income from admissions and memberships—and we stand to lose one third of our annual income while we are temporarily closed. That’s why now, more than ever, your support is critical. You can help make an impact by purchasing or renewing a membership, donating to our fund, creating a Facebook fundraiser for the Zoo or simply spreading the word.