BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — The Brevard Zoo announced Wednesday that its hatched its first two Florida grasshopper sparrow chicks of the season.
The species is listed as critically endangered, so zoo officials said the babies will help bolster the bird’s population in Central Florida.
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Once the chicks have matured and are medically cleared, zoo officials said they’ll be released in their natural range in Central Florida.
“They will serve as invaluable members of this population which is on a steep decline due to habitat loss, disease, limited genetic diversity and nonnative fire ants (which can invade nests and feed on chicks),” zoo officials said.
Read: Brevard Zoo hatches critically endangered baby chicks to help boost wild population
As of 2021, the zoo said just over 100 members of the species were detected in their natural range. Last year, 43 of the zoo’s hatched sparrows were released to boost the species’ population.
Before the chicks are released, the zoo said they’ll be given colored bands on their legs so biologists can identify and track them in the wild.
Read: Brevard Zoo helps endangered Florida grasshopper sparrow thrive in the wild
Breeding season for the birds continues through September.
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Photos: Brevard Zoo hatches critically endangered Florida grasshopper sparrow chicks
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