A Kaffir Horned Crow chick was born in the Moscow Zoo. Kaffir horned raven - the sacred bird of the African continent Features of the behavior of the horned raven

Usually in zoos, a pair of these birds at best produces one chick per year. And in the wild, the Kaffir horned raven produces offspring once every ten years.

Three Kaffir Horned Raven chicks hatched at the Moscow Zoo. The chicks were born within a few days of each other to a pair of adults who had been living in the zoo for more than 20 years. This first case of large families in the history of all domestic and European practices of breeding such birds in captivity.

Typically, in zoos, Kaffir crows produce one chick per year at best. And in the wild, birds have offspring once every ten years.

Kaffir crows are listed in the International Red Book as a vulnerable species. Their numbers are catastrophically small. According to scientists, this species may disappear from its natural habitat in the next 10-15 years. Creation of a reserve population in modern zoos — the only way to save these unique birds from extinction.

“Over the past few years, our specialists have managed to create optimal conditions for the maintenance and successful reproduction of these rare birds. The birth of three chicks at once is undoubtedly the merit of ornithologists. They constantly monitored the future parents and, as soon as they noticed that the female began to behave restlessly, they took her eggs into a special incubator. Otherwise, she could break them, which, by the way, is a fairly common occurrence among Kaffir crows, which are considered very active and restless birds,” said Svetlana Akulova, CEO Moscow Zoo.

Today, the zoo houses seven: a breeding pair, two teenagers who were born in 2017 and 2018, and three newborn crows. You can admire adult birds in the old territory of the zoo.

The parent crows live in an enclosure located to the right of the entrance to the Bird House. And the grown chicks were settled in a separate territory, next to the crowned cranes. Birds active throughout the day. Since they were raised by people, they are not afraid of visitors and willingly allow themselves to be examined and photographed.

As for the newborns, they are still in the interior, where they are hand-fed by ornithologists. The chicks' diet includes insects, raw meat and special mineral supplements.

According to Svetlana Akulova, the crows feel great. The oldest weighs three kilograms, while the youngest weigh 1.3 and 1.05 kilograms.

Kaffir crows grow quite quickly. In just a month they will weigh six kilograms and will begin to actively explore the world and learn to fly. That's when they will be moved to an outdoor enclosure. Also, soon the zoo staff will begin to spend time with the grown-up chicks special classes.

“This species has very well developed cognitive abilities, so in a zoo environment its representatives need to be given as many different tasks as possible. At the zoo, these birds are considered one of the smartest and most savvy. They constantly find different objects in the enclosure and show them to each other. For example, if one finds a bright pebble, he brings it to the second and proudly displays it. Kaffir crows also share food,” added Svetlana Akulova.

Kaffir horned raven is the largest representative hornbill family. They got their name due to their large beak with a hump. An adult female horned raven weighs up to four kilograms, a male - up to six. The bird can reach 120 centimeters in length.

Horned crows live only in Africa, south of the equator - in Southern Kenya, Angola, Northern Namibia and Botswana. Local tribes call them sacred. Africans believe that birds predict the coming of the rainy season. It is believed that the horned raven makes a loud cry, similar to a lion's roar, anticipating a change in the weather. It can be distinguished at a distance of up to five kilometers.

The appearance of the Kaffir Horned Raven is bright and memorable. The red skin around the eyes and on the front of the neck stands out against the background of black feathers. And its strong beak is capable of tossing up prey weighing more than three kilograms.

In the wild, birds prefer to settle in forests and savannas, where they live in small groups. Each group has its own territory and carefully guards its borders, scaring off competitors. Horned crows spend most of their time on the ground, where they forage for food. The basis of their diet is grasshoppers, beetles, scorpions, termites, frogs, lizards, snakes (even poisonous ones), turtles and small rodents.

In 2019, the Moscow Zoo turns 155 years. Throughout the year, thematic concerts, performances, quests, master classes and excursions will be held on its territory. It is planned to return to the main entrance arch by the end of spring. A rare wild cat will once again become a symbol of the Moscow Zoo. The creation was also timed to coincide with the holiday.

It is immediately worth paying attention to the fact that the name of these unusual birds does not correctly convey their true systematic position, since they are not relatives of real ravens, crows, rooks and jackdaws, and belong to a completely different family.

Horned crows (lat. Bucorvus) are a genus of African hornbills that, unlike most other representatives of this group, lead a terrestrial lifestyle. Sometimes they, together with the African kalao, are separated into a separate family Bucorvidae within the order Bucerotiformes, distinguishing it from the Coraciiformes. This family is endemic to sub-Saharan Africa: the Abyssinian horned crow is distributed in a meridional direction from Senegal east to Ethiopia, and the Kaffir horned crow is found in southern and eastern Africa.

Horned crows are large birds, the body size of adults is about a meter. Both species are terrestrial, unlike other rhinoceroses, and feed on insects, snakes, other birds, amphibians and even turtles. They are among the longest-lived birds, and the larger southern species, the Kaffir Horned Crow, is perhaps the longest-lived and slowest-reproducing (breeding every three years) of the entire class of Aves.
This genus includes only two species - the Abyssinian (or northern) horned raven and the Kaffir (or southern) horned raven. The Abyssinian occupies savannas and woodlands from Senegal to western Somalia and Kenya, and the Kaffir horned crow's range is the African savanna south of the equator, where it inhabits open areas with sparse bush from Kenya to South Africa. In the mountains of Ethiopia and East Africa, these birds rise to heights of up to 3000 meters above sea level. In general, their habitat covers the entire continent south of the Sahara, with the exception of the equatorial tropical forests and deserts.

Horned crows are large and heavy representatives of the entire family of hornbills. Their length from the tip of the beak to the tip of the tail ranges from 90 to 130 cm with a wingspan of almost two meters and a surprisingly low weight of 3.5 to 6 kg (the Kaffir raven is a larger raven). The relatively low weight with such an impressive size is due to the lightness of the skeleton and numerous subcutaneous air cavities. The bulky beak with a horn (more precisely, a helmet) is also hollow and partially filled with spongy bone tissue with thin bridges.
The birds are distinguished from other members of the family by their black plumage and bright red areas of bare skin on the head around the eyes and upper neck (in young birds these areas are yellow). The “mourning” black plumage of horned ravens is enlivened by white primary flight feathers, which do not stand out too much on folded wings, but on a flying bird they are noticeable from afar.

Species and gender determined by the color of the unfeathered parts of the head and neck. The female Kaffir Horned Raven has swollen and folded skin around the eyes and on the front of the neck, shiny red, and blue on the sides of the throat. The male has only red color, without blue spots.

They spend most of their time on the ground, slowly walking around the savannah and collecting food, but they can also run quite well. Due to this, they have a relatively short tail and long, strong legs with shortened toes. To avoid damaging its eyes on the tough grass, which moves its head apart in search of food, the bird has luxurious long black eyelashes, which at the same time look impressive against the background of a vast circle of bare bright red skin.

The female Abyssinian horned crow has bare areas only blue, while the male has blue-red ones. The beak is black, straight, and has a specific growth – a helmet, which is more developed in males. The “helmet” of the northern species is quite high and seems to be cut off in front, and on the sides of the black beak there is a yellowish spot. The southern one has a small helmet (in females it may be almost not pronounced), and the beak is one color.

They are real predators among hornbills. Horned crows hunt in small groups, and often pursue large prey together. Their diet includes not only a variety of insects (grasshoppers, beetles, scorpions, termites) and their larvae, but also more serious prey, in the form of various vertebrates - frogs, lizards, snakes (often poisonous), turtles, rodents. Sometimes even squirrels, young hares and mongooses are caught. These birds are capable of eating almost any medium-sized fish that they can catch.

Since early morning, they methodically comb one grassy area after another in search of prey. Keeping a distance within sight, the birds walk in parallel courses, scaring small animals from the grass, examining the voids under stones and dead wood. The morning hours are not chosen by chance - reptiles, amphibians and arthropods, which have not had time to warm up in the sun, still move extremely sluggishly. Quickly grabbing prey from the ground with the tip of their beak, like tweezers, and then crushing it with their jaws or hitting the ground several times, they throw it into the air to make it easier to swallow. Larger prey are first killed with strong blows from the beak or paws. A large snake or a lively rat forces clan members to use joint action tactics - they surround the victim and then wear them down with attacks. Sometimes some family members play the role of foot beaters, while others, flying forward, meet the fugitive with a surprise attack. During periods of abundance of food, birds pin the excess onto twigs or leave it in the forks of branches, like some kind of shrikes. Sometimes they eat carrion, feasting on carrion-eating insects at the same time; they also eat fruits and seeds. These are the only birds among all hornbills that can pick up several food objects in their beak and carry them to the nest without swallowing.

The social organization of ravens is very unusual. Horned crows lead a sedentary lifestyle, occupying vast territories from 5-10 to 200 km2. They live in small groups (from 2 to 11 individuals), consisting of a dominant pair of adult birds and their offspring, who remain with their parents after reaching sexual maturity. The female plays the “first fiddle” in the family; the rest, including the husband, obey her whims. Young crows help their parents feed the chicks and protect the territory. In the evening, the birds cry together for a long time, thereby asserting their rights to the territory. Having perched higher, horned crows hoot low and emit trumpeting, croaking and rumbling cries that can be heard at a distance of 4-5 km, for which native tribes call them thunderbirds. Birds use inflating throat sacs and an extensible esophagus as resonators. In addition to screams, horned crows have more sophisticated ways to attract attention to themselves. For example, carefully holding an egg in its huge beak, the bird from the dominant pair manipulates it in front of the rest of the group.

They nest in hollow stumps, in hollows of large trees (baobabs), and sometimes in rock crevices. One shelter can serve birds for many years, but, as a rule, suitable places at different ends of the site are used alternately. The nest, unlike other members of the family, is not walled up, and the female leaves it every day to defecate and care for herself.
The timing of reproduction does not depend too much on the time of year, but most often occurs during the rainy season (from September to December). Only one dominant female takes part in nesting; the rest of the group only helps her. A clutch of 1-3 white, surprisingly small (compared to the size of the mother) eggs is incubated by the female for 5-6 weeks, which is fed by all members of the group at this time. As a rule, chicks hatch with an interval of 3-5, sometimes up to 15 days. They are of the nesting type, i.e. naked, blind, absolutely helpless. At the age of several days, the youngest chick usually dies, and the older one, 7-10 days after hatching, begins to become covered with dark downy feathers (neither chicks nor adult hornbills have real down). Adult plumage appears in horned ravens at the age of 3 months. When the chicks grow up, the breeding pair leaves only males in the group, and the females are kicked out when they become sexually mature (at the age of 4-6 years). Moreover, as soon as the main male becomes old, the eldest son kicks him out and takes his place.

The increase in the number of birds of this species occurs very slowly; on average, only one chick survives to adulthood in 9-10 years. The lifespan of these birds is 35–40 years.

As observations of this species in the natural environment and in zoos around the world show, the birds' behavior is complex and varied. Experts from the Moscow Zoo note that the birds are constantly looking for various objects in the enclosure; when they find them, they show them to each other and begin to treat each other with them. If one finds a bright pebble, he immediately runs and shows it to the other. When given a piece of watering hose to play with, the crows decide which side this “snake” will have its head on. As soon as they identify her, they begin to “kill” her, aiming precisely at the place they have determined.
In many areas of distribution, the species is protected by local populations due to traditional beliefs associated with the intellectual behavior of representatives of the species.

Interesting: The horned raven has a gaze very similar to that of a human. At the top and bottom of the eyes there are eyelashes that any girl would envy: long, thick, black. These birds are not afraid of humans and easily approach them and look straight into their eyes.

The Abyssinian horned raven, along with another member of the genus Bucorvus, the Kaffir horned raven (Bucorvus leadbeateri), differs from other hornbills in having an additional cervical vertebra(there are 15 in total), the presence of both carotid arteries, longer legs and larger body sizes. The body is strong, with short wings and tail. The beak is quite large, slightly bent, flattened laterally, with a blunt end, with halves of the beak that do not meet in the middle and decorated with only one, although rather high, growth above the base of the upper half of the beak. The growth begins from the middle of the crown and extends to approximately the first third of the entire length of the beak; in front it is either open, continuing further in the shape of a tube, or closed.

The eyes and throat area are bare and very brightly colored. The plumage is shiny black, except for ten yellowish-white flight feathers. The eyes are dark brown. The beak is black, with a yellowish spot on the upper half. Males have blue and red skin around the throat and blue around the eyes, females have blue skin around the eyes and neck.

The average body length is about 1 m, weight - 4 kg. Wingspan from 495 to 595 mm.

Abyssinian horned crows are primarily terrestrial, flying into the air to capture prey or defend territory. They walk well and are able to run. At night they roost in trees, probably to avoid predation.

They live in permanent family groups consisting of 4-8 individuals (occasionally up to 11-20). Each group consists of a breeding pair and its offspring of different ages, which serve as nest helpers. The group's habitat ranges from 2-4 to 260 km?.

Communication occurs through visual and acoustic interactions.

Abyssinian horned crows are predominantly carnivorous. They feed on a variety of reptiles, including African vipers (Bitis), cobras (Naja), turtles and lizards, mammals such as hares and mongooses, and arthropods such as insects and spiders. Sometimes they eat carrion. In search of food they can follow ungulates and fires; They walk up to 11 km a day. To obtain arthropods and honeycombs, they are able to dig into the ground. Occasionally they eat plant foods.

In their foraging method, Abyssinian horned crows resemble secretary birds (Sagittarius serpentarius), killing prey with several blows of their paws or beak; Crows simply grab smaller objects. They themselves, in turn, can become prey for large predators such as leopards, while the eggs and chicks are food for smaller predators.

Abyssinian horned crows are monogamous. The breeding season depends on the area of ​​its range: in West Africa it occurs in June-August, in Nigeria and Uganda in January, in Kenya at the end of November. The nest is built in large hollow trees (mainly baobabs) or in rock crevices. Birds do not cover the entrance to the hollow. The males prepare the nest by lining it with dry leaves, and then the female enters and lays one or two eggs over the course of about five days. The eggs are round, white, small in size, with a rough shell. The incubation period starts with the first egg, so the second chick grows more slowly and usually does not survive. Incubation lasts 37-41 days, during which males bring food to the female incubating the eggs; During this period, birds do not clean the nest.

Newborn chicks weigh about 70 g. The firstborn grows very quickly, and by the fourth day its weight can reach 350 g, while the youngest chick usually dies by this time. The whole family feeds the chick, flying long distances and combing considerable distances on foot within sight of each other. In cases of hunting large prey, birds come to each other's aid. The chick remains in the hollow for up to 3 months, supplementary feeding continues for another 8-9 months. It fledges around the 85th day of life.

Young individuals remain with their parents until the age of three, although their sex can be visually determined by coloration already at the age of one year.

Life expectancy in captivity averages 40 years.

The Abyssinian horned crow is distributed over a wide area of ​​north-central Africa, from southern Mauritania and Guinea in the west to Ethiopia, northwestern Somalia, northeastern Kenya and northern Uganda in the east. Inhabits savannas, semi-desert shrubby biotopes and rocky areas, preferring low vegetation, which facilitates feeding. Crows are tolerant of human-disturbed areas, but require large trees for nesting.

The total population size is unknown, but is considered stable due to no evidence of decline or any threats. The International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies the Abyssinian horned raven as Least Concern. These birds are capable of breaking windows by looking at the reflection, for which they are sometimes persecuted by humans. In some parts of its range, such as northern Cameroon and Burkina Faso, raven meat is consumed by humans.

Birdwatching. Part 2. Hornbills and Psittacines. Hornbills. Kaffir Horned Raven

This unusual bird, which belongs to the rhinoceros bird family, is called the Kaffir Hornbill or in English Southern Ground Hornbill.

This is the largest of the hornbills. It lives only in Africa, south of the equator.

Among most tribes in South Africa, the Kaffir Horned Crow is considered a sacred bird that brings the long-awaited rainy season and overcomes drought.

Anticipating the rainy season, horned crows become especially noisy.

Their loud, low cry can be heard at a distance of up to five kilometers.

African aborigines get tired of the heat, so these screams seem like divine music to them.

Appearance

The Kaffir Horned Crow is a fairly large bird, measuring from 90 to 120 centimeters long and weighing from 3.2 to 6.2 kilograms.

A distinctive feature of these birds is the black color of their plumage and bright red skin around the eyes and on the front of the neck.

In young birds these places are colored yellow.

The large beak is also black; males also have a “helmet”.

Habitat

The Kaffir horned crow lives in southern Kenya, Burundi, southern Angola, northern Namibia, northern and eastern Botswana and northeastern and eastern South Africa.

It nests in hollow stumps or hollows of baobab trees - the nest is not walled up, and the female leaves the nest daily to defecate and groom herself.

Mostly birds choose to live in open savannas with tall grass, covered in places with thorny bushes, acacias and baobabs. Less commonly, they settle on the outskirts of tropical and subtropical forests.

Lifestyle

Kaffir horned crows lead a predominantly diurnal lifestyle, forming family groups of the main pair and their offspring numbering from 2 to 11 birds.

There is a strict hierarchy in the groups, where the younger ones try in every possible way to show respect to the elders. Grown chicks try to help their parents raise and feed their younger relatives.

The old leader is expelled from the pack, and his place of honor goes to the eldest son. Birds adapt well to changing conditions thanks to the knowledge gained from older relatives.

Young females live separately for some time, and then join a new flock.

One family group can occupy an area of ​​up to 100 square meters. km.

Each group of horned crows protects its territory, constantly flying around its borders and emitting loud cries.

However, when there is enough food for everyone, Kaffir horned crows are quite tolerant.

Nutrition

The Kaffir horned crow is the only true predator of the hornbills.

These birds feed mainly on various insects: grasshoppers, beetles, scorpions, termites and other arthropods.

During the dry season, birds feed on a large number of insect larvae, mollusks, frogs, lizards, snakes (often poisonous), turtles, rodents, and can sometimes even eat squirrels, young hares and mongooses.

Throughout the day, horned crows are busy searching for food. They either fly slowly over the ground, or slowly walk among the grass.

They find food for themselves exclusively on the soil.

Quickly grabbing prey from the ground, they throw it into the air to make it easier to swallow, and kill it with strong blows of their beak.

Horned crows hunt as a whole flock; they often pursue large prey together. They are the only hornbills that can pick up several food objects into their beaks without swallowing them and carry them to the nest.

Sometimes they eat carrion, feasting on carrion-eating insects at the same time.

They also eat fruits and seeds.

Lifestyle

Kaffir crows build nests in the hollows of baobab trees or tree stumps.

The whole family takes part in the construction. The younger ones collect the necessary building material from dry grass and branches, while the more experienced ones deal directly with the construction itself.

Reproduction

The mating season lasts from October to December and takes place once every three years.

The whole family takes care of feeding the female.

Typically the female lays 2 white eggs. Incubation lasts an average of 40 days, during which time the female briefly leaves the nest no more than 3-4 times a day, being fully socially provided.

The first chick is born weighing about 60 grams, and from birth it has an excellent appetite, so after 4 days it weighs more than 240 grams.

At this time, his younger brother appears, which the older brother simply either kills or leaves without food, so that the weaker chick very rarely manages to survive.

The group feeds newborns up to 10 times a day. At the age of 85 days, the chicks begin to fly, but loving relatives continue to care for them for several more months.

For the first time, a Kaffir Horned Raven chick was born at the Moscow Zoo. It can be seen in the Bird House pavilion on the old territory of the zoo.

“The birth of a Kaffir Horned Crow chick is a long-awaited event for us. The baby’s parents have been living in the zoo for 20 years, but have never given birth to offspring,” said the press service of the Moscow Zoo.

The Kaffir Horned Crow is the largest member of the hornbill family. They got their name due to their large beak with a hump. An adult female horned raven weighs up to four kilograms, a male - up to six. The bird can reach 120 centimeters in length. Horned crows are found only in Africa, south of the equator. Local tribes call them sacred. Africans believe that birds predict the coming of the rainy season. It is believed that the horned raven makes a loud cry, similar to a lion's roar, anticipating a change in the weather. It can be distinguished at a distance of up to five kilometers. The appearance of the Kaffir Horned Raven is bright and memorable. The red skin around the eyes and on the front of the neck stands out against the background of black feathers. And its strong beak is capable of tossing up prey weighing more than three kilograms.

The Kaffir Horned Crow is listed in the Red Book as a vulnerable species. In captivity, with good care, the bird lives for more than 60 years, but reproduces very rarely. As the press service of the Moscow Zoo added, horned crows are very sensitive to external factors. Therefore, the long-awaited egg that appeared in the birds was immediately taken by the zoo staff to the incubator.

Now the chick lives separately from its parents. When he grows up, he will be placed in an aviary with adult birds. The crow's color is not yet bright. Its feathers and skin around its eyes are brown. The bird will turn black and red by the age of four to six years. The menu of the small predator is the same as that of its adult relatives. Adult birds are fed in the morning and evening. For breakfast they eat mice and quails, which the zoo staff hide throughout the enclosure - in hollows, under stones, between branches. This is done to keep the crows busy searching for food. For dinner, birds get insects (they are placed in plastic bottle) or nuts.

The horned raven at the Moscow Zoo is considered one of the smartest and most resourceful birds. They constantly find different objects in the enclosure and show them to each other. For example, if one finds a bright pebble, he brings it to the second. They also share food.

Horned crows are the only true predators of the hornbills. In nature, they feed mainly on grasshoppers, beetles and scorpions, but can catch a rodent, squirrel or young hare. In drought they will not refuse frogs, lizards and snakes. Sometimes they eat fruits and seeds. They spend most of their time on the ground, walking around the savannah. Horned crows live in small groups of two to 11 birds.

The baby boom continues at the Moscow Zoo. The zoo recently welcomed its first baby Asian catshark. The baby and his parents can be seen in the Exotarium pavilion at. Visitors can also look at the Asian elephant: it lives in the elephant colony on the old territory of the zoo. Growing European lynx settled in the cat row. The pavilion “African Animals” now houses a rare baby alpaca, and in the hoof row – a curly camel alpaca.

A Kaffir horned raven chick hatched for the first time at the Moscow Zoo

A Kaffir Horned Raven chick was born for the first time at the Moscow Zoo. The chick's parents have been living in the zoo for 20 years, but until now they have not had chicks. Since these birds are very sensitive to disturbance, the long-awaited egg was taken into the incubator.

The chick hatched in March and was raised by zoo staff. Now he is completely independent, eats adult food, but for now lives separately from his parents.

Kaffir Horned Raven- most close-up view from the hornbill family. Their length reaches 90-129 cm, adult birds have black plumage and bright red areas of skin on the head and neck; in females, a dark spot stands out against the background of the red throat. Young birds are brown, with areas of bare skin colored grey-brown. Horned crows reach sexual maturity at the age of 4-6 years and only by this time acquire adult coloration, so the sex of the chick is still unknown.

These birds live in the African savanna, south of the equator. The species is included in the International Red Book and has vulnerable status. In many areas it is protected by the local population due to traditional beliefs.

Horned crows have an unusual social organization, living in small groups (up to 11 individuals), consisting of a dominant pair of adult birds and their offspring, which remain with their parents after reaching sexual maturity. Young crows help their parents feed the chicks and protect the territory. The breeding pair keeps only immature chicks and males with them. And the females, as soon as they become sexually mature, are kicked out. Once the main male becomes old, the eldest son takes his place.

Horned crows are predators, feeding on invertebrates and other small animals - amphibians, reptiles, rodents. They spend most of their time on the ground, hunting, walking slowly across the savannah, often the entire group forms a chain and combs the territory in search of food; they often pursue large prey together.

This is what an adult Kaffir Horned Raven looks like

Horned crows reproduce very slowly, with an average of only 1 chick surviving every 9-10 years. Bird behavior is complex, varied and intelligent. At the zoo they know their keepers very well. The birds are constantly looking for various objects in the aviary, and when they find them, they show them to each other and begin to treat them to them. If one finds a bright pebble, he immediately runs and shows it to the other.

They are fed twice a day. In the morning - mice and quails, which the staff hide throughout the enclosure - in hollows, under stones, between branches, so that the crows are busy searching for food. For lunch - either insects, which are placed in a plastic bottle, or nuts. They are also given a mash in the form of balls of meat, cottage cheese, rice, eggs and vegetables.