The first Crested Ibis chicks of the season have been born in captivity in Japan.

Tama Zoo began raising two pairs of crested ibises in 2007, taking them from the Sado Crested Ibis Conservation Center, in cooperation with the Ministry of the Environment's Crested Ibis conservation and breeding project. Since then, they have added and replaced pairs, and continue to breed and raise the ibises in private.

Currently, seven facilities in Japan, including ours, are working on breeding Japanese crested ibises. We are pleased to announce that the first Crested Ibis chick of the season has been confirmed to have been born at one of these facilities.

Hatching status

Spawning date: March 2, 2026 (Monday)
Hatching date: Tuesday, March 31, 2026
Pair CQ pair
Female: 838/CC/21 (4 years old)
Born on May 6, 2021, at the Sado Crested Ibis Conservation Center.
Accepted by Tama Zoo on October 30, 2023
Male: 878/CI/22 (3 years old)
Born on May 6, 2022, at the Sado Crested Ibis Conservation Center.
Accepted by Tama Zoo on October 30, 2023
Egg-laying site: Tama Zoo breeding cage A (non-public facility)

background

This pair laid eggs on March 2nd, 4th, 8th, and 11th, with both parents taking turns incubating them. The egg laid on March 2nd hatched at 8:08 PM on Tuesday, March 31st. The chick is in good condition, and both parents are caring for it along with the remaining eggs.

Current status of animal care at our zoo (as of April 1, 2026)

7 chicks (4 males, 3 females, 1 of unknown species) *This includes chicks that hatched this time.

Breeding status in Japan (as of March 31, 2026)

7 facilities, 163 birds
Source: Sado Crested Ibis Conservation Center (Niigata Prefecture Press Release)

A newly hatched chick and its parent bird caring for it (photographed March 31, 2026)

(April 1, 2026)