For the first time in over 360 years, pelican chicks have hatched in St James's Park, London. The chicks, born to the park's resident great white pelicans, have survived their first month, much to the delight of park staff.
Historic Hatching
The first of four chicks hatched on 17 May. All have now survived their first month, according to Mark Wasilewski, manager of The Royal Parks. "This really is a first for us," he said. "We're gobsmacked."
Pelicans have been living in the park since 1664, when the Russian ambassador presented a pair to King Charles II as a gift. However, none ever bred until now.
The Pelican Community
There are six adult great white pelicans in the park: two males named Sun and Moon, and four females named Star, Isla, Tiffany, and Gargi. Pelicans typically breed when in large groups of 10 or more, but this small group has defied expectations.
Five eggs were laid in three nests. Eight-year-old Star and 30-year-old Gargi, described as an "elderly female pelican," shared sitting on one nest. "One of the two males must have impregnated one of them, but we don't know which female laid the eggs or which male is the father," Wasilewski said.
Chick Development
The chicks have a ferocious appetite, which is a good sign. They are described as "ever so ugly," with one person saying they look like little dinosaurs. They are completely black, featherless, and have pointed bills. They are beginning to grow a furry chestnut-brown down and will start getting feathers at eight or nine weeks old.
They are just beginning to waddle around the nest but are vulnerable until they take to the water with their parents at about 12 weeks old. Visitors are urged to give them space and avoid disturbing them.
"They're growing at an enormously fast rate. Week one: they were the size of a pigeon. Week two: they were the size of a very small duck. Now the eldest is probably about 2ft high," Wasilewski said.
Expert Care
Wasilewski is working with Blackpool Zoo, Royal Veterinary College, ZSL, and the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust to provide expert care for the chicks. He expressed delight at the hatching: "Our wildest dreams were fulfilled. It's absolutely delightful... with the world as it is, to see something like this. It's nature at its best."
Wildlife officers have enjoyed seeing the mothers nestling the youngsters under their wings. The pelicans were enclosed on Duck Island during the avian flu outbreak earlier this year and were released on 9 April. "On 13 April, we discovered they were making a nest. So when you're cooped on Duck Island with nothing to do for several weeks, we know now what they do," Wasilewski joked. "There was no television to watch."
