Papuan hornbill chick hatches at Moscow Zoo

Visitors to the Moscow Zoo (managed by the Moscow Department of Culture) can see a young Papuan hornbill, the third chick born to a pair of rare birds. It spent several months in the nest after hatching; now it resides with its parents in the House of Birds in the zoo’s old part.

“The chick’s sex has already been determined; it is a male. When the chick first left the hollow, it was almost the same size as its parents, Nun and Ra. The only thing that gives away its young age is the absence of a horn on its beak; it will grow later, as it is usual in all adult individuals,” says Svetlana Akulova, CEO of the Moscow Zoo.

Papuan hornbills belong to the family Bucerotidae. They are diurnal birds inhabiting the rainforests of the southern Maluku Islands and are distinguished by their loud voices. In the wild, Papuan hornbills do not build nests but use tree hollows as shelters instead.

After mating, the female incubates one egg for about a month and a half. For Nun and Ra, the Moscow Zoo’s staff prepared a wooden barrel and a nesting box designed to closely imitate the natural environment.

The birds’ diet includes papaya fruit, pears, kiwi fruit, bananas, grapes, and other berries, vegetables, protein-rich foods, and specialized compound feed. In winter, they also eat mango and persimmon fruits.

The Moscow Zoo is a rapidly growing space; it is engaged in scientific research, hosts international conferences, and delivers educational programs, while creating a unique atmosphere for introducing visitors to the amazing world of wild animals.

In early 2025, its population reached 1,253 animal species — a world record, and, in 2026, the figure exceeded 1,280.