Press Releases
Minnesota Zoo Welcomes First Babies of 2011
Two new wood partridge chicks make first babies of the New Year
Apple Valley, MINN – January 12, 2011 – The Minnesota Zoo welcomed its first babies of 2011 when
two crested wood partridge chicks or “roul roul” hatched on January 5. The Zoo is one of the
most successful zoos in the United States for breeding/raising crested wood partridges.
Since 1978 when the Minnesota Zoo opened, it has welcomed 234 chicks.
Crested Wood Partridge Facts
Considered gamebirds in the pheasant family, crested wood partridges are plump birds with
small heads and short wings that can help them escape predators. They are native to the rain
forests of Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Sumatra, and Borneo. Males and females look very
different: males are bluish-black in color with a bright red crest; females are green. They spend a
lot of time foraging the ground for insects and other food. Crested wood partridges live in
groups of up to 15 birds. Breeding pairs dig tunnel-like nests, which are hidden beneath leaves
on the rainforest floor.
Minnesota Zoo Crested Wood Partridge Chicks
Although several crested wood partridges are on exhibit in the Zoo’s Tropics Asian Bird Aviary,
the two new chicks are not currently on exhibit. They will be released into the Aviary once they
are old enough to care for themselves.
The Minnesota Zoo is located in Apple Valley, just minutes south of Mall of America. For more information, call 952.431.9500 or visit mnzoo.org. The Minnesota Zoo is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and an institutional member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA).
