Chester Zoo conservationists are celebrating the successful hatching of eight Socorro dove chicks, bringing fresh hope to a species that has been completely extinct in the wild for over half a century. These remarkable birds, known as squabs, represent precious additions to a total global population of only 200 Socorro doves that survive today exclusively in zoo conservation programs across Europe and North America. The species vanished from their native Socorro Island off the coast of Mexico in 1972 due to a devastating combination of introduced sheep that destroyed vegetation, feral cats brought by naval personnel, and the establishment of a naval base that disrupted their natural habitat. Without the foresight of German aviculturists who created an emergency breeding program, these doves would have been lost forever to extinction.
Clare Rafe, assistant team manager for birds at Chester Zoo, explains that despite looking “quite plain and brown from a distance,” these doves have shimmery blusher-like markings on their heads and surprisingly big personalities, with males being notably aggressive rather than peaceful. The zoo cares for two breeding pairs, and the unique 50-50 parenting arrangement means fathers often take over chick-rearing duties when mothers become ready to start new clutches. Unlike other dove species, Socorro doves prefer to live in pairs or individually rather than flocks, adapting their breeding cycles to brief nesting windows between storms and heat waves in their original island habitat. These eight new chicks not only bolster the crucial insurance population but also demonstrate that dedicated conservation efforts can quite literally bring species back from the brink of extinction.