London Zoo welcomes rare Socorro doves
Only 189 doves remain in 46 zoos worldwide.
The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) has welcomed three rare Socorro doves to London Zoo.
The species, which exists only in human care, were transported to the conservation zoo from Portugal’s Lagos Zoo at the end of 2024, as part of a project to save the species and reintroduce them to the wild.
The move forms part of the Socorro Dove Project, an international project that seeks to reintroduce the species to Mexico’s Socorro Island by 2030. Socorro doves are currently designated ‘extinct-in-the-wild’, and so global collaboration is needed for the doves’ conservation.
The three new arrivals join six other Socorro doves currently living at London Zoo. The move has also seen two additional doves transported to Chester Zoo for its own breeding programme.
The Socorro dove, once abundant on Socorro Island, has not been seen in the wild since 1971 and was declared extinct-in-the-wild in 1972.
Its ground-dwelling nature, as well as its lack of fear of predators, has made the species particularly vulnerable. Although the introduction of domestic cats in the 1950s is often blamed for the bird’s decline, habitat destruction from feral sheep had hit population numbers before the end of the 19th century.
Conservation efforts for the Socorro dove were first launched in 1926, when 17 doves were brought into zoo conservation programmes.
Today only 189 doves remain across 46 zoos worldwide.
To support the Socorro Dove Project’s 2030 goal, major habitat restoration is underway at Socorro Island. This is expected not only to help the Socorro dove, but also other endangered species including the Socorro mockingbird and the Socorro blue lizard.
Adrian Walls, team leader for tropical birds at London Zoo, said: “Once they’d finished their quarantine and we brought the three new doves into the Blackburn Pavilion, we were sure to give them some time to settle into their new home, as well as some of their favourite foods – a mixture of seeds, pellet and fruit.
“For us, the next step is introducing them each, one by one, to their potential mates in separate flying areas of the Pavilion, to let them get to know each other. Once our job as matchmaker is done, the Socorro doves will live as pairs and we will hopefully be one step closer to seeing some precious Socorro dove chicks this year.”
Visitors can see the Socorro doves in the Blackburn Pavilion at London Zoo.
Image © ZSL
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