Recent News

5 Ft Long Dead Moray Eel Washes Up On Beach
Tuesday, August 20, 2013

[Updated] What appears to be a dead eel was found washed up on an east end beach this afternoon [Aug 20].


Bermuda Zoological Society's "Reef Watch"
Monday, August 19, 2013

The Bermuda Zoological Society is hosting a “Reef Watch” on Saturday, August 31, which is designed to raise funds for reef conservation. Boats will depart at 12 noon, and the field report and dinner will take place at Barr’s Park from 4pm to 7pm.


Volunteers wanted for Island's first Reef Watch
Monday, August 19, 2013

The Bermuda Zoological Society (BZS) is calling all citizen scientists to help them carry out a health check on one of Bermuda’s most valuable resources ­­— its coral reef system.


BAMZ curator hopes dolphin is outside the reefline
Friday, August 16, 2013

Authorities are still on the lookout for the lone dolphin that was feared stranded in Somerset Long Bay.


UK Zoo continues work with Bermuda skinks
Thursday, August 15, 2013

After finding themselves a new home in the Chester Zoo in the United Kingdom earlier this summer, the troubled Bermuda skink is getting a new chance at success as a species as zoo officials begin putting together a guide aimed at helping those with a hand in conservation services on the island to more easily breed and protect the highly endangered lizard.



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Latest News

All the latest updates and news from the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum, and Zoo, one of Bermuda's leading visitor attractions!

Breeding Success! Tawny Frogmouth Chicks
Bermuda Zoological Society
Wednesday, July 01, 2015

By Sara Westhead

There has been a lot of excitement in the Zoo over the past few months with the birth of three Tawny Frogmouth chicks.

The threesome are the offspring of Kermit and Duane, who have resided in the Australasia exhibit for the last one and a half years, having arrived in October, 2013.

Natives of Australia and Tasmania, Tawny Frogmouths are most closely related to oilbirds and nightjars. They are carnivorous, dieting mostly on nocturnal insects, as well as small mammals, reptiles and amphibians. They do much of their hunting at dusk.

In the wild, they typically breed from August to December, however, because Bermuda is located in a different hemisphere, this has been reversed to January through May. They typically form partnerships for life and will take turns incubating eggs on the nest, rarely leaving the nest unattended.

BZS_150707_9a.jpg
The first two chicks hatched from BAMZ residents
Kermit and Duane.
 Photos by S. Westhead

BZS_150701_9b.jpg

What makes these chicks particularly special is that Kermit, our male, has not previously been genetically represented in the tawny frogmouth population. His offspring are important as they will contribute to genetic diversity within the population that are in human care.

Also significant is the fact that Kermit is 18 years of age. In the wild, Tawny’s will usually live between 10 to 14 years, and in human care, there are only eight recorded males that have reproduced after the age of 17 years.

The oldest two chicks were born on March 21st, 2015 and March 28th, 2015, and are already on display in the Australasia exhibit, however they have been placed in an enclosure for their protection. The third chick was born on May 5th, 2015, and will hopefully be big enough to join its siblings in the near future.

The tawnies are a part of a Species Survival Protection breeding programme and the manager of that programme will recommend where the new chicks should be placed, in order to best maintain the breeding population. Those recommendations are generally issued annually, so for the next few months, they will still be calling BAMZ home.