Recent News
Dolphin causes a stir at Somerset Long BayTuesday, August 13, 2013
A dolphin that was spotted yesterday at Somerset Long Bay may have been stranded. US marine mammal biologist Trevor Spradlin said the situation was similar to what he’s seen in the US, where dolphins have recently been found along the coast of Virginia up to New York.
Venti Anni takes off in Tour de Turtles race
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Crowds gathered at Clearwater Beach this morning when Venti Anni, a juvenile green sea turtle, was released as a part of the Tour de Turtles Race on the Rock.
Officials respond, dolphin very close to shore
Monday, August 12, 2013
A lone dolphin was spotted very close to shore in the West End today [Aug 12], and the Marine Police were called to the scene after receiving reports of what appeared to be a distressed marine mammal at Somerset Long Bay.
Longtail chicks might not be abandoned, but beware just in case
Friday, August 09, 2013
The Bermuda Aquarium Museum and Zoo (BAMZ) is calling for the public to look out for stranded Longtail chicks as the birds prepare for their first flights.
Going to be on the water this Cup Match? Spare a moment of thought for the Island's turtles
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Boating season is underway and local conservationists are urging the public to think green this Cup Match weekend — green sea turtles, that is.
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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!
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.
The first two chicks hatched from BAMZ residents
Kermit and Duane. Photos by S. Westhead
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.