The greater coucal was raised by keepers at Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens in Oxfordshire after its parents needed help.
Staff cared for the chick in the park’s dedicated incubation facility, giving it the best chance of survival.
Greater Coucal named “Skunk” at Cotswold Wildlife Park. (Image: Cotswold Wildlife Park / SWNS)
Named Skunk, it has a black body and a crest of white feathers.
The newly hatched bird needed feeding every two hours during the day because of its big appetite.
It weighed 10.9 grams at hatching, but grew quickly to 240 grams and reached adult size in just over a month.
Two more eggs were laid by the parents and were also hand-reared by the team.
Those chicks were named Badger and Bodger. They have now outgrown their incubator and joined Skunk in an off-show aviary.
All three remain under the watchful eye of keepers.
A baby bird which looks like a skunk and has been named Skunk, has been hand-reared at a wildlife park – a UK zoological collection first. (Image: Cotswold Wildlife Park / SWNS)
Head keeper Natalie Horner said: “The chicks hatch with the most amazing feather composition, giving them a rather unique look.”
Head keeper Natalie Horner said: “Their striking black-and-white colouring has certainly inspired their names and they really are some of the most memorable-looking chicks we’ve ever hand-reared.”
The park is celebrating three first-time breeding successes involving Blacksmith Plovers, Emerald Doves and Greater Coucals.
Female adult Coucal – mother to “Skunk” (Image: Cotswold Wildlife Park / SWNS)
Head keeper Natalie Horner said: “We’ve had a great bird breeding season this year including two clutches of Blacksmith Plover chicks.
“Three chicks in each clutch! They have all now fully fledged and moved into their own aviaries off show.”
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