Socorro doves breeding at Edinburgh zoo.

08/07/2007 00:00:00 The Socorro dove, now extinct in the wild, has been breeding succesfully at Edinburgh zoo. The Socorro dove has been extinct in the wild for more than 30 years, having been last sighted in its natural habitat in 1972. Endemic to the island of Socorro, 600 miles off the western coast of Mexico, Socorro doves died out after falling prey to a rising number of feral cats in the area, populations of which have now begun to be brought under control. Overgrazing sheep also destroyed much of their forest floor habitat and the birds were also hunted by humans for food. Work is already underway to eradicate both sheep and cats from the island completely before reintroduction.

Edinburgh Zoo is involved in the breeding programme and planned reintroduction to the Socorro Islands. No specific date has been set but it is hoped that the first phase of reintroduction will take place in 2007. At first around 20 doves will be released into specially constructed aviaries to adapt to the conditions on the island, all going well they will then be released.

Colin Oulton, Head Keeper of Birds at Edinburgh Zoo said: ‘It is important to reintroduce them back into the wild because they don’t exist anywhere other than zoos. Were it not for the fact that some were kept in captivity they would already be lost forever as the species has been extinct in the wild for over 30 years. At Edinburgh Zoo we received our first consignment of doves in 2005 and we have since bred 11 chicks.

Birds from a range of zoos are expected to make up the first 20 to be taken back to their natural habitat. Scientific programmes are currently underway to identify the doves which are the best, in terms of genetics, to release in the first phase.’