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See the first-ever Socorro dove to hatch at Whipsnade Zoo

This rare species of bird has been extinct in the wild since 1972, but is now being brought back thanks to an international breeding programme

By ÐÔÊӽ紫ý

1 October 2025

An Extinct-in-the-wild Socorro dove chick (right) and its father at Whipsnade Zoo (c) Whipsnade Zoo

Whipsnade Zoo

This 8-week-old Socorro dove chick is the first of its kind to hatch at , in Bedfordshire, UK. The rare bird species, native to Socorro Island, Mexico, was declared to be extinct in the wild in 1972. There are now around 200 Socorro doves in institutions around the world, as part of a breeding programme, with the aim of one day returning the birds to their natural habitat.

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