Rare Philippine cockatoos hatch first chick in Bird Paradise; fewer than 750 birds left in the wild

The Philippine cockatoo chick, at about two months old (left), and now four months old. -- PHOTOS: MANDAI WILDLIFE GROUP

SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/ANN): A pair of rare Philippine cockatoos, known to be notoriously difficult to breed in captivity, hatched a chick in Bird Paradise four months ago and it is now learning to fly.

A breeding pair of the birds, also known as red-vented cockatoos, had hatched the chick 10 years since being rescued in Palawan and brought to Singapore, said the Mandai Wildlife Group and its conservation arm Mandai Nature in a statement on Thursday (Oct 16).