While most of D.C. is trying to catch a rare glimpse of a Snowy Owl who is currently hanging out downtown, the National Zoo announced the hatching of a super-duper rare Micronesian Kingfisher.
The chick, who hatched January 1 at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, is one of only 129 known Micronesian Kingfishers in existence. They are extinct in the wild. From the National Zoo:
This species is extremely difficult to breed due to incompatibility between males and females and the inability of some parents to successfully raise their own chicks. Animal care staff are hand-raising the chick, which involves feeding it at two-hour intervals, seven to eight times per day.
No, you can’t see this Micronesian Kingfisher in person. But you can watch a video of it making very cute noises.