Eight incredibly rare dove chicks have hatched at Chester Zoo.

All remaining Socorro doves, which have been extinct in the wild for decades, are cared for in zoo conservation-breeding programmes across Europe and North America.

With approximately 200 birds representing the entire surviving population, eight chicks (known as squabs) have hatched in Chester this summer. 

Some are now fully fledged, with another clutch of eggs possibly on the way. 

Chester Zoo cares for two breeding pairs of Socorro doves, supporting the wider conservation-breeding effort. 

Socorro doves originally lived on Socorro Island off the coast of Mexico, but a mixture of factors led to their extinction in the wild. 

"Historically, the Socorro dove had few natural predators and the island remained uninhabited by people," said Andrew Owen, head of the bird department at Chester Zoo.

"Sheep introduced in the 1800s caused extensive damage to the wild vegetation and in 1957 a naval base was established on the island.

"Naval staff and their families brought domestic cats which became feral and caused tremendous damage to the native wildlife, including the Socorro dove population, which was last seen in the wild in 1972. 

"Sadly, the Socorro dove was overlooked by conservationists for many years and if it wasn't for the efforts of a group of German aviculturists, who created a breeding programme for the species, it would have been lost forever."

The Socorro dove conservation breeding programme was formally established in 1995, when the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) approved it as a European Endangered Species Programme (EEP).

Despite their modest appearance, the species has unique behaviours.  

Unlike other species of doves, Socorro doves do not live in flocks, preferring to pair off or live individually. They also share chick-rearing duties. 

Clare Rafe, assistant team manager for birds, added: "It's a 50-50 arrangement most of the time, but we have found the females will raise their chicks up to a point and then become ready to mate again.

"It's very intense for them, but it's a way of increasing their numbers rapidly – which they need to do to survive. 

"The males can be quite territorial and aggressive, which makes pairing them tricky but we've found one of them has transferred that into protectiveness for his chicks." 

Andrew Owen added that the two breeding pairs at Chester Zoo, and their youngsters, are part of a broader effort to boost the species. 

He said: "Our role at Chester Zoo is helping to maintain the insurance population and hopefully, at some point our birds will support the work done by ZSL and Frankfurt, and their descendants will see Socorro Island."