Prague Zoo Pelicans Make History with First-Ever Chicks in London's St James's Park

For the first time in its 360-year history, pelican chicks have successfully hatched in London's St James's Park. The parents are a breeding pair donated by Prague Zoo seven years ago, marking a historic milestone for the Royal Park.

Pelicans have lived in London's St James's Park for centuries, but for the first time in the park's 360-year history, chicks have successfully hatched. The parents are a breeding pair donated by Prague Zoo to the Royal Park seven years ago.

The history of pelicans in the royal park dates back to the 17th century. In 1664, King Charles II received the first pelicans as a gift from the Russian ambassador after transforming the former marshland and royal deer park into a public park.

Foto: St James’s Park and The Green Park | Zoo Praha

What began as a diplomatic gift of the distinctive birds, known for their large bills and expandable throat pouches, gradually became a long-standing tradition. Prague Zoo has played an important role in continuing that legacy. The first four pelicans from Prague arrived in the heart of London in 1995, followed by another three in 2013. A further three birds made the 17-hour journey from the Czech Republic to England in 2019 while still young. They settled into the park's lake, where they can even be seen from the windows of Buckingham Palace.

Although pelicans have been kept in St James's Park for centuries, they had never successfully bred there. Until this May, every bird had either been imported or donated. That changed with the hatching of four chicks, marking a historic milestone for the famous Royal Park.

Foto: St James’s Park and The Green Park | Zoo Praha

"The first chick hatched on 17 May, with the remaining three following over the next seven days. Two of them have already ventured onto the water for the first time. We are absolutely delighted with this development," said park manager Mark Wasilewski.

The young pelicans are being naturally reared by their parents on one of the park's islands without any intervention from keepers.