Milwaukee County Zoo hand-raising adorable Victoria crowned pigeon chick

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The Milwaukee County Zoo is caring for its first Victoria crowned pigeon chick. The chick is being hand-raised due to difficulty with the egg hatching on its own.

According to a news release from the Milwaukee County Zoo, the chick -- who's sex will be determined by a blood test -- hatched Feb. 2. Initially the chick was being fed formula through a tube and eventually pellets were soaked in water and added to gruel. At 5 weeks of age, the chick weighed about 8.5 ounces.

Now at 2-months-old, it weighs just over 2 pounds. In addition to supplemental tube feeding, zookeepers are currently teaching the chick to eat on its own and offering it fruit and pellets.

The zoo says in the wild, Victoria crowned pigeons are native to New Guinea and are the largest birds in the dove/pigeon family.