At his family home in Staicele parish, Mārtiņš Kovisārs has realised a long-held dream of creating his own bird garden. It brings together poultry of various species and breeds. I visited Mārtiņš a couple of years ago, just after he had opened his bird garden to the wider public. Even then, he said he wanted to expand his collection of animals. And he has succeeded! Over these past couple of years, the farmstead has welcomed several delightful two-legged and four-legged newcomers – emu chicks, Saxony ducks, Chinese painted quail, a family of miniature pigs, miniature goats and a pony.

One of the most unusual additions to Mārtiņš’s collection is the emu chicks. The emu is a flightless bird native to Australia. A fully grown individual can reach a height of 2 metres. Currently, the roughly month-old chicks can still be easily picked up and held. They are interested in everything that moves. (...)
Photograph from the original article