Storks, Hamerkop, and Shoebill in North America

Great Argus

Great Argus

Well-Known Member
5+ year member
Big and bold though sometimes ugly, the storks tend to be a fairly common group in zoos. At least fifteen species of stork, plus both the Hamerkop and Shoebill are publicly displayed in North America. Using zoo websites and searching Zoochat, I have put together as best I can a list of where each species is currently displayed or housed. I have only used information pertaining within the last 3 years, to hopefully be as current as possible. I expect this list is incomplete, and information on both holders and numbers are gladly welcomed.

Currently only five of the fifteen species (and Hamerkop) are held at more than 5 institutions, according to what I've found. I suspect this number may rise with more information. While the Hamerkop and Shoebill are now considered closer to pelicans, since both are sometimes called storks and used to be considered closer to them, I have included them here.

Mycteria


Milky Stork (2 holders)

Audubon
San Diego

Yellow-billed Stork (6 holders)

Dallas
Fort Worth
Franklin Park
Jacksonville
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Zoo Tampa

Painted Stork (3 or 4 holders)

Bronx
Columbus?
Prospect Park
Zoo Miami

Wood Stork (2 holders)

Dallas
Houston


Anastomus


Asian Openbill (0 holders)

None

African Openbill (2 holders)

Lowry Park
San Diego


Ciconia


Abdim’s Stork (7 or 8 holders)

America’s Teaching Zoo
Boulder Ridge Wild Animal Park
Dallas?
Fort Worth
Jacksonville
Lincoln Park
Milwaukee
San Diego Zoo Safari Park

Woolly-necked Stork (0 holders)

Any left?

Storm’s Stork (4 holders?)

Bronx
Fort Worth
San Diego? (assumably?)
San Diego Zoo Safari Park

Maguari Stork (3 holders)

Audubon
Dallas (1.1?)
San Antonio

Oriental Stork (0 holders)

None

White Stork (11 holders)

Akron (still there?)
Brookfield
Cleveland Metroparks
Dallas
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Fort Wayne’s Children’s
Lincoln Park
Omaha
San Antonio
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Zoo Miami

Black Stork (2 holders)

Central Park
Dallas


Ephippiorhynchus


Black-necked Stork (2 holders)

San Antonio
Zoo Miami (1.1)

Saddle-billed Stork (12 holders)

Columbus
Dallas
Detroit
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Fort Worth
Kansas City
Lowry Park
Maryland
Nashville
Philadelphia
San Diego
Zoo Miami


Jabiru


Jabiru (1 holder)

Dallas World Aquarium


Leptoptilos


Lesser Adjutant (2 holders)

Bronx
Racine

Greater Adjutant (0 holders)

None

Marabou Stork (14 or 15 holders)

African Lion Safari
Audubon
Bronx
Cleveland Metroparks
Dallas
Gladys Porter
Honolulu
Houston
Indianapolis
Jacksonville
Memphis
Milwaukee
Racine?
San Francisco (1.1)
Toronto


Scopus


Hamerkop (20 holders)

Aquatica San Antonio
Bronx
Busch Gardens Tampa
Columbus
Dallas
Fort Worth
Honolulu
Jacksonville
Lincoln Park
Milwaukee
Oregon (1.1)
Philadelphia
San Antonio
San Diego
San Diego Zoo Safari Park (1.1)
San Francisco (1.1)
Santa Barbara
Toronto
Tulsa
Zoo Atlanta


Balaeniceps


Shoebill (3 holders)

Dallas World Aquarium
Houston
San Diego Zoo Safari Park (1.1)
 
Just a note: African Lion Safari also holds at least four white storks, so you might want to add that park to the list.
 
Last edited:
Great Argus said:
African Openbill (2 holders)

Lowry Park
San Diego
Click to expand...
Both San Diego parks, as well as Miami and Fort Worth.
Great Argus said:
Storm’s Stork (4 holders?)

Bronx
Fort Worth
San Diego? (assumably?)
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Click to expand...
None at SDZ, but perhaps one left at Miami.
Great Argus said:
Oriental Stork (0 holders)

None
Click to expand...
One individual is kept at Louisville.
Great Argus said:
Black Stork (2 holders)

Central Park
Dallas
Click to expand...
As well as a pair at Louisville.
 
I'll add more to this later today, but the NA shoebill population is as follows:

1.1 SDZSP
1.1 Houston
1.1 Zoo Tampa
1.1 Dallas World Aquarium (they might have one or two more kicking around off display, but I'm not 100% on that this exact moment)

All are wild caught except the female at Houston, she was hatched at Zoo Tampa.

Also all three black necked stork are male. 2.0 at Miami and 1.0 at San Antonio.
 
Cincinnati keeps Saddle-Billed Stork, and the ZooTampa has Marabous.

Also, Lowry Park keeps Hammerkop too.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Great Argus said:
Big and bold though sometimes ugly, the storks tend to be a fairly common group in zoos. At least fifteen species of stork, plus both the Hamerkop and Shoebill are publicly displayed in North America. Using zoo websites and searching Zoochat, I have put together as best I can a list of where each species is currently displayed or housed. I have only used information pertaining within the last 3 years, to hopefully be as current as possible. I expect this list is incomplete, and information on both holders and numbers are gladly welcomed.

Currently only five of the fifteen species (and Hamerkop) are held at more than 5 institutions, according to what I've found. I suspect this number may rise with more information. While the Hamerkop and Shoebill are now considered closer to pelicans, since both are sometimes called storks and used to be considered closer to them, I have included them here.

Mycteria


Milky Stork (2 holders)

Audubon
San Diego

Yellow-billed Stork (6 holders)

Dallas
Fort Worth
Franklin Park
Jacksonville
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Zoo Tampa

Painted Stork (3 or 4 holders)

Bronx
Columbus?
Prospect Park
Zoo Miami

Wood Stork (2 holders)

Dallas
Houston


Anastomus


Asian Openbill (0 holders)

None

African Openbill (2 holders)

Lowry Park
San Diego


Ciconia


Abdim’s Stork (7 or 8 holders)

America’s Teaching Zoo
Boulder Ridge Wild Animal Park
Dallas?
Fort Worth
Jacksonville
Lincoln Park
Milwaukee
San Diego Zoo Safari Park

Woolly-necked Stork (0 holders)

Any left?

Storm’s Stork (4 holders?)

Bronx
Fort Worth
San Diego? (assumably?)
San Diego Zoo Safari Park

Maguari Stork (3 holders)

Audubon
Dallas (1.1?)
San Antonio

Oriental Stork (0 holders)

None

White Stork (11 holders)

Akron (still there?)
Brookfield
Cleveland Metroparks
Dallas
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Fort Wayne’s Children’s
Lincoln Park
Omaha
San Antonio
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Zoo Miami

Black Stork (2 holders)

Central Park
Dallas


Ephippiorhynchus


Black-necked Stork (2 holders)

San Antonio
Zoo Miami (1.1)

Saddle-billed Stork (12 holders)

Columbus
Dallas
Detroit
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Fort Worth
Kansas City
Lowry Park
Maryland
Nashville
Philadelphia
San Diego
Zoo Miami


Jabiru


Jabiru (1 holder)

Dallas World Aquarium


Leptoptilos


Lesser Adjutant (2 holders)

Bronx
Racine

Greater Adjutant (0 holders)

None

Marabou Stork (14 or 15 holders)

African Lion Safari
Audubon
Bronx
Cleveland Metroparks
Dallas
Gladys Porter
Honolulu
Houston
Indianapolis
Jacksonville
Memphis
Milwaukee
Racine?
San Francisco (1.1)
Toronto


Scopus


Hamerkop (20 holders)

Aquatica San Antonio
Bronx
Busch Gardens Tampa
Columbus
Dallas
Fort Worth
Honolulu
Jacksonville
Lincoln Park
Milwaukee
Oregon (1.1)
Philadelphia
San Antonio
San Diego
San Diego Zoo Safari Park (1.1)
San Francisco (1.1)
Santa Barbara
Toronto
Tulsa
Zoo Atlanta


Balaeniceps


Shoebill (3 holders)

Dallas World Aquarium
Houston
San Diego Zoo Safari Park (1.1)
Click to expand...
Racine does not keep Marabous.

World Bird Sanctuary and Special Memories Zoo both keep Abdim's Stork.

Saint Louis keeps Saddle-Billed Stork.
 
Thank you all for the information! With these updates, sixteen species are now represented, and six species plus Hamerkop are have 5 or more holders.

Updated list is as follows:

Mycteria


Milky Stork (2 holders)

Audubon
San Diego

Yellow-billed Stork (6 holders)

Dallas
Fort Worth
Franklin Park
Jacksonville
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Zoo Tampa

Painted Stork (3 or 4 holders)

Bronx
Columbus?
Prospect Park
Zoo Miami

Wood Stork (2 holders)

Dallas
Houston


Anastomus


Asian Openbill (0 holders)

None

African Openbill (5 holders)

Fort Worth
Lowry Park
San Diego
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Zoo Miami


Ciconia


Abdim’s Stork (11 holders)

America’s Teaching Zoo
Boulder Ridge Wild Animal Park
Dallas?
Fort Worth
Jacksonville
Lincoln Park
Milwaukee
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Special Memories
Timbavati Wildlife Park
World Bird Sanctuary

Woolly-necked Stork (0 holders)

Any left?

Storm’s Stork (3 or 4 holders)

Bronx
Fort Worth
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Zoo Miami?

Maguari Stork (3 holders)

Audubon
Dallas (1.1?)
San Antonio

Oriental Stork (1 holder)

Louisville

White Stork (12 holders)

African Lion Safari
Akron (still there?)
Brookfield
Cleveland Metroparks
Dallas
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Fort Wayne’s Children’s
Lincoln Park
Omaha
San Antonio
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Zoo Miami

Black Stork (3 holders)

Central Park
Dallas
Louisville


Ephippiorhynchus


Black-necked Stork (2 holders)

San Antonio (1.0)
Zoo Miami (2.0)

Saddle-billed Stork (14 holders)

Cincinnati
Columbus
Dallas
Detroit
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Fort Worth
Kansas City
Lowry Park
Maryland
Nashville
Philadelphia
San Diego
St. Louis
Zoo Miami


Jabiru


Jabiru (1 holder)

Dallas World Aquarium


Leptoptilos


Lesser Adjutant (2 holders)

Bronx
Racine

Greater Adjutant (0 holders)

None

Marabou Stork (15 holders)

African Lion Safari
Audubon
Bronx
Cleveland Metroparks
Dallas
Gladys Porter
Honolulu
Houston
Indianapolis
Jacksonville
Memphis
Milwaukee
San Francisco (1.1)
Toronto
Zoo Tampa


Scopus


Hamerkop (21 holders)

Aquatica San Antonio
Bronx
Busch Gardens Tampa
Columbus
Dallas
Fort Worth
Honolulu
Jacksonville
Lincoln Park
Lowry Park
Milwaukee
Oregon (1.1)
Philadelphia
San Antonio
San Diego
San Diego Zoo Safari Park (1.1)
San Francisco (1.1)
Santa Barbara
Toronto
Tulsa
Zoo Atlanta


Balaeniceps


Shoebill (4 holders)

Dallas World Aquarium (1.1)
Houston (1.1)
San Diego Zoo Safari Park (1.1)
Zoo Tampa (1.1)
 
Side note, I am looking to create similar threads for various groups of birds if there is interest. Both to have an approximate list of what species are kept in NA and what their populations are, and to help know where to go see them.
 
To be clear, the Audubon milky storks are held at the Audubon Species Survival Center and not the Audubon Zoo, so they are not on public display. The Audubon Species Survival Center is home to:

3.7 Milky
2.1 Saddle-billed
6.4.4 Abdim's

The Cincinnati Zoo has 0.1 saddle-billed, and the Columbus Zoo has 0.2 saddle-billed.
 
Alright I can help add to this now!

African lion Safari has at least 1.1.3 white stork and 1.1.2 marabou

Honolulu should have 1.1 marabou, and they hold white stork as well

Toronto has 1.2 marabou and 2.0 hammerkop.

Calgary houses 1.1 Hammerkop

Miami has 0.0.1 white stork, 1.1 African open bill, and at least 0.0.8 painted stork

DWA's jabiru should be 0.2

Fort Worth has 0.0.2 storms stork
 
Great Argus said:
Side note, I am looking to create similar threads for various groups of birds if there is interest. Both to have an approximate list of what species are kept in NA and what their populations are, and to help know where to go see them.
Click to expand...
What other bird groups are planned?
 
birdsandbats said:
What other bird groups are planned?
Click to expand...
I have started collecting information on birds of prey (New and Old World vultures, the hawks, eagles, osprey, and secretarybird.) I was looking to work through all the families with fair number of species in captivity. Families like the albatrosses, petrels, frigatebirds, tropicbirds, and such that have very few if any captive representives in NA I might put together at the end. Penguins I would skip since Chlidonias covered them in his excellent thread, although it is for the world.
 
Update from the additions here and some others I found.

Mycteria


Milky Stork (2 holders)

Audubon (3.7)(offshow)
San Diego

Yellow-billed Stork (7 holders)

Dallas
Fort Worth
Franklin Park
Fresno Chaffee
Jacksonville
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Zoo Tampa

Painted Stork (3 or 4 holders)

Bronx
Columbus?
Prospect Park
Zoo Miami (0.0.8)

Wood Stork (3 holders)

Dallas
Houston
Sedgwick County


Anastomus


Asian Openbill (0 holders)

None

African Openbill (5 holders)

Fort Worth
Lowry Park
San Diego
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Zoo Miami (1.1)


Ciconia


Abdim’s Stork (15 holders)

America’s Teaching Zoo
Audubon (6.4.4)(offshow)
Boulder Ridge Wild Animal Park
Dallas?
Fort Worth
Fresno Chaffee
Jacksonville
Lee Richardson
Lincoln Park
Milwaukee
Safari West
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Special Memories
Timbavati Wildlife Park
World Bird Sanctuary

Woolly-necked Stork (0 holders)

Any left?

Storm’s Stork (3 or 4 holders)

Bronx
Fort Worth (0.0.2)
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Zoo Miami?

Maguari Stork (3 holders)

Audubon
Dallas (1.1?)
San Antonio

Oriental Stork (1 holder)

Louisville

White Stork (18 holders)

African Lion Safari (1.1.3)
Akron (still there?)
Brookfield
Cleveland Metroparks
Dallas
Dickerson Park
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Fort Wayne’s Children’s
Honolulu
Lincoln Park
Omaha
Safari West
San Antonio
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Sedgwick County
Tulsa
Zoo Miami (0.0.1)
Zoo Knoxville

Black Stork (4 holders)

Binder Park
Central Park
Dallas
Louisville


Ephippiorhynchus


Black-necked Stork (2 holders)

San Antonio (1.0)
Zoo Miami (2.0)

Saddle-billed Stork (19 holders)

Audubon (2.1)(offshow)
Cincinnati (0.1)
Columbus (0.2)
Dallas
Detroit
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Fort Worth
Franklin Park
Kansas City
Lowry Park
Maryland
Nashville
Philadelphia
Safari West
San Diego
Sedgewick County
St. Louis
Toledo
Zoo Miami


Jabiru


Jabiru (1 holder)

Dallas World Aquarium (0.1)


Leptoptilos


Lesser Adjutant (2 holders)

Bronx
Racine

Greater Adjutant (0 holders)

None

Marabou Stork (20 holders)

Abilene
African Lion Safari (1.1.2)
Albuquerque
Audubon
Brevard
Bronx
Cleveland Metroparks
Dallas
Gladys Porter
Greater Vancouver
Honolulu (1.1)
Houston
Indianapolis
Jacksonville
Lion Country Safari
Memphis
Milwaukee
San Francisco (1.1)
Toronto (1.2)
Zoo Tampa


Scopus


Hamerkop (30 holders)

Albuquerque
Aquatica San Antonio
Bronx
Busch Gardens Tampa
Calgary (1.1)
Cincinnati
Columbus
Dallas
Fort Worth
Franklin Park
Honolulu
Jacksonville
Lee Richardson
Lincoln Park
Lowry Park
Maryland
Milwaukee (1.1)
National Aviary
Oakland
Oregon (1.1)
Philadelphia
Safari West
San Antonio
San Diego
San Diego Zoo Safari Park (1.1)
San Francisco (1.1)
Santa Barbara
Toronto (2.0)
Tulsa
Zoo Atlanta


Balaeniceps


Shoebill (4 holders)

Dallas World Aquarium (1.1)
Houston (1.1)
San Diego Zoo Safari Park (1.1)
Zoo Tampa (1.1)
 
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