United States Disneys Discovery Island, Florida 1979
- Thread starter Butch
- Start date
Komodo Dragon
Well-Known Member
Great footage from 1987:
A Visit to Discovery Island 1987 - YouTube
This zoo is also kept the final known specimens of the Dusky Seaside Sparrow ((Ammospiza maritima nigrescens) which was declared extinct in 1990.
A Visit to Discovery Island 1987 - YouTube
This zoo is also kept the final known specimens of the Dusky Seaside Sparrow ((Ammospiza maritima nigrescens) which was declared extinct in 1990.
Summer Tanager
Well-Known Member
Thank you for starting this thread (Butch) and thank you Komodo Dragon for posting the video! The video brought back a lot of memories. I visited the island early in 1990 with a friend who worked at Sea World Orlando at the time. I remember that there was an impressive bird collection with a large aviary for Scarlet Ibis, Roseate Spoonbills, and Sacred Ibis. There was a large hornbill collection with Great Hornbill, White-crested Hornbill (the African species with a long black tail), Rhinoceros Hornbill, and I think Southern Ground Hornbill. There was also a toucan collection with at least Toco and Keel-billed toucans. There were Australian Brush Turkey's roaming free on the island along with some Reeve's Muntjacs. Demoiselle Crane, East African Crowned Crane, and I think Sarus Crane, as well as Caribbean and Chilean flamingos. I also remember lots of wild White Ibis and Great Egrets, as well as Black Vultures, which were already creating problems for the flamingos (depredating eggs and chicks). It was a cool place and I'm sad to see it go.
Summer Tanager
Well-Known Member
Thank you for starting this thread (Butch) and thank you Komodo Dragon for posting the video! The video brought back a lot of memories. I visited the island early in 1990 with a friend who worked at Sea World Orlando at the time. I remember that there was an impressive bird collection with a large aviary for Scarlet Ibis, Roseate Spoonbills, and Sacred Ibis. There was a large hornbill collection with Great Hornbill, White-crested Hornbill (the African species with a long black tail), Rhinoceros Hornbill, and I think Southern Ground Hornbill. There was also a toucan collection with at least Toco and Keel-billed toucans. There were Australian Brush Turkey's roaming free on the island along with some Reeve's Muntjacs. Demoiselle Crane, East African Crowned Crane, and I think Sarus Crane, as well as Caribbean and Chilean flamingos. I also remember lots of wild White Ibis and Great Egrets, as well as Black Vultures, which were already creating problems for the flamingos (depredating eggs and chicks). It was a cool place and I'm sad to see it go.
kermodei
Well-Known Member
Discovery Island was indeed the final stage for the dusky seaside sparrow, as well as for efforts to conserve the subspecies. In '83, the last four pure birds (all male) were moved to Discovery Island from the Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo, and were subsequently bred with females of the closely related Scott's seaside sparrow (Ammospiza maritima peninsulae). Initial breeding efforts were successful in producing a handful of hybrid offspring, but for one reason or another the project didn't produce more, and with the death of the last pure dusky in 1987 (incidentally, the same year as that video was taken!), the breeding program was terminated.
(One of the last four pure duskies in 1984 x)
It's not often that the extinction of an animal can be traced so precisely and, to me, it adds an extra layer of emotion to the story of Discovery Island.
Bonus note, I happened upon an eBay listing for photo slides from a family's vacation to the island in May, 1982, which show a variety of birds. I've included them in the spoiler below:
