Storks in mixed exhibits

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Nathano

Well-Known Member
10+ year member
I know the topic of keeping storks and other large wetland birds in with largish mammals has been discussed on here before, but I was just wondering... are there any exhibits where storks are kept in with other birds and, if so, which ones?

Presumably, you can keep most storks in aviaries with other wetland birds (including other storks) and I imagine you could also keep marabous in aviaries in with vultures, but has anyone actually tried that?
 
Nathano said:
Presumably, you can keep most storks in aviaries with other wetland birds (including other storks) and I imagine you could also keep marabous in aviaries in with vultures, but has anyone actually tried that?
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Saddle-billed storks are stationary in Franklin Park Zoo's Tropical Forest, and yellow-billed storks are able to fly around the building. There are numerous other free-flight birds in the exhibit, such as ibis and hamerkop. The scarlet ibis in particular seem to especially like to hang around the stork exhibit, and to my knowledge, there haven't really been any incidents to come from this.
 
I feel like its not uncommon, especially with smaller storks like black or abdim storks.

Marabou are mixed wuth vultures in zoo Berlin if im not mistaken
 
Nathano said:
I imagine you could also keep marabous in aviaries in with vultures, but has anyone actually tried that?
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Dierenpark Amersfoort (in the Netherlands) has their Realm of beaks aviary with:
Western Eurasian griffon vulture, Dalmatian pelican, Yellow-billed stork, Marabou stork, Little egret, Hamerkop, Glossy ibis and Eurasian green-winged teal.

Blijdorp zoo (also in the Netherlands) has their Vulture Rock with:
Rüppel's griffon vulture, Hooded vulture, African white-backed vulture, White-headed vulture, Black kite, Secretary bird, Marabou stork, Hamerkop, Ruddy shelduck, Yellow-necked francolin and Helmeted guineafowl

Zoo Antwerpen (Belgium) has a Marshland aviary with:
Western Egyptian vulture, Hooded vulture, Black-crowned crane, Marabou stork, African sacred ibis, African comb duck and Abyssinian ground hornbill

And Parc des Oiseaux (France) has their giant African aviary with a long list of species I won't all list, but includes:
Egyptian vulture, Marabou stork, Black stork, Yellow-billed stork, Abdim's stork, African openbill, Multiple herons and egrets, Multiple parrot species, Lapwings, Francolins, Ducks and Ibises

Dierenpark Zie-Zoo (again, the Netherlands) is also currently building a new aviary intended for a mix of vultures, kites and Marabou
 
Nathano said:
I know the topic of keeping storks and other large wetland birds in with largish mammals has been discussed on here before, but I was just wondering... are there any exhibits where storks are kept in with other birds and, if so, which ones?

Presumably, you can keep most storks in aviaries with other wetland birds (including other storks) and I imagine you could also keep marabous in aviaries in with vultures, but has anyone actually tried that?
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When Fresno Chaffee Zoo's Africain Adventure first opened they housed Yellow-billed storks and Abdim's stork in the main savannah area with the pink backed pelicans and hoof stock according to old signage for savannah animals. They have since been phased out the exhibit.
 
Cotswold wildlife park, UK, has Black stork and Open Billed storks mixed with African Spoonbills and Waldrupp Ibis, in an aviary which has also featured them mixed with teal and purple swamphen in the past. In another enclosure Black stork are mixed with Sacred Ibis, Speckled pigeon (and Dik Dik) with Stanley cranes in an adjacent space. edited to add they also have ducks sometimes in the main White stork enclosure (Call ducks I believe, out of breeding season).

Hamerton zoo also in the UK has Marabou storks in an enclosure with Ruppell's griffon vultures and in an open topped area, White storks sharing with Grey crowned cranes (and Parma wallabies).
 
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Black storks are held with Dalmatian pelican, Lesser white-fronted goose & Common pochard in Berlin zoo.

Abdim's stork are also mixed at Berlin Zoo but with Hamerkop, Eurasian spoonbill, Grey-crowned crane & Red-breasted goose.
 
Antwerp Zoo not only has (marabou) storks in their marshland aviary, but also in the Buffalo aviary: in the latter are Abdim's and yellow-billed storks with African buffalo and numerous other bird species: black casqued hornbill, common Rueppells vulture, fulvous whistling duck, crested guineafowl, golden-breasted starling, hooded vulture, hadada ibis, hamerkop, lilac-breasted roller, Madagascar pond heron, southern bald ibis, speckled pigeon, superb starling, violet turaco, yellow-necked francolin, Von der Decken hornbill, white-faced whistling duck, African sacred ibis and African spoonbill.
 
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Prochilodus246 said:
They appeared to be in an aviary next to the southern ground hornbill yesterday.
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Is this in the zoo? If so they'll have been moved back in the past couple of days. Tierpark holds a separate group that is permanently housed with the pelicans and giraffes.

Tierpark also mixes various storks with various birds in the aptly named Stork Aviary. The list often changes but there's upwards of 15 separate species housed.
 
aardvark250 said:
I feel like its not uncommon, especially with smaller storks like black or abdim storks.
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It is very common in general, but I'm guessing it must not be in the UK given the poster is from there?

There are lots of European examples already listed, but I see mixed stork-plus-other-birds everywhere in Asian zoos. Some photos below.



Yellow-billed Storks at the KL Bird Park (Malaysia), in an aviary shared by about thirty other bird species (see KL Bird Park species list, October 2019 [Kuala Lumpur Bird Park]).



At Melaka Zoo (Malaysia), an aviary for Painted and Yellow-billed Storks, and various other wading birds such as herons, spoonbills and swamphens.



Painted Storks at Dusit Zoo (Thailand), in an aviary shared with adjutants, egrets, cormorants and ducks.



Painted Storks at Alipore Zoo (India), in an aviary shared with European Spoonbills and White Pelicans.



Yadanabon Zoo (Burma), an aviary with Black and Painted Storks and Greater Adjutants, along with a variety of other waterbirds including several species of ducks, Black Swans, Spot-billed Pelicans, Common Cranes, Glossy Ibis, herons and cormorants.



Naypyitaw Zoo (Burma), an aviary which has Woolly-necked Storks along with Griffon Vultures, Spot-billed Pelicans, egrets, swans and ducks.
 
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