Madagascar birds in collections

Zoovolunteer

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
Hi all. Madagascar is famous for its lemurs, but it has many endemic birds as well. How many of these may be seen outside the island? Ones that I am aware of in captivity include:
Berniers Teal
Madagascar Turtle Dove
Madagascar Blue-Pigeon
Madagascar Red Fody
Eleanoras Falcon
Greater Vasa Parrot
Lesser Vasa Parrot
Madagascar Lovebird

Plus several species from mainland Africa that have a range extending to the island.

Any others?
 
Other species can be found in smaller numbers, but the AZA manages four Madagascar endemic bird species that can each be found in multiple US zoos: Crested Coua, Madagascar Teal, Madagascar Sacred Ibis, and Madagascar Pond Heron. Also present in AZA collections, that I'm aware of, are Vasa Parrots, Madagascar Crested Ibises, and Red Fody.
 
Thanks for the updates. I had overlooked Mellers Duck, but I was unaware of any Couas being in captivity outside Madagascar. It looks like Walsrode in Germany has a few Coua species plus the Malagasy Pond Heron, but in Europe it seems only a few zoos have any outside of parrots and waterfowl, and all three of Madagascars parrots are currently Least Concern.. Given how threatened most of Madagascars forests are, it looks like there is room for consideration of establishing populations of some of the land birds as well.
 
I've seen (bold: Madagascar endemic or near-endemic, non bold: Madagascar native but not endemic):

African darter at San Diego zoo
African openbill stork at Berlin tierpark and Pairi Daiza
African pygmy goose at Wuppertal zoo and Bronx zoo
African spoonbill at 5 zoos
African three-banded plover at Plzen zoo
Allen's gallinule at Best zoo
Barn owl (but not the African subspecies) at 3 zoos, private collections, pet shop and raptor show
Barn swallow at Wuppertal zoo
Black bulbul at San Diego zoo
Black parrot at 4 zoos
Black-crowned night heron at 3 zoos
Black-winged stilt at Antwerpen zoo, Cañada de los Pájaros and bird market
Blue coua at Wuppertal zoo
Cattle egret at 6 zoos
Comb-crested duck at 5 zoos
Common moorhen (but not the Madagascan subspecies) at London zoo and Artis royal zoo (both accidental introductions in aviaries)
Common quail at pet shops and private collection
Common ringed plover at Cologne zoo, Cañada de los Pájaros and bird market
Common sandpiper at Cañada de los Pájaros and bird market
Common stonechat (but not the Madagascan subspecies) at a bird market
Common tern at 3 zoos
Crested coua at San Diego zoo
Curlew sandpiper at Cañada de los Pájaros
Eurasian oystercatcher at 4 zoos
Glossy ibis at 5 zoos
Goliath heron at Plzen zoo
Greater flamingo everywhere
Green-backed heron at Valencia oceanographic and Barcelona zoo
Grey heron at 3 zoos
Hammerkop at 10 zoos
Harlequin quail at 5 zoos
Hottentot teal at Cañada de los Pájaros
Kelp gull at Faunia
Lesser flamingo at 5 zoos
Little bittern at Prague zoo and Best zoo
Little grebe at Prague zoo and Cologne zoo
Little stint at Cañada de los Pájaros
Madagascar crested ibis at 5 zoos
Madagascar lovebird at 3 zoos
Madagascar partridge at 3 zoos
Madagascar teal at 4 zoos
Madagascar turtle dove at Duisburg zoo and Parc Mervillieux
Meller's duck at 4 zoos
Namaqua dove (but not the Madagascan subspecies) at Plzen zoo, Tiergarten Schönbrunn, bird market and pet shop
Peregrine falcon (but not the Madagascan subspecies) at Pairi Daiza and private collection
Pied crow at Cañada de los Pájaros
Purple heron at Plzen zoo and Cañada de los Pájaros
Purple swamphen (but not the Madagascan subspecies) at 4 zoos
Red fody at 7 zoos
Red-billed teal at 3 zoos
Sacred ibis (but not the Madagascan subspecies) at 9 zoos
Squacco heron at Prague zoo and Cañada de los Pájaros
Vasa parrot at Loro Park and Parc Mervillieux
Whimbrel at Cañada de los Pájaros
Whiskered tern at Cañada de los Pájaros
White-backed duck (but not the Madagascan subspecies) at Wuppertal zoo
White-faced whistling duck at 10 zoos and private collection
 
Other species can be found in smaller numbers, but the AZA manages four Madagascar endemic bird species that can each be found in multiple US zoos: Crested Coua, Madagascar Teal, Madagascar Sacred Ibis, and Madagascar Pond Heron. Also present in AZA collections, that I'm aware of, are Vasa Parrots, Madagascar Crested Ibises, and Red Fody.
How many AZA institutions currently have Madagascar Pond Herons?
 
Looking at Zootierliste, in the recent past zoos in Europe imported many some Madagascar birds, including mesites. Unfortunately, they did not become established.
 
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