Pelicans, Cormorants, & Darters in North America

[Great Argus]

While not technically related anymore, these three still fit well together. As usual, I used no information older than June 2016. Information on holders or species not listed is very much welcome, as always!

I was surprised how low overall this group came out considering how widespread and common they are. American White and Brown Pelicans were the most common as I expected, almost all rehab birds. Pink-backed Pelican was the only other reasonably widespread species. Also worth noting was that many zoos that did have them often had 2-3 other members of the groups here as well (San Diego, SDZ Safari Park, Dallas, Bronx, etc).
Surely there must be a few more rehabbed Anhinga than just the one at the Bronx?

 

[Great Argus]

Pelicans - Pelecanus


American White Pelican (18 holders)

Alexandria
Brookfield
Fort Worth
Idaho Falls
John Ball
Memphis
NEW
Northeastern Wisconsin
Pueblo
Sacramento
Salisbury
San Antonio
San Francisco
Scovill
Sedgwick County
St Louis
Tracy Aviary
Zoo Miami

Brown Pelican (16 holders)

Alexandria
Bronx
California Living Museum
Cameron Park
Columbus
Dallas
Fort Worth
Fresno Chaffee
Jacksonville
Lion Country Safari
National
National Aviary
New York Aquarium
San Antonio
San Francisco
Santa Barbara

Peruvian Pelican (1 holder)

Bronx

Great White Pelican (6 holders)

Dallas
Fort Wayne’s Children’s
San Diego
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Sedgwick County
Toronto

Australian Pelican (0 holders)

None?

Pink-backed Pelican (13 holders)

African Lion Safari
Cincinnati
Detroit
Fort Worth (site says P-b, but their photo looks like Great White to me.)
Fresno Chaffee
Jacksonville
Maryland
Omaha
San Diego
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
San Francisco
Sedgwick County
Turtle Back

Dalmatian Pelican (3 holders)

Columbus
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Toledo

Spot-billed Pelican (0 holders)

None


Cormorants


Phalacrocorax

Double-crested Cormorant (4 holders)

Jacksonville
Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science
St Louis
Tracy Aviary

White-breasted Cormorant (6 holders)

Dallas
Maryland
Racine
San Diego
San Diego Zoo Wild Animal Park
Toronto

Brandt’s Cormorant (1 holder?)

SeaWorld San Diego? (offshow)


Microcarbo

Little Pied Cormorant (1 holder)

Toronto


Darters - Anhinga


Anhinga (1 holder)

Bronx

African Darter (1 holder)

San Diego

 

[birdsandbats]

Pelicans - Pelecanus


American White Pelican (18 holders)

Alexandria
Brookfield
Fort Worth
Idaho Falls
John Ball
Memphis
NEW
Northeastern Wisconsin
Pueblo
Sacramento
Salisbury
San Antonio
San Francisco
Scovill
Sedgwick County
St Louis
Tracy Aviary
Zoo Miami

Brown Pelican (16 holders)

Alexandria
Bronx
California Living Museum
Cameron Park
Columbus
Dallas
Fort Worth
Fresno Chaffee
Jacksonville
Lion Country Safari
National
National Aviary
New York Aquarium
San Antonio
San Francisco
Santa Barbara

Peruvian Pelican (1 holder)

Bronx

Great White Pelican (6 holders)

Dallas
Fort Wayne’s Children’s
San Diego
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Sedgwick County
Toronto

Australian Pelican (0 holders)

None?

Pink-backed Pelican (13 holders)

African Lion Safari
Cincinnati
Detroit
Fort Worth (site says P-b, but their photo looks like Great White to me.)
Fresno Chaffee
Jacksonville
Maryland
Omaha
San Diego
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
San Francisco
Sedgwick County
Turtle Back

Dalmatian Pelican (3 holders)

Columbus
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Toledo

Spot-billed Pelican (0 holders)

None


Cormorants


Phalacrocorax

Double-crested Cormorant (4 holders)

Jacksonville
Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science
St Louis
Tracy Aviary

White-breasted Cormorant (6 holders)

Dallas
Maryland
Racine
San Diego
San Diego Zoo Wild Animal Park
Toronto

Brandt’s Cormorant (1 holder?)

SeaWorld San Diego? (offshow)


Microcarbo

Little Pied Cormorant (1 holder)

Toronto


Darters - Anhinga


Anhinga (1 holder)

Bronx

African Darter (1 holder)

San Diego

NEW and Northeastern Wisconsin are the same zoo.

American White Pelican also kept at World Bird Sanctuary. (The surprisingly low may in part be due to the fact that this species is hard to rescue).

Brown Pelican also kept by World Bird Sanctuary.

Racine no longer keeps White-Breasted Cormorant.

 

[Great Argus]

NEW and Northeastern Wisconsin are the same zoo.

American White Pelican also kept at World Bird Sanctuary. (The surprisingly low may in part be due to the fact that this species is hard to rescue.

Thanks for that! I see it now!

I could see that AWP could be difficult to rescue in size, do you know more specifics on why they're hard to rescue?

 

[birdsandbats]

Thanks for that! I see it now!

I could see that AWP could be difficult to rescue in size, do you know more specifics on why they're hard to rescue?

Their large size is part of it. The other part is that AWPs get very stressed when captured, and often die very quickly. Many times, injured pelicans aren't even attempted to be rescued because of this.

 

[Erythrogaster]

Columbus, dallas, phoenix, Toledo and Sd Safari Park have the Dalmatian Pelicon.

San Diego Zoo does not keep the pink-backed Plican

 

[Chlidonias]

I was surprised how low overall this group came out considering how widespread and common they are.

I'm really surprised how few zoos have pelicans in North America, according to your list. Do you think this is an artifact of the research (i.e. not being able to find the information) or a genuine representation of holder numbers?

 

[Great Argus]

I'm really surprised how few zoos have pelicans in North America, according to your list. Do you think this is an artifact of the research (i.e. not being able to find the information) or a genuine representation of holder numbers?

I expect it is not 100% accurate, but feel it's close... my starting point for these threads is visiting approximately 150 websites of zoos and aquariums across the US and Canada, and compile a list with the species listed on the sites. Using that list I then search the Zoochat gallery and forum for each species I've found so far. The extensive photos and reviews by @snowleopard and @geomorph in particular have been very useful sources. At that point I post the list in a thread, and get information from members, updating the list every so often. Lot of work to compile, but proving very interesting!

 

[Kudu21]

Pelicans - Pelecanus


American White Pelican (18 holders)

Alexandria
Assiniboine
Audubon
Baton Rouge
Big Bear Alpine Zoo
Birmingham
Bramble Park
Brookfield
Caldwell
California Living Museum
Fort Worth
Great Plains
Guatemala City
Hutchison Zoo
Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park
Idaho Falls
John Ball
Kansas City
Lee Simmons Conservation Park
Louisiana Purchase Gardens
Memphis
NEW
Parc Safari
Phoenix
Pueblo
Sacramento
Salisbury
San Antonio
San Francisco
Scovill
Sedgwick County
St Louis
Sunset Zoo
Tracy Aviary
Valley Zoo
Willow Park
Zoo Miami

Brown Pelican (16 holders)

Alexandria
Audubon
Baton Rouge
Bronx
California Living Museum
Cameron Park
Columbus
Chapultec
Dallas
Flamingo Las Vegas
Fort Worth
Fresno Chaffee
Georgia Sea Turtle Center
Guatemala City
Hattiesburg Zoo
Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park
Jacksonville
Lion Country Safari
National
National Aviary
New York Aquarium
Palm Beach
Phoenix
San Antonio
San Francisco
Santa Barbara
Virginia Living Museum
Zoo Tampa

Peruvian Pelican (1 holder)

Bronx

Great White Pelican (6 holders)

Audubon
Columbus
Dallas
Fort Wayne’s Children’s
Honolulu
San Diego
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Sedgwick County
Toronto

Australian Pelican (0 holders)

None?

Pink-backed Pelican (13 holders)

African Lion Safari
Audubon
Bright's
Cincinnati
Detroit
Disney's AK
Fort Worth (site says P-b, but their photo looks like Great White to me.)
Fresno Chaffee
Jacksonville
Maryland
Omaha
Phoenix
San Diego
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
San Francisco
Sedgwick County
Turtle Back

Dalmatian Pelican (3 holders)

Columbus
Dallas
Phoenix
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Toledo

Spot-billed Pelican (0 holders)

None


Cormorants


Phalacrocorax

Double-crested Cormorant (4 holders)

Abilene
Caldwell
Cameron Park
Georgia Sea Turtle Center
Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park
Florida Aquarium
Jacksonville
Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science
St Louis
Tracy Aviary
Virginia Living Museum
Zoo Tampa

White-breasted Cormorant (6 holders)

Audubon
Dallas
Maryland
Racine
San Diego
San Diego Zoo Wild Animal Park
Toledo
Toronto

Brandt’s Cormorant (1 holder?)

SeaWorld San Diego? (offshow)

Neotropic Cormorant (1 holder)
Caldwell

Great Cormorant (1 holder)
Georgia Sea Turtle Center


Microcarbo

Little Pied Cormorant (1 holder)

Toronto


Darters - Anhinga


Anhinga (1 holder)

Bronx
Georgia Sea Turtle Center

African Darter (1 holder)

San Diego

I have added collections in bold and marked those I could not confirm in red.

 

[Great Argus]

I have added collections in bold and marked those I could not confirm in red.

Wow, thanks for all that information!

 

[Hyak_II]

Toronto still houses both species, 2.0 White Breasted and 1.0 Little Pied.

Edmonton Valley Zoo houses American White Pelican as well.

 

[Great Argus]

Update!

Pelicans - Pelecanus


American White Pelican (38 holders)

Alexandria
Assiniboine
Audubon
Baton Rouge
Big Bear Alpine
Birmingham
Bramble Park
Brookfield
Caldwell
California Living Museum
Edmonton Valley
Fort Worth
Great Plains
Homosassa Springs
Hutchinson
Idaho Falls
John Ball
Kansas City
Lee Simmons Conservation Park
Lousiana Purchase Gardens
Memphis
NEW
Park Safari
Phoenix
Pueblo
Sacramento
Salisbury
San Antonio
San Francisco
Scovill
Sedgwick County
St Louis
Sunset
Tracy Aviary
Valley
Willow Park
World Bird Sanctuary
Zoo Miami

Brown Pelican (27 holders)

Alexandria
Audubon
Baton Rouge
Bronx
California Living Museum
Cameron Park
Columbus
Dallas
Flamingo Los Vegas
Fort Worth
Fresno Chaffee
Georgia Sea Turtle Center
Hattiesburg
Homossasa Springs Wildlife Park
Jacksonville
Lion Country Safari
National
National Aviary
New York Aquarium
Palm Beach
Phoenix
San Antonio
San Francisco
Santa Barbara
Virginia Living Museum
World Bird Sanctuary
Zoo Tampa

Peruvian Pelican (1 holder)

Bronx

Great White Pelican (9 holders)

Audubon
Columbus
Dallas
Fort Wayne’s Children’s
Honolulu
San Diego
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Sedgwick County
Toronto

Australian Pelican (0 holders)

None?

Pink-backed Pelican (16 holders)

African Lion Safari
Audubon
Bright’s
Cincinnati
Detroit
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Fort Worth (site says P-b, but their photo looks like Great White to me.)
Fresno Chaffee
Jacksonville
Maryland
Omaha
Phoenix
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
San Francisco
Sedgwick County
Turtle Back

Dalmatian Pelican (5 holders)

Columbus
Dallas
Phoenix
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Toledo

Spot-billed Pelican (0 holders)

None


Cormorants


Phalacrocorax

Double-crested Cormorant (12 holders)

Abilene
Caldwell
Cameron Park
Georgia Sea Turtle Center
Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park
Florida Aquarium
Jacksonville
Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science
St Louis
Tracy Aviary
Virginia Living Museum
Zoo Tampa

Neotropic Cormorant (1 holder)

Caldwell

Great Cormorant (1 holder)

Georgia Sea Turtle Center

White-breasted Cormorant (7 holders)

Audubon
Dallas
Maryland
San Diego
San Diego Zoo Wild Animal Park
Toledo
Toronto (2.0)

Brandt’s Cormorant (1 holder)

SeaWorld San Diego? (offshow)


Microcarbo


Little Pied Cormorant (1 holder)

Toronto (1.0)


Darters - Anhinga


Anhinga (2 holders)

Bronx
Georgia Sea Turtle Center

African Darter (1 holder)

San Diego

 

[drill]

Where do you get information of birds at georgia sea turtle center?

 

[TinoPup]

This is the only pelican sign in Fort Worth Zoo, as of July 24 2018. I never saw anything about pink-backeds.

 

[d1am0ndback]

This is the only pelican sign in Fort Worth Zoo, as of July 24 2018. I never saw anything about pink-backeds.

The Pink-backed Pelicans currently reside in the new African Savanna (the large exhibit with all of the hoofstock). Before that they lived with the giraffes in the old "African" area.

 

[Great Argus]

Where do you get information of birds at georgia sea turtle center?

@Kudu21 provided that information, he'd be the one to ask.

 

[TinoPup]

The Pink-backed Pelicans currently reside in the new African Savanna (the large exhibit with all of the hoofstock). Before that they lived with the giraffes in the old "African" area.

Embarrassing myself again, I completely forgot about those! I didn't get a sign photo for them (figuring I'd remember them, ugh), but have this.

 

[ThylacineAlive]

Bronx had an American White Pelican relatively recently, though I do not know if it's still there. They also had two Anhinga for a while, but I think they're back down to one.

~Thylo

 

[Great Argus]

Update - this one is sorely lacking in updates as you can probably tell by the last post date! I think this is mostly accurate.

Pelicans - Pelecanus

American White Pelican (38-39 holders)

Alexandria
Assiniboine
Audubon
Baton Rouge
Big Bear Alpine
Birmingham
Bramble Park
Bronx?
Brookfield
Caldwell
California Living Museum
Edmonton Valley
Fort Worth
Great Plains
Homosassa Springs
Hutchinson
Idaho Falls
John Ball
Kansas City
Lee Simmons Conservation Park
Lousiana Purchase Gardens
Memphis
NEW
North Florida Wildlife Center
Park Safari
Phoenix
Pueblo
Sacramento
Salisbury
San Antonio
San Francisco
Scovill
Sedgwick County
St Louis
Sunset
Tracy Aviary
Willow Park
World Bird Sanctuary
Zoo Miami

Brown Pelican (29 holders)

Alexandria
Audubon
Baton Rouge
Bronx
California Living Museum
Cameron Park
Columbus
Dallas
Flamingo Los Vegas
Fort Worth
Fresno Chaffee
Georgia Sea Turtle Center
Hattiesburg
Homossasa Springs Wildlife Park
Jacksonville
Lion Country Safari
National
National Aviary
New York Aquarium
North Florida Wildlife Center
Palm Beach
Phoenix
San Antonio
San Francisco
Santa Barbara
SeaWorld Orlando
Virginia Living Museum
World Bird Sanctuary
Zoo Tampa

Peruvian Pelican (1 holder)

Bronx

Great White Pelican (9 holders)

Audubon
Columbus
Dallas
Fort Wayne’s Children’s
Honolulu
San Diego
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Sedgwick County
Toronto

Pink-backed Pelican (16 holders)

African Lion Safari
Audubon
Bright’s
Cincinnati
Detroit
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Fort Worth
Fresno Chaffee
Jacksonville
Maryland
Omaha
Phoenix
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
San Francisco
Sedgwick County
Turtle Back

Dalmatian Pelican (5 holders)

Columbus
Dallas
Phoenix
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Toledo


Cormorants

Phalacrocorax

Double-crested Cormorant (12 holders)

Abilene
Caldwell
Cameron Park
Georgia Sea Turtle Center
Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park
Florida Aquarium
Jacksonville
Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science
St Louis
Tracy Aviary
Virginia Living Museum
Zoo Tampa

Neotropic Cormorant (1 holder)

Caldwell

Great Cormorant (1 holder)

Georgia Sea Turtle Center

White-breasted Cormorant (7 holders)

Audubon
Dallas
Maryland
San Diego
San Diego Zoo Wild Animal Park
Toledo
Toronto (2.0)

Brandt’s Cormorant (1 holder)

SeaWorld San Diego? (offshow)


Darters - Anhinga

Anhinga (2 holders)

Bronx
Georgia Sea Turtle Center

African Darter (1 holder)

San Diego

 

[Ituri]

Tracy Aviary now has Dalmatian Pelican