Storks, Hamerkop, and Shoebill in North America

Are they serving as proxies for Asian Openbills and Storm's Storks?
Most likely not, the African birds such as Metallic Starling, Buff-Crested Bustard and Eastern Yellow-Billed Hornbill from the now demolished african aviary are also in the giant asian aviary now, It's most likely just the best place they had to put them. That being said it would be awesome for some US zoos to acquire the Asian Openbill though I realize that is not very likely
 
Does Miami plan on keeping and breeding the Painted Storks until Milky's are available to transfer from San Diego? Is AZA still going to phase out Painteds?
I saw at least three Painted Storks still there, though I don't know what their future plans for them are. The abdim's and african open-bills were building nests, but I didn't see any of the painted storks building nests, but the aviary is massive so they could of had a nest elsewhere
 
Most likely not, the African birds such as Metallic Starling, Buff-Crested Bustard and Eastern Yellow-Billed Hornbill from the now demolished african aviary are also in the giant asian aviary now, It's most likely just the best place they had to put them. That being said it would be awesome for some US zoos to acquire the Asian Openbill though I realize that is not very likely
Asian Openbills would be a great choice as they are a species that cohabitate well with humans in the wild and their range is enlarging so they're a great species to showcase how people and birds can coexist peacefully. Also I heard Dallas brought in Madagascar Sacred Ibis and Malagasy Pond Herons from EAZA so I hope that AZA could bring in a couple more species like Asian Openbills. The only issue with them I remember from what someone said is that they need to be in a warmer environment and sometimes offspring needs to be hand reared in order to survive to adulthood.
 
I saw at least three Painted Storks still there, though I don't know what their future plans for them are. The abdim's and african open-bills were building nests, but I didn't see any of the painted storks building nests, but the aviary is massive so they could of had a nest elsewhere
That's great! I hope African Openbills grow in number and spread across facilities like how their Javan Pond Herons did a few years ago. A keeper told me that their numbers grow to be over 100 at one point! Openbills are the equivalent of the Limpkin for the Old World since they both eat snails. African Openbills are really cool and have those glossy black feathers with a green sheen in the right light. I remember seeing them in Zoo Tampa in 2006 with the Shoebills.
 
Does Miami plan on keeping and breeding the Painted Storks until Milky's are available to transfer from San Diego? Is AZA still going to phase out Painteds?

It's going to be several years at least before any Milky Stork leave SD, and that's assuming they breed and don't start dying out.
Afaik Painted is still slated as phase out, just not enough of them to maintain them long term.

Most likely not, the African birds such as Metallic Starling,

Metallic Starling is Austro-Asian? Unless you meant one of the Lamprotornis and not Aplonis?

Also I heard Dallas brought in Madagascar Sacred Ibis and Malagasy Pond Herons so I hope that AZA could bring in a couple more species like Asian Openbills.

The Malagasy waders came from captive groups in Europe - there's no Asian Openbills to be had there. AO's would have to come from Asian imports which are less likely. Given African Openbill and several other stork species are dwindling with low interest, I doubt we'll be seeing imports of a brand-new stork species in the foreseeable future.
 
Metallic Starling is Austro-Asian? Unless you meant one of the Lamprotornis and not Aplonis?

You are correct the starlings from the african habitat were Superb, Golden-Breasted, Emerald, and violet-backed so I got that mixed up, so it seems just the yellow-billed hornbill was kept and moved into the asian aviary, as I didn't see those starlings, the coua, or stone partridge(the aviary is massive though, so those birds could be in there aswell)
 
@Great Argus You forgot to put San Francisco Zoo down in having an African openbill stork. I don't know the sex of it so I'll see if I can ask a keeper there. That individual has been there since I started keeping records of birds in zoos I've visited.
 
@Great Argus You forgot to put San Francisco Zoo down in having an African openbill stork. I don't know the sex of it so I'll see if I can ask a keeper there. That individual has been there since I started keeping records of birds in zoos I've visited.

Fixed on the master, not sure how that one got by me. I've seen an African Openbill there twice even, though over a decade ago now. I don't think it was reported for awhile there as I recall, and then I missed adding it from your confirmation before the last update. Always something! :p
 
Fixed on the master, not sure how that one got by me. I've seen an African Openbill there twice even, though over a decade ago now. I don't think it was reported for awhile there as I recall, and then I missed adding it from your confirmation before the last update. Always something! :p

No problem. Honestly, that individual and the long-tailed glossy starling are species that draw me in to hang out in the aviary. Here's a picture below from my most recent visit.
 

Attachments

  • 20230303105604_IMG_6421.JPG
    20230303105604_IMG_6421.JPG
    85.1 KB · Views: 9
Marabou Stork (29 holders)

Abilene
ABQ Biopark
African Lion Safari (1.1.2)
Albuquerque
Audubon
Baton Rouge
Binder Park
Brevard
Brights
Busch Gardens Tampa
Catoctin
Cleveland Metroparks
Dallas
DAK
Fort Wayne’s Children’s
Gladys Porter
Greater Vancouver
Honolulu (1.1)
Houston
Indianapolis
Jacksonville
Lion Country Safari
Memphis
Milwaukee
SDZSP (2.0)
Six Flags Wild Safari
St. Louis
Toronto (1.2)
Wildlife World
Zoo Tampa
Zoo de Granby
No more Marabous at Six Flags.
 
Back
Top