The endangered ground cuckoos ex-situ / in zoos

[Hyak_II]

I worked with the last Coral Billed Ground Cuckoo in North America. He was an absolutely delightful bird to have around, and while I didn't realize just how special he was at the time, I definitely appreciate my time with him now! His name was Monster, and he oozed personality. I would let him out of his enclosure to hang out with me in the keeper area while I was doing dishes or other chores, and he would happily hang out by my feet calling or trying to mate with my shoes.

It's a shame they are non-existent in public collections at this point, as they are excellent display birds. They're vocal, fairly active, and not particularly shy. Monster was housed with a variety of smaller perching birds and some doves, and did well with them. Easy to feed too. Interestingly, along with the standard fare of BoP diet, pinkie rats, mealworms, and softbill pellets, Monster also loved fish! He would get small smelt as part of his regular diet, and for enrichment we would give him small live fish in a shallow pan of water to catch.

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

I worked with the last Coral Billed Ground Cuckoo in North America. He was an absolutely delightful bird to have around, and while I didn't realize just how special he was at the time, I definitely appreciate my time with him now! His name was Monster, and he oozed personality. I would let him out of his enclosure to hang out with me in the keeper area while I was doing dishes or other chores, and he would happily hang out by my feet calling or trying to mate with my shoes.

It's a shame they are non-existent in public collections at this point, as they are excellent display birds. They're vocal, fairly active, and not particularly shy. Monster was housed with a variety of smaller perching birds and some doves, and did well with them. Easy to feed too. Interestingly, along with the standard fare of BoP diet, pinkie rats, mealworms, and softbill pellets, Monster also loved fish! He would get small smelt as part of his regular diet, and for enrichment we would give him small live fish in a shallow pan of water to catch.

Hey @Hyak_II , excellent comment and thank you very much for sharing your memories of "monster", he certainly sounds like he was a little monster and full of personality do you have any photos of him by any chance ?

At what zoo was this where you worked?

I totally agree about it being a shame that they have disappeared from public collections, do you have any personal thoughts on why it is that the species has vanished from zoos ?

I've never seen this species but it does strike me from what I've seen in the photos and from what I've read that they would be very charismatic birds to display with in a mixed species.

Interesting about his love of fish, but I would imagine that in their natural state in the forests of South-East Asia they would come across small streams where fish and amphibians might be hunted as prey.

 

[vogelcommando]

I worked with the last Coral Billed Ground Cuckoo in North America. He was an absolutely delightful bird to have around, and while I didn't realize just how special he was at the time, I definitely appreciate my time with him now! His name was Monster, and he oozed personality. I would let him out of his enclosure to hang out with me in the keeper area while I was doing dishes or other chores, and he would happily hang out by my feet calling or trying to mate with my shoes.

It's a shame they are non-existent in public collections at this point, as they are excellent display birds. They're vocal, fairly active, and not particularly shy. Monster was housed with a variety of smaller perching birds and some doves, and did well with them. Easy to feed too. Interestingly, along with the standard fare of BoP diet, pinkie rats, mealworms, and softbill pellets, Monster also loved fish! He would get small smelt as part of his regular diet, and for enrichment we would give him small live fish in a shallow pan of water to catch.

Just can agree with you @Hyak, ground cuckoos are great to work with. Almost sure "Monster" was a hand-raised bird because we also had several hand-raised birds which became each real personalities !
At Walsrode they also had the possibility to eat fish because the breeding-pair was kept in a large walk-through aviary which they shared with ( among others ) storks and ibisses which were fed with meat and fish. I've seen the cuckoos picking several times little dead fish but thought this was pure coincidence.
Also the birds kept behind the scenes had ( sometimes ) the possibility to eat fish because they also were kept from time to time with fish-eating species like storks and ibisses.

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

Just can agree with you @Hyak, ground cuckoos are great to work with. Almost sure "Monster" was a hand-raised bird because we also had several hand-raised birds which became each real personalities !
At Walsrode they also had the possibility to eat fish because the breeding-pair was kept in a large walk-through aviary which they shared with ( among others ) storks and ibisses which were fed with meat and fish. I've seen the cuckoos picking several times little dead fish but thought this was pure coincidence.
Also the birds kept behind the scenes had ( sometimes ) the possibility to eat fish because they also were kept from time to time with fish-eating species like storks and ibisses.

Thanks for sharing @vogelcommando !

From everything that I've learned about the species they seem to be such characters and manageable in captivity it is a wonder why zoos stopped keeping them.

 

[Andrew Swales]

Thanks for sharing @vogelcommando !

From everything that I've learned about the species they seem to be such characters and manageable in captivity it is a wonder why zoos stopped keeping them.

I dont think that it is a wonder.
It is likely, simply (as mentioned above) that breeding successes were never sufficient to replace losses and the population just fizzled out - and was nothing to do with any conscious decision(s).

 

[OstrichMania]

I wonder why the ex-situ holdings of these aren't as diverse or populous as other birds. Do you think this may be due to the negative public opinion of cuckoos as a whole (specifically their nesting habits).

 

[birdsandbats]

I wonder why the ex-situ holdings of these aren't as diverse or populous as other birds. Do you think this may be due to the negative public opinion of cuckoos as a whole (specifically their nesting habits).

People in the UK have a negative opinion on cuckoos? I doubt most people in the US realize they are an actual bird and not just a decoration on a clock.

 

[OstrichMania]

People in the UK have a negative opinion on cuckoos? I doubt most people in the US realize they are an actual bird and not just a decoration on a clock.

Lots of Brits regard cuckoos as mean and lazy because they make other birds raise their young.

 

[TeaLovingDave]

People in the UK have a negative opinion on cuckoos? I doubt most people in the US realize they are an actual bird and not just a decoration on a clock.

They really, really don't contrary to what OM says, I doubt many people here know about the nesting behaviour of the European Cuckoo.

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

I wonder why the ex-situ holdings of these aren't as diverse or populous as other birds. Do you think this may be due to the negative public opinion of cuckoos as a whole (specifically their nesting habits).

Thats an interesting theory but I think that as @TeaLovingDave suggests the public (everywhere not just the UK) are not as natural history literate as to know about the parasitical behaviour of the Eurasian cuckoo.

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

I dont think that it is a wonder.
It is likely, simply (as mentioned above) that breeding successes were never sufficient to replace losses and the population just fizzled out - and was nothing to do with any conscious decision(s).

Yes, I agree with that, but then surely more of these birds could have been obtained eventually ?

 

[OstrichMania]

Thats an interesting theory but I think that as @TeaLovingDave suggests the public (everywhere not just the UK) are not as natural history literate as to know about the parasitical behaviour of the Eurasian cuckoo.

Although a lot of people I know are aware of the cuckoo and its behaviour, it may be a regional thing or something and i'm glad to accept that that may not be the same everywhere else.

 

[Andrew Swales]

Yes, I agree with that, but then surely more of these birds could have been obtained eventually ?

Not necessarily, no.
Many populations of zoo spp we are working with today descend from 'casual' imports to animal dealers. I well remember the dealings of the major English importer called Ravensden. Many spp came regularly as bread-and-butter imports, but others were purely 'casual'; maybe someone fancied something different, or an exporter offered such. Some never came again maybe because they couldnt get them again, or maybe because demand wasnt there.