Since joining ZooChat, I have come to realize how many animals native to North America are surprisingly lacking in North American zoos! Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary is a facility very close to my location that specializes in rescue animals, many of which I now realize are very rare in captivity. This list will mainly be based on my November 24 2018 visit, but I will include seasonal species that were not out on that visit. This list will be different from the others I have posted; it will be posted by enclosure. Observation Building Tundra Swan (free-roaming) Common Boa Ball Python California Kingsnake Milk Snake Eastern Screech-Owl Merlin American Crow Domestic Duck Ruwenzori Long-Haired Fruit Bat Forest Aviary: Hermit Thrush, Baltimore Oriole, Song Sparrow, Cedar Waxwing, Rose-Breasted Grosbeak, Northern Cardinal Prairie Aviary: Ornate Box Turtle, Blanding's Turtle, Mourning Dove, Black-Billed Cuckoo (only one in captivity?), Eastern Bluebird, Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker Wetland Aviary: Green Heron, Domestic Mallard, American Coot, Redhead, Blue-Winged Teal, Ring-Necked Duck, Franklin's Gull, Killdeer An darkened aquarium with an "exhibit closed" sign suggesting the aquarium is empty. The presence of feeder guppies makes me think otherwise. Raptor Loop A free-flight aviary that was closed for a while with no animals in it. It is still closed, but animals are now inside and may be seen. Here is a list of what I saw. Free-flight aviary: Snow Goose, Wood Duck, Northern Pintail, Canvasback, American Wigeon, Canada Goose, Ring-Necked Pheasant, Eastern Gray Squirrel Merlin American Kestrel Broad-Winged Hawk Golden Eagle Peregrine Falcon Gyrfalcon Short-Eared Owl Bald Eagle Cooper's Hawk Swainson's Hawk Snowy Owl Northern Saw-Whet Owl Barred Owl White-Tailed Kite Great Horned Owl Long-Eared Owl Eastern Screech-Owl Turkey Vulture Red-Tailed Hawk Northern Goshawk Rough-Legged Hawk Nature Center Madagascar Hissing Cockroach Tarantula (species unknown, suspect Chilean Rose) Eastern Tiger Salamander, White's Tree Frog Common Leopard Gecko Button Quail (temporally off-exhibit on my last visit) Western Fox Snake Domestic Guinea Pig Salmon-Crested Cockatoo Painted Lady (seasonal) Wildlife Habi-Trek North American River Otter Bobcat Red Fox Cougar Gray Wolf Common Raven American Crow, North American Porcupine (both temporally off-exhibit on my last visit) Coyote White-Tailed Deer, Sandhill Crane Woodland Building North American River Otter (same exhibit, underwater viewing) Painted Turtle, Common Map Turtle, Common Snapping Turtle Eastern Cottontail, Southern Flying Squirrel Eastern Screech-Owl Eastern Chipmunk White-Footed Mouse Virginia Opossum Virginia Opossum (same animal with access to two exhibits) American Mink (a combination of wild and domestic animals) Corn Snake, Western Fox Snake Gray Wolf (just another view of same exhibit) Free-range animals (seasonal) Tundra Swan Trumpeter Swan Rehabilitated Animals Being a rehabilitation center, Bay Beach keeps many injured wild animals temporally before being released into the wild. These were the species being rehabilitated on my last visit: Common Nighthawk (certainly only one currently in captivity, if in a temporary situation) Big Brown Bat Silver-Haired Bat Eastern Red Bat Baltimore Oriole House Finch unidentified snake
From my visit June 21 2019: Observation Building Common Boa Corn Snake California Kingsnake Milk Snake Eastern Screech-Owl Merlin Northern Saw-whet Owl Striped Skunk Straw-colored Fruit Bat Forest Aviary: Hermit Thrush, Baltimore Oriole, Song Sparrow, Cedar Waxwing, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Northern Cardinal, Dark-eyed Junco Prairie Aviary: Ornate Box Turtle, Blanding's Turtle, Mourning Dove, Black-billed Cuckoo, Eastern Bluebird Wetland Aviary: Green Heron, Domestic Mallard, American Coot, Redhead, Blue-Winged Teal, Ring-becked Duck, Franklin's Gull, Killdeer, Wood Duck Raptor Loop Free-flight Aviary: Snow Goose, Wood Duck, Northern Pintail, Canvasback, American Wigeon, Ring-necked Pheasant, Mallard, Common Goldeneye Merlin American Kestrel Broad-winged Hawk Golden Eagle Peregrine Falcon Gyrfalcon Short-eared Owl Bald Eagle Cooper's Hawk Swainson's Hawk Snowy Owl Northern Saw-whet Owl Barred Owl White-tailed Kite Great Horned Owl Long-eared Owl Eastern Screech-Owl Turkey Vulture Red-tailed Hawk Northern Goshawk Rough-legged Hawk Nature Center Madagascar Hissing Cockroach Chilean Rose-haired Tarantula Eastern Tiger Salamander, White's Tree Frog Common Leopard Gecko European Starling? (temporarily off-exhibit according to sign) Western Fox Snake African Pygmy Hedgehog Salmon-crested Cockatoo Wildlife Habi-Trek North American River Otter Bobcat Red Fox Cougar Gray Wolf Common Raven Coyote White-Tailed Deer, Sandhill Crane Woodland Building North American River Otter (same exhibit, underwater viewing) Painted Turtle, Common Map Turtle, Common Snapping Turtle Eastern Cottontail, Southern Flying Squirrel Eastern Screech-Owl Eastern Chipmunk White-Footed Mouse Virginia Opossum Virginia Opossum (same animal with access to two exhibits) American Mink Corn Snake, Western Fox Snake Gray Wolf (just another view of same exhibit) Free-range animals (seasonal) Tundra Swan Trumpeter Swan Rehabilitated Animals Being a rehabilitation center, Bay Beach keeps many injured wild animals temporally before being released into the wild. These were the species being rehabilitated on my last visit: Black-billed Cuckoo Eastern Cottontail Northern Raccoon Wood Duck Mallard
From my visit January 20 2020: Observation Building Tree Swallow, Barn Swallow, Cliff Swallow Common Boa Corn Snake California Kingsnake Common Garter Snake Eastern Screech-Owl Merlin American Crow Straw-colored Fruit Bat Tundra Swan (in the summer they free roam the grounds along with a Trumpeter Swan) Forest Aviary: Swainson's Thrush, Baltimore Oriole, Cedar Waxwing, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Northern Cardinal, Dark-eyed Junco, White-breasted Nuthatch, Downy Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Scarlet Tanager, Horned Lark, Common Yellowthroat, American Goldfinch Prairie Aviary: Ornate Box Turtle, Blanding's Turtle, Common Box Turtle, Mourning Dove, Black-billed Cuckoo, Eastern Bluebird, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Wetland Aviary: Killdeer, Bonaparte's Gull, Franklin's Gull, Common Tern, Ring-necked Duck, Blue-winged Teal, Redhead, Domestic Mallard, Black Scoter, American Coot, Greater Scaup Free-roaming Observation Building: Wood Duck Raptor Loop Free-flight Aviary: Snow Goose, Northern Pintail, Canvasback, American Wigeon, Ring-necked Pheasant, Mallard, Common Goldeneye, Eastern Gray Squirrel Merlin American Kestrel Broad-winged Hawk (off-exhibit for winter) Golden Eagle Peregrine Falcon Gyrfalcon Short-eared Owl Bald Eagle Cooper's Hawk Swainson's Hawk (off-exhibit for winter) Snowy Owl Northern Saw-whet Owl Barred Owl White-tailed Kite (off-exhibit for winter) Great Horned Owl Long-eared Owl Eastern Screech-Owl Turkey Vulture (off-exhibit for winter) Red-tailed Hawk Northern Goshawk Rough-legged Hawk Nature Center Madagascar Hissing Cockroach Chilean Rose-haired Tarantula, Madagascar Hissing Cockroach Eastern Tiger Salamander, White's Tree Frog Common Leopard Gecko European Starling Western Fox Snake African Pygmy Hedgehog Salmon-crested Cockatoo Wildlife Habi-Trek North American River Otter Bobcat Red Fox Cougar Gray Wolf Common Raven North American Porcupine Coyote White-tailed Deer, Sandhill Crane Woodland Building North American River Otter (same exhibit, underwater viewing) Painted Turtle, Common Map Turtle, Common Snapping Turtle Eastern Cottontail, Southern Flying Squirrel Eastern Screech-Owl Eastern Chipmunk White-footed Mouse Virginia Opossum Virginia Opossum (same animal with access to two exhibits) American Mink Corn Snake, Western Fox Snake Gray Wolf (just another view of same exhibit) Rehabilitated Animals Being a rehabilitation center, Bay Beach keeps many injured wild animals temporally before being released into the wild. These were the species being rehabilitated on my last visit: Big Brown Bat
Two corrections to note: the thrush in the Woodland Aviary is Hermit, and a Brown Thrasher is in the Prairie Aviary.
Update: Date of Visit: May 22 2021 Observation Building Common Boa Western Hognose California Kingsnake Common Garter Snake Eastern Screech-Owl Merlin American Kestrel Common Tern Tundra Swan Straw-colored Fruit Bat Forest Aviary: Hermit Thrush, Baltimore Oriole, Cedar Waxwing, White-breasted Nuthatch, Downy Woodpecker, Palm Warbler Prairie Aviary: Ornate Box Turtle, Blanding's Turtle, Common Box Turtle, Mourning Dove, Black-billed Cuckoo, Eastern Bluebird, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, House Finch Wetland Aviary: Killdeer, Caspian Tern, Common Goldeneye, Redhead, Domestic Mallard, Black Scoter, American Coot, Lesser Scaup Free-roaming Observation Building: Wood Duck, Green Heron, Black-crowned Night-Heron Raptor Loop Free-flight Aviary: Snow Goose, Northern Pintail, Blue-winged Teal, Common Goldeneye, Gadwall Merlin American Kestrel Broad-winged Hawk Golden Eagle Peregrine Falcon Gyrfalcon Short-eared Owl Bald Eagle Cooper's Hawk Swainson's Hawk Snowy Owl Northern Saw-whet Owl Barred Owl White-tailed Kite Great Horned Owl Long-eared Owl Eastern Screech-Owl Turkey Vulture Red-tailed Hawk Northern Goshawk Rough-legged Hawk Nature Center Madagascar Hissing Cockroach Chilean Rose-haired Tarantula Eastern Tiger Salamander, White's Tree Frog Common Leopard Gecko European Starling Western Fox Snake African Pygmy Hedgehog Salmon-crested Cockatoo Painted Lady Wildlife Habi-Trek North American River Otter Bobcat Red Fox Cougar (possibly no longer present?) Gray Wolf Common Raven North American Porcupine Coyote White-tailed Deer, Sandhill Crane Woodland Building North American River Otter (same exhibit, underwater viewing) Painted Turtle, Common Map Turtle, Common Snapping Turtle Eastern Cottontail, Southern Flying Squirrel Eastern Screech-Owl Eastern Chipmunk North American Deer Mouse Virginia Opossum Virginia Opossum (same animal with access to two exhibits) American Mink Corn Snake, Western Fox Snake Gray Wolf (just another view of same exhibit) Free Roaming: Trumpeter Swan, Tundra Swan Rehabilitated Animals Being a rehabilitation center, Bay Beach keeps many injured wild animals temporally before being released into the wild. These were the species being rehabilitated on this visit: Hairy Woodpecker
Update: Date of Visit: July 7 2022 Observation Building Northern Mockingbird Corn Snake American Bullfrog Northern Saw-whet Owl American Crow Straw-colored Fruit Bat Forest Aviary: Baltimore Oriole, Northern Cardinal, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Cedar Waxwing Prairie Aviary: Ornate Box Turtle, Blanding's Turtle, Common Box Turtle, Mourning Dove, Eastern Bluebird, House Finch, Dark-eyed Junco, Northern Cardinal, Common Yellowthroat, Brown Thrasher, Blue Jay, Swainson's Thrush, Hairy Woodpecker Wetland Aviary: Killdeer, Caspian Tern, Redhead, Black Scoter, Lesser Scaup, Bonaparte's Gull Free-roaming Observation Building: Wood Duck Raptor Loop Free-flight Aviary (currently closed with species off-exhibit for bird flu, species list here from 2021): Snow Goose, Northern Pintail, Blue-winged Teal, Common Goldeneye, Gadwall Merlin American Kestrel Broad-winged Hawk Golden Eagle Peregrine Falcon Gyrfalcon Short-eared Owl Bald Eagle Swainson's Hawk Snowy Owl Barred Owl Great Horned Owl Eastern Screech-Owl Turkey Vulture Red-tailed Hawk Northern Goshawk Rough-legged Hawk Nature Center Madagascar Hissing Cockroach Chilean Rose-haired Tarantula Eastern Tiger Salamander European Starling Pine Foxsnake Domestic Mouse Salmon-crested Cockatoo Eastern/Cope's Gray Tree Frog Bullsnake Greenhouse Aviary: African Spurred Tortoise Wildlife Habi-Trek North American River Otter Bobcat Red Fox Cougar Gray Wolf Common Raven North American Porcupine, American Crow Coyote White-tailed Deer, Sandhill Crane Woodland Building North American River Otter (same exhibit, underwater viewing) Eastern Cottontail, Southern Flying Squirrel Eastern Screech-Owl North American Deer Mouse Virginia Opossum Virginia Opossum Striped Skunk Corn Snake, Western Fox Snake Gray Wolf (just another view of same exhibit) Rehabilitated Animals Being a rehabilitation center, Bay Beach keeps many injured wild animals temporally before being released into the wild. These animals can be viewed by the public in the Rehab Room inside the Observation Building. These were the species being rehabilitated on this visit: Painted Turtle Eastern Cottontail Downy Woodpecker Merlin Pine Foxsnake
Update: Date of visit: January 2 2023 Species not seen in italics Observation Building 1. Common Boa 2. Corn Snake 3. Northern Saw-whet Owl 4. Merlin 5. Eastern Screech-Owl 6. American Crow 7. Northern Mockingbird 8. American Bullfrog 9. Spiny Softshell Turtle 10. Straw-colored Fruit Bat 11. Forest Aviary*: Horned Lark, Northern Cardinal, Swainson's Thrush, Baltimore Oriole, Blue Jay, Downy Woodpecker, Dark-eyed Junco, Cedar Waxwing, Red-bellied Woodpecker 12. Field Aviary*: Ornate Box Turtle, Common Box Turtle, Wood Turtle, Blue Jay, Mourning Dove, Eastern Bluebird, Hairy Woodpecker, Northern Cardinal 13. Beach Aviary*: Caspian Tern, Common Tern, Killdeer, Bonaparte's Gull, Blue-winged Teal, Redhead, Greater Scaup, Black Scoter 14. California Kingsnake Free-roaming Observation Building: Wood Duck *These aviaries do not have updating signage and rotate in and out species fairly frequently. I am only listing the species I saw in these aviaries on this date, other species were probably present, either hidden or temporarily bts. Raptor Trail 1. Bald Eagle 2. Short-eared Owl 3. Cooper's Hawk 4. Swainson's Hawk (off-exhibit for the winter season) 5. Snowy Owl 6. Broad-winged Hawk 7. Barred Owl 8. Broad-winged Hawk (off-exhibit for the winter season) 9. Great Horned Owl 10. Barn Owl (off-exhibit for the winter season) 11. Eastern Screech-Owl 12. Turkey Vulture (off-exhibit for the winter season) 13. Red-tailed Hawk 14. Northern Goshawk 15. Rough-legged Hawk 16. Merlin 17. Broad-winged Hawk (off-exhibit for the winter season) 18. Golden Eagle 19. Peregrine Falcon 20. Gyrfalcon 21. Snow Goose Nature Center 1. Madagascar Hissing Cockroach 2. Chilean Rose-haired Tarantula 3. Eastern Tiger Salamander (?, signage removed) 4. Common Leopard Gecko 5. European Starling 6. Domestic (Fancy) Mouse 7. Bullsnake 8. Salmon-crested Cockatoo 9. Greenhouse Aviary: African Spurred Tortoise Wildlife Habi-Trek 1. White-tailed Deer, Sandhill Crane 2. Coyote 3. American Crow, North American Porcupine 4. Common Raven 5. Gray Wolf 6. Cougar 7. Red Fox, Gray Fox (rotated) 8. Bobcat Woodland Building 1. Painted Turtle, Common Map Turtle, Yellow-bellied Slider 2. Southern Flying Squirrel, Eastern Cottontail 3. Eastern Screech-Owl 4. Eastern Chipmunk 5. Eastern Deer Mouse 6. Virginia Opossum 7. Virginia Opossum 8. Striped Skunk 9. Corn Snake, Pine Foxsnake Rehabilitated Animals Being a rehabilitation center, Bay Beach keeps many injured wild animals temporally before being released into the wild. These animals can be viewed by the public in the Rehab Room inside the Observation Building. These were the species being rehabilitated on this visit: American Toad Downy Woodpecker American Goldfinch Rock Pigeon
I find it interesting that there are now three exhibits with broad-winged hawks, and two are off display for the winter.
Update: Date of visit: January 19 2024 Species not seen in italics Observation Building 1. Common Boa 2. Three-toed Box Turtle 3. Northern Saw-whet Owl 4. Merlin 5. Eastern Screech-Owl 6. American Kestrel 7. Blue Jay 8. American Bullfrog 9. Straw-colored Fruit Bat 10. Forest Aviary: Blue Jay, Black-crowned Night Heron 11. Field Aviary: Ornate Box Turtle, Three-toed Box Turtle, Wood Turtle, Mourning Dove, Eastern Bluebird, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Cardinal, Cedar Waxwing, House Finch 12. Beach Aviary: Caspian Tern, Common Tern, Killdeer, Bonaparte's Gull, Blue-winged Teal, Redhead, Greater Scaup, Surf Scoter, Mandarin Duck 13. California Kingsnake Raptor Trail 1. Bald Eagle 2. Broad-winged Hawk 3. Cooper's Hawk 4. Swainson's Hawk (off-exhibit for the winter season) 5. Snowy Owl 6. Northern Saw-whet Owl 7. Barred Owl 8. Short-eared Owl 9. Great Horned Owl 10. Barn Owl (off-exhibit for the winter season) 11. Eastern Screech-Owl 12. Turkey Vulture (off-exhibit for the winter season) 13. Red-tailed Hawk 14. Rough-legged Hawk 15. Merlin 16. Broad-winged Hawk (off-exhibit for the winter season) 17. Golden Eagle 18. Peregrine Falcon ("temporarily off-exhibit") 19. Gyrfalcon Nature Center 1. Madagascar Hissing Cockroach 2. Chilean Rose-haired Tarantula 3. Eastern Tiger Salamander 4. Common Leopard Gecko 5. European Starling 6. Domestic (Fancy) Mouse 7. Pine Foxsnake 8. Salmon-crested Cockatoo 9. Greenhouse Aviary: African Spurred Tortoise Wildlife Habi-Trek 1. White-tailed Deer, Sandhill Crane 2. Coyote 3. American Crow, North American Porcupine 4. Common Raven 5. Gray Wolf 6. Cougar 7. Red Fox 8. Gray Fox 9. Bobcat Woodland Building 1. Painted Turtle, Common Map Turtle, Yellow-bellied Slider, Common Snapping Turtle 2. Southern Flying Squirrel, Eastern Cottontail 3. Eastern Screech-Owl 4. Eastern Deer Mouse 5. Virginia Opossum 6. Virginia Opossum 7. Striped Skunk 8. Corn Snake, Pine Foxsnake Rehabilitated Animals Being a rehabilitation center, Bay Beach keeps many injured wild animals temporally before being released into the wild. These animals can be viewed by the public in the Rehab Room inside the Observation Building. These were the species being rehabilitated on this visit: American Goldfinch Mourning Dove
