Hummingbirds in zoos

Are the streamers tailed hummingbirds suitable for mixed exhibits with small passerines (bananaquit, honeycreepers) and herps?

 

Arizona Senora Desert Museum keeps a number of birds (up to 20?) in a 300 sq metre planted walk-in aviary quite successfully. I believe 3 or 4 species are kept and breeding activity occurs. While there I saw and photographed a bird on a nest, don't know if they were successful but but don't see why not.

 

Many species have been kept and bred in captivity. the following are listed in the International Zoo Yearbook

International Zoo Yearbook volume and page; year breeding occured; collection and number of young, including DNS

AMAZILIA HUMMINGBIRD Amazilia amazilia

30:404 1988 Augsburg Ge 3(2) 1989 Emmen Ne 4(2)
32:418 1991 Emmen Ne 6; Tokyo Tama Jap (11)
33:354 1992 Tokyo Tama Jap 14(11)
34:407 1993 San Diego USA (2); San Diego WAP USA 8(3)

SAPPHIRE-SPANGLED EMERALD HUMMINGBIRD Amazilia laactera

33:354 1992 San Diego USA (1)
34:407 1993 San Diego WAP USA 1.0

BLACK-THROATED MANGO Anthracothorax nigricollis

30:404 1988 Augsburg Ge (1)

ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD Calypte anna

21:298 1979 San Diego USA 1
30:404 1989 Wuppertal Ge 1
31:320 1990 Wuppertal Ge 3(2)
32:418 1991 Wuppertal Ge 4
33:354 1992 Wuppertal Ge 1

COSTA'S HUMMINGBIRD Calypte costae

23:301 1981 Palm Desert USA 1.0.1(1)
24/25:495 1982 Palm Desert USA 1.1
31:320 1990 Tuscon ADM USA 0.3.1
32:418 1991 Tuscon ADM USA 2.9.1(1)
33:354 1992 Tuscon ADM USA 4.4.2(1)
34:407 1993 Tuscon ADM USA 0.2.3(2)

SPARKLING VIOLET-EARED HUMMINGBIRD Colibri coruscans

12:367 1970 Berlin E Ge (1); San Diego USA 2(1)
13:311 1971 Philadelphia USA (1); San Diego USA 2(1)
20:410 1978 Heidelberg Ge 4
21:298 1979 Heidelberg Ge (4)
22:400 1980 Heidelberg Ge 1
23:301 1981 Chicago Brookfield USA 2(1); Heidelberg Ge 5
24/25:495 1982 Heidelberg Ge 2
24/25:495 1983 Heidelberg Ge 3
26:458 1984 Heidelberg Ge 2(1)
30:404 1988 Berlin Tierpark Ge 5(1) 1989 Berlin Tierpark Ge 4(1)
31:320 1990 Berlin TP Ge 12(7)
32:418 1991 Berlin TP Ge 6(4)
33:254 1992 Berlin TP Ge 8(7)
34:407 1993 Berlin TP Ge (1)

GOULD'S VIOLET-EARED HUMMINGBIRD Colibri coruscans coruscans

15:349 1973 San Diego USA 2

WHITE-VENTED VIOLET-EARED HUMMINGBIRD Colibri serrirostris

12:367 1970 Sao Paulo Braz 1
14:359 1972 Sao Paulo Braz 2

BROAD-BILLED HUMMINGBIRD Cynanthus latirostris

30:404 1989 Tuscon ADM USA 1.0
31:320 1990 Tuscon ADM USA 2.2
32:418 1991 Tuscon ADM USA 2.1
33:354 1992 Tuscon ADM USA (2)
34:407 1993 Tuscon ADM USA 1

VIOLET-BELLIED HUMMINGBIRD Damophila julie

28:436 1986 Augsburg Ge (2)

PURPLE-COLLARED WOODSTAR Myrtis fanny

34:407 1993 San Diego USA 1.0.2(1)

RED-TAILED COMET Sappho sparganura

23:301 1981 Heidelberg Ge (6)
24/25:495 1982 Heidelberg Ge (6)
24/25:495 1983 Heidelberg Ge 4; San Diego USA (0.2.2)
26:458 1984 Heidelberg Ge (2)

RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD Selasphorus rufus

18:359 1976 Calgary Can (2)

PERUVIAN SHEARTAIL Thaumastura cora

30:404 1989 Augsburg Ge (1)
31:320 1990 Augsburg Ge 1

STREAMER-TAILED HUMMINGBIRD Trochilus polytmus

1:155 1959 Cleveland USA (unspecified number)
19:338 1977 Wuppertal Ge 2.3
20:410 1978 Wuppertal Ge 4
21:298 1979 Wuppertal Ge 3
22:400 1980 Wuppertal Ge 4
23:301 1981 Wuppertal Ge 1.0
24/25:495 1982 Wuppertal Ge 2.2
24/25:495 1983 Wuppertal Ge 3
26:458 1984 Wuppertal Ge 1
28:436 1986 Wuppertal Ge 0.1
30:404 1989 Augsburg Ge (1)

hummingird hybrid
ALLEN'S HUMMINGBIRD Selasphorus sasin x COSTA'S HUMMINGBIRD Calypte costae

23:301 1981 San Diego USA 1

 

One amazing fact: according to a German book on zoo keeping, hummingbirds liked to go outdoors in freezing weather, and even tried breeding in the cold.

(Zootierhaltung - Tiere in menschlicher Obhut: Vögel: Amazon.de: Wolfgang Grummt, Harro Strehlow: Bücher)

I think zoos often do it wrong. Hummingbirds are as insensitive to cold and require as much space as normal birds from the same climate, but are fiercely territorial towards the same species and should not be kept in groups, but like other polygamous birds. Zoos instead often try to keep them more like butterflies.

 

Does anyone know what hummingbirds butterfly world dallas aquarium omaha zoo and the Arizona Sonora desert museum have and are the costas hummingbirds on exhibit at the nc zoo

 

I'm sure you already know, but for people that don't: There are more than 300 different species of hummingbirds. I've seen Ecuadorian hillstars flying between patches of flowers covered in snow on Chimborazo and it is well-known that hillstars are among the hummingbirds that easily cope with freezing temperatures. There are also extreme, tropical lowland specialists that in all probability would die if subjected to <15 C for more than a few days. It really depends on the species and trying to merge them all into a single temperature category is impossible.

 

Found an ( old ) intresting article about hand-raising Hummingbirds :

HAND RAISED HUMMNGBIRDS | Rongren | AFA Watchbird

 

Don't know if that still true, but both JAZA and zoo website said biopark nagasaki have amazilia hummingbird. Anyone can confirm this?

 

Visited Avifauna in the Netherlands today and found 2 hummingbirds on display belonging to 2 species :
- Lesson's amazilia - female
- Rufous-throated sapphire - male

 

By checking an old notebook which I found a few days ago I found a species I've taken care for at Weltvogelpark Walsrode and which is not mentioned in this thread sofar and in fact not even mentioned on Zootierliste !
During 1986 I cared for 2 Blue-fronted lancebills ( Doryfera johannae ), one of which was kept on public-view in one of the small aviaries in the middle of the hall which he shared with a Bananaquit and one behind the scenes.

 

A species not mentioned sofar which has been kept at at least 2 public collections is the Violet-headed hummingbird - Klais guimeti.
In his book Hummingbirds A.J. Mobbs mention a male which was kept in the Tropical House at Harewood Bird Garden without mention in which year this should have been but it must have been before 1982 because in that year the book was published. This animal is listed on ZTL.
On Aug. 22 1986 an animal in my care at Weltvogelpark Walsrode died. I had just started my job at Walsrode and was not able to make a lot of observations about this species . This one is not mentioned on ZTL .

 

Worth noting that San Diego Zoo is replacing the old hummingbird house with a new one, with possible tropical imports. We shall have to wait and see, but fingers crossed!

 

and

Made a list of all species of Hummingbirds I've taken care for :

- Blue-fronted lancebill - Doryfera johannae : see # post 51
- Violet-headed hummingbird - Klais guimeti : see # post 52
- Oasis hummingbird - Rhodopis vesper : died Oct. 21 1986 Walsrode not mentioned on ZTL
- Fork-tailed wood-nymphe - Thalurania furcata : a female was kept 1986 together with the Quetzalts and was offered for sale in Oct. 1987 because no male could be found for her. Also this species is not listed for Walsrode on ZTL.
- Green-tailed trainbearer - Lesbia nuna : last one died Oct. 24 1986 at Walsrode. Not on ZTL
- Wire-crested thorntail - Popelairia popelairii : Last one died somewhere in 1987, was one of my absolute favorite species at Walsrode !
- Black jacobin - Melanotrochilus fuscus : on Sept 14 1987 the last one died at Walsrode. Also for this species Walsrode is not listed as being a former keeper on ZTL.
- Brown violetear - Colibri delphinae : This species was also kept in the large Quetzalt-aviary in the Paradise-hall in 1986 and also is not mentioned on ZTL.
- Red-billed streamertail - Trochilus polytmus : during 1987 a large shipment ( 20 birds ) recieved direct from Jamaica.
- Sombre hummingbird - Aphantochroa cirrochloris : A single animal kept at the Paradieshalle during the period I worked at Walsrode ( 1986 - 1989 ).
- Giant hummingbird - Patagona gigas : A single animal was kept at one of the central aviaries in the Loriatrium at Walsrode.
- Rufous-tailed hummingbird - Amazilia tzacatl : During 1986 for a short period kept in the free-flight part of the Paradieshalle, later kept behind the scenes.
- Sparkling violetear - Colibri coruscans : during 1986 / 1987 behind the scenes and now a species which is bred succesfully at Walsrode.
- Green violetear - Colibri thalassinus : as far as I remember also kept behind the scenes in the period I worked at Walsrode.
- White-bellied amazilia - Amazilia chionogaster : the only species I took care for at another collection as Walsrode. In the period 1995 / 1996 a shipment of 6 animals was recieved at Parc Parc Paradisio ( now better known as Pairi Daiza ). 2 of them were later released in the free-flight part of the Orchid-hall ( on the place were now the Chinese part with Giant salamander and Chinese alligator are ) but did not very well and within half a year all 6 had died .
That makes 15 species ( well possible I forgot some ) of a family of more then 300 species.

 

I remember at one point London Zoo had Amazilia hummingbirds, although this was a few years back now. I think they'd only recently refurbished their bird house. I don't believe they have them anymore.

 

Sparkling violetear (Colibri coruscans) is now held in the butterfly house in Oasi di Sant'Alessio in Italy

 

As already thought I indeed forgot 2 species ( discovered this by dubble-checking my note-books ) :
During 1986 Walsrode also kept 1 Tyrian metaltail ( Metallura tyrianthina ) - this species is not mentioned for Walsrode on ZTL and one Andean emerald ( Amazilia franciae ) - Walsrode mentioned on ZTL but without any further information.

 

By checking old newspapers I found a note about hummingbirds kept at Artis / Amsterdam Zoo. In the article its said that Artis had in 1933 a special cage in the Birdhouse in which 3 species were displayed.
Because they used some kind of "fantasy"names it was quite difficult to find out which species they were and for one species ( the Bahia kolibrie = the Bahia hummingbird ) I'm still not sure which species this should be.
One of the 2 remaining species is for surtain a member of the genus Chlorostibon ( "Smaragd kolibrie") but because the complete genus is called Smaragd kolibries in Dutch, I'm not sure which species exactly was kept. ZTL mention 9 different species being kept in European zoos but doesn't list Artis as being a former keeper of any of these.
The 3th species is also not mentioned for Artis on ZTL and from this species I'm sure it's the Ruby topaz hummingbird - Chrysolampis mosquitus -. Historicly kept at 18 zoos in Europe but at the moment only one male is living at Augsburg Zoo. With Augsburg and Artis this will make 20 holding in public collections in Europe.

 

Found a newspaper article about the first Hummingbirds kept at the Butterfly-hall at the old Emmen Zoo ( Noorder Dierenpark ).
The park had nice breeding-results with the Emerald hummingbirds ( Amazilia amazilia ) and this is well-known and several articles about these results have been publiced ( even in the Int. Zoo Yearbook ) but less known ( and even not mentioned on ZTL ) is that the first hummingbirds released in the Butterfly-hall were 3 pairs of Green-backed firecrowns ( Sephanoides sephaniodes ).

 

Not about living Hummingbirds but evenso a very intresting part of hummingbird history of an exhibition of part of the Gould's collection of hummingbirds at the London Zoo in the 19th centuary : Hummingbirds at the Zoological Gardens in 1851