Wading Birds in North American Zoos

There's no problem with bumping this kind of thread - in fact I encourage you too if you have new info to add.

 

Roger Williams Park Zoo recently acquired Scarlet Ibis.

 

Franklin's website does not list the Hadada Ibis as subspecific. Do we know for certain that they are subspecific?

 

Brookfield Zoo also has Scarlet Ibis

 

Boat-billed Heron is no longer present in Zoo Miami, at least not on-exhibit. Hasn't been for a while. The Javan Pond Herons are no longer in Miami, either, or at least not on display/zookeepers lists. I didn't see them at Bronx as well when I went a few days ago, nor signage for them. One of the regular visitors to Bronx probably knows exactly if they're still there or not.

Scarlet Ibis and Roseate Spoonbills were not present or signed at Palm Beach Zoo when I went in late 2021.

Some additions to your list

GREAT BLUE HERON
CA – San Diego Zoo
AZ – Phoenix Zoo
FL – Flamingo Gardens
FL – Sawgrass Nature Center (Great White Heron - Ardea herodias occidentalis)
FL – Zoo Miami

CATTLE EGRET
FL – Busch Wildlife Sanctuary
FL – Flamingo Gardens
FL – Laura Quinn Wild Bird Sanctuary
FL – Zoo Miami
NY – Queens Zoo
NY – Staten Island Zoo

GREEN HERON
FL – Flamingo Gardens
FL – Laura Quinn Wild Bird Sanctuary
FL – Sawgrass Nature Center
FL – Zoo Miami

LITTLE BLUE HERON
FL – Zoo Miami

REDDISH EGRET
FL – Zoo Miami

SNOWY EGRET
AZ – Phoenix Zoo
FL – Flamingo Gardens
FL – Zoo Miami

TRICOLOR HERON
FL – Flamingo Gardens
FL – Zoo Miami

YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT HERON
FL – Flamingo Gardens

BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON
CA – San Diego Safari Park (definitely signed)
FL – Flamingo Gardens
NY – Bronx Zoo
NY – Queens Zoo

WHITE IBIS
FL – Flamingo Gardens
FL – Zoo Miami

SCARLET IBIS
AZ – Phoenix Zoo

WALDRAP IBIS
CA – San Diego Safari Park

GLOSSY IBIS
FL – Flamingo Gardens

SACRED IBIS
CA – Los Angeles Zoo
FL – Lion Country Safari (definitely seen on Safari drive-thru once, but not sure if was feral individual)

ROSEATE SPOONBILL
AZ – Phoenix Zoo
FL – Flamingo Gardens
FL – Frost Museum Of Science

AFRICAN SPOONBILL
CA – Los Angeles Zoo

 

There was never a population in that area, so they would have been captive birds.

 

Maybe, maybe not. They're definitely present in other parts of Florida, though.

 

The signs for Black-crowned Night Herons at the SD Zoo Safari Park refer to wild birds. Same with most if not all those native herons at Zoo Miami.

 

True, but should those not be counted if they're signed? I'm pretty sure some of the other collections on here also sign wild birds. In Miami at least, the same species are nearly always present in the front pond and they're educational information on them just like with the rest of the animals at the zoo. Some might also be rescues.

 

Bronx's pond-herons are one of the birds that live unsigned in the JW free-flight and hardly anyone seems to see them. I mostly spot them on the langur side actually.

~Thylo

 

There used to be a population but they were eradicated by Florida Fish and Wildlife around 2008.

EDIT: It seems I was wrong and there were a few sightings in that area. If you saw the birds pre-2008 then they may have been wild, but if that's the case the listing wouldn't belong on this thread anyway, even if they were captive.

 

I don't think Great Blue is actually part of San Diego's collection, they are wild birds. Same is true for Great Blues in many zoos, I've seen wild GB's at SDZ, SeaWorld SD, and SF for example.

Again they're often wild, as has already been noted. I've seen wild Night-Herons in several zoos.

I strongly concur with Ituri that many cases with the herons involve wild birds, signed or not. In addition to the two aforementioned species I've seen several other heron species running wild in zoos including Great Egret, Snowy Egret, and Green Heron.

 

It was at the end of 2021 that I saw them. None of the safari animals are signed so I don't know if they just flew in (Lion Country doesn't list them on their website for what it's worth).

 

Fair enough. With Miami I do know that zookeepers feed the herons and pelicans in the pond, and at least some of the species consistently appear at the large pool. I'd need to return and ask a zookeeper if some of them are non-releasable rescues.

 

If you saw them in 2021 then there's absolutely no doubt they were captive birds.

 

Working on updating this thread, could you clarify which native species were signed and which weren't, to help me figure which ones are actually zoo birds and which are simply wild birds you saw at those zoos?

 

The only facilities from my above list that had unsigned birds were Flamingo Gardens and Lion Country Safari.

1. However, every bird that was seen at Flamingo Gardens is 100% captive, and they were inside an enclosed walk-through aviary. I am confident they should be added to your update.

2. Every Zoo Miami bird I listed was signed. While I cannot determine with 100% certainty whether they are all captive or wild, you do list Roseate Spoonbill and in the other thread, pelicans, as being held at Miami and they would have the exact same status. All the native water birds are present and signed within the same exhibit, a very large pool within Mission Everglades. I would include them.

3. All SD park birds were signed despite being possibly confirmed as wild by other members. If signage is what is needed to be added, they'd definitely qualify.

4. Looking back, at Lion Country's Sacred Ibis, I don't have any good photos of the bird and since it was several months ago and they aren't listed on the website, I wouldn't add them to the update until someone else can validate that its indeed present.

 

Cattle Egret, Green Heron, Little Blue Heron, Reddish Egret, Snowy Egret, Tricolored Heron, and American White Ibis are not actually part of the zoo's collection. The only wading birds in that exhibit that are captive are the spoonbills and at least one Great Blue Heron.

Brandywine Zoo

The zoo keeps Scarlet Ibis and no longer has Black-crowned Night-Heron.

Philadelphia Zoo

Does not hold African Sacred Ibis.

Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science

Holds American White Ibis, Green Heron (viridescens), and Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (violacea).

Six Flags Wild Safari

Keeps African Sacred Ibis.

Staten Island Zoo

No longer holds Boat-billed Heron or Scarlet Ibis.

The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore

Holds Hadada Ibis (brevirostris), and no longer keeps Green Heron.

Zoo Miami

Like I stated above, the zoo does have at least one captive Great Blue Heron. They longer hold Boat-billed Heron or Great Egret.

EDIT: Riverside Discovery Center keeps Madagascar Ibis and Northern Bald Ibis.

 

Well since the birds come get free food the zoo probably figures might as well. But as already stated they are not part of the collection.

 

Signage isn't what is needed, they simply need to be captive birds. I know in many cases it can be difficult to tell (especially since some zoos sign wild animals) but knowing if they are signed can help determine if they are wild or not.