For little particular reason, I have found myself in the creation of several captivity data-sheets for various birds of ZT ABC's Aves mod. I hope I have explained the captivity of such birds in good detail. PIED AVOCET : CAPTIVITY Captive Frequency: Fairly Common This wading bird is common in European captivity; with over 110 public collections in Europe keeping it. For avocets, and other waterbirds, two main types of enclosures exist - open lakes, and enclosed aviaries. Open lakes, whilst convenient for zoo guests' viewing, mean that the birds need to be pinoned or wing-clipped, and the danger of foxes and other carnivores is to be avoided. In an aviary, however, foxes are less of an issue, and the birds do not need to be wing-clipped or pinoned. Larger waterfowl in captivity are fed mainly on a manufactured pellet diet, though may also be fed with chicks and fish. The Pied Avocet, whilst not greatly endangered in the wild, has fragmented populations in the United Kingdom. SOUTHERN CARMINE BEE-EATER : CAPTIVITY Captive Frequency: None? This species of bee-eater seems absent from captivity; though it was held at the Heidelberg Zoo until the year 2000, where it never bred. Its close relative, the Northern Carmine Bee-eater, is held in about 9 European public collections, where it may be held in large numbers. The Cologne Zoo in Germany has a colony with about 60 birds in all, though in years prior this flock was even larger. In all, 5 species are kept in European Captivity - the Northern Carmine Bee-Eater [~9 collections of Europe], Mediterranean Bee-Eater [~20 collections], Red-throated Bee-Eater [<5 collections], White-froned Bee-Eater [~5 collections], and the White-Throated Bee-Eater [<5 collections, all German]. The husbandry of bee-eaters in captivity is fairly specialised, given the animal's requirement for nest-holes, which requires specific enclosure constructionwork. Given their small size, bee-eaters can be held in free-flight enclosures, or in enclosed exhibits. In exhibits of fair size, the birds will have good breeding success. As indicated by their name, bee-eaters' main source of food is by catching flying insects [typically bees], a task impractical to achieve in a captive setting. As such, a specialised diet must be formed in captivity for bee-eaters. This diet consists mainly of mealworms, which are cheap and easily obtained. Then added is a mince mixture consisting of semi-lean mince and crushed dog kibble, 'dog dust'. The mix also contains supplement vitamin-mix made for insectivores. Where Rainbow Bee-Eaters are held in captivity [note: the species is not currently kept in European captivity, though is held in Australian collections], more food is given during the summer than is the winter; as summer is the natural breeding-time for the species. SOUTHERN CASSOWARY : CAPTIVITY Captive Frequency: Fairly Common All three species of cassowary are held in captivity - though this species, the double-wattled or southern cassowary, is most common. Cassowaries are greatly of agressive tendency, meaning that zookeepers always enter the enclosure of the cassowary with shielding equipped to their bodies. Being aggressive, it is also reccomended that the birds are enclosed using sturdy chain-link fence. Cassowaries are large birds, and so exhibits of cassowaries need to allow the bird an ample amount of space, as well as a good amount of foliage, and also a mud or water wallow for the bird to wallow. Collections which intend to breed cassowary typically have two cassowary enclosures; one for either sex. Only during breeding season, the two birds are introduced for mating. In captivity, cassowaries are fed on a diet consisting of fruit, cereal-foods, and supplementary high-protein pellets. Rocks may also be provided as to aid the cassowary's digestion. If kept in good condition, cassowary will successfully breed in captivity, though eggs are to incubated if the chicks are to be hand-reared. As such, the southern cassowary is a successful species in captivity - interesting to the public, fairly easily visible, and breeds well. As such, about 70 collections in Europe keep cassowary as of 2022, including Edinburgh and Chester Zoo [UK], Moscow Zoo [Russia], and Berlin Zoo [Germany]. It is also common in North American captivity, and exists even in private hands, though as the recent [2019] death of a Florida man killed by a cassowary [one of only three recorded cases since 1920] has shown; this is perhaps not advisable. CHICKEN : CAPTIVITY Captive Frequency: Very Common The chicken is perhaps the most ubiquitous bird in captivity of all - it is believed that there are, in the 21st century, around 25 billion chickens in existence, essentially all of these farmed for meat and egg. Industrial chicken production is incredibly profitable, and releases relatively little carbon. Although the chicken is cemented in everyday life as a source of food, zoos can still make use of the chicken in displays - such as in children's zoos, where children can come into close encounters with animals of little harm. What is potentially more educational, however, is display of wild junglefowl - explaining that the junglefowl is the ancestor of the modern chicken. And, of the four or so species of junglefowl [excl. Gallus domesticus], all four are to be found in European captivity in varying numbers - only one collection in Europe maintains Javan Junglefowl - the Hoenderdaell Estate of the Netherlands. [though Taipei Zoo and Jurong Bird Park of Taiwan and Singapore respectively maintain the species under the EAZA] Sonnerat's Junglefowl is more common - just under 20 collections in Europe maintain it. The Ceylon junglefowl, again, is somewhat more few and far between, as just 5 European collections maintain it. But it is not a great surprise that the most common junglefowl in European captivity is the ancestral chicken itself - the Red Junglefowl, to be found in about 45 European collections, though these animals may have domestic chicken admixture themselves. GREAT INDIAN HORNBILL : CAPTIVITY Captive Frequency: Fairly Common Around 20 zoos in Europe keep Great Indian Hornbill in their collection, as do a few American Zoos, such as Denver Zoo. Hornbills are kept in sizable aviaries with ample branch opportunities. In a captive setting, hornbills are susceptible to iron storage disease, and so in a captive setting the birds are fed mainly with a low-pellet manufactured diet, as well as a range of fruits. Larger hornbill species are difficult to breed in captivity, meaning that capture of wild birds for the pet trade may continue. KAKAPO : CAPTIVITY Captive Frequency: None At time of writing [2022], no public collections outside of Oceania include kakapo in their display, or any public collection for that matter. Export of such an endangered species is greatly unlikely. Kakapo make only infrequent appearances in such captivity eitherway - either in the form of birds in animal hospitals, or the one hand-reared male, Sirrocco, who appears at public events. LITTLE SPOTTED KIWI : CAPTIVITY Captive Frequency: None This species of kiwi, at time of writing, no longer exists in captivity. The species was kept and bred at Otorohanga Kiwi House; the last of this species died in 2019. In general, kiwis are challenging birds to maintain in captivity - they are nocturnal, which means that 'open' kiwi exhibits, whilst possible, as the birds are flightless, are not likely to be of great success - as the birds rarely come out during the day. More often, Kiwis are kept in nocturnal house environment, with reverse lighting [the lights are more bright during night hours and vice versa]. In such enclosures, the ground is usually relatively moist to replicate a natural lifestyle. In captivity, Kiwis are fed on a ground-feed diet which contains rolled oats, cat biscuits, and ox heart. Mealworms may also be given as enrichment. The most common species of Kiwi in captivity is the Northern Brown Kiwi, found in several collections of New Zealand, and also a handful of zoos in Europe and the United States. RESPLENDENT QUETZAL : CAPTIVITY Captive Frequency: Very Rare Of the five species of its genus, the Golden-Headed Quetzal is most common, kept in a handful of zoos in the United States - though kept only in one European collection - the Weltvogelpark Walsrode, which has bred Golden-Headed Quetzal for many years, and keeps them in fairly large numbers. Other quetzal species are not so common in captivity, though they have been kept - the Crested Quetzal has been held in Europe as recently as 2011, at the Amazon World Zoo Park in the United Kingdom, though no longer exists there. Whether it still exists in North America is uncertain. Pavonine Quetzals have also been held in Europe, to little success, held in Germany until 2002. The most spectacular species of Quetzal of all is also one of the hardest to come by in captivity - the Resplendent Quetzal. It has even become legend that the species will not survive at all in a captive setting. And indeed, limited success has been achieved with Resplendent Quetzal - with breeding infrequent. It would not be until 2003, when the Mexican zoo ZooMat would successfully hatch the first-ever resplendent quetzal in captivity. The Dallas World Aquarium of the United States has also bred resplendent quetzal - though whether it still exists behind the scenes is unknown. At most, two collections in Mexico maintain Resplendent Quetzal - ZooMat, and also Xcaret Park. Quetzals thrive in aviaries which are foliated, and in captivity are fed on a diverse, iron-low diet consisting of seasonal fruit and vegetables, iron-low canary-breeding paste, corn, mealworms, and supplemented calcium and phosphorus. DARWIN'S RHEA : CAPTIVITY Captive Frequency: Rare Unlike its sister-species, the greater rhea, which is very common in captivity, the Darwin's Rhea is not quite as ubiquitous - which is perhaps curious given that, husbandry-wise, it is very similar in demands to the greater rhea - but it seems that much captive husbandry has been expended on that species as opposed to this one, and given its similar Least Concern status, resources to protect it are not urgent. Some 50 collections in Europe keep the species - but the species is absent at all from North American collections. Nevertheless, with conditions in captivity similar to those of the Greater Rhea, it can breed well. Rheas thrive in large, grassy aviaries, where they can naturally graze, though offering of a manufactured commercial ratite pellet is also recommended. SHOEBILL : CAPTIVITY Captive Frequency: Rare Popularity of this species with the public has increased in recent times, given recent attention given to the bird via online methods. Despite this, the species remains uncommon in captivity - only 4 collections in Europe contain the species, alongside just 2 collections in North America, alongside some <10 zoos in Asia. In captivity, as is the case with other waterfowl, shoebill are either wing-clipped [removing feathers of the wing, hence preventing flight] or kept in an aviary, though the latter appears to be providing of better quality of life. As is necessary for any waterfowl, shoebill thrive in foliated exhibits with large ponds. Choosing companion species for shoebill in an aviary must be done with caution - as shoebill are known to eat chicks during breeding season - and so most captive shoebills are kept on their own/with only other shoebills. Shoebills are fed in captivity on fish - live fish from a pond is preferable, though such feeding is illegal in several countries. Hand-feeding is also possible - though this is known to lead to imprinting, which is the main hindrance of breeding shoebill in captivity - and so is not advisable. For what moderate popularity the birds receive in captivity, their breeding record is poor - likely from imprinting on humans. Surely, if a self-sustaining zoo population of shoebill is to be desired, imprinting is to become less frequent in future. TAKAHE : CAPTIVITY Captive Frequency: Very Rare No takahes currently exist outside of Oceania, though a few zoos of New Zealand do have Takahe on display, and the species has long been part of a captive breeding programme. Takahe in captivity require a fairly large amount of land area, though feeding of the birds is probably fairly unspecialised. CHANNEL-BILLED TOUCAN : CAPTIVITY Captive Frequency: Fairly Common Over 30 European public collections contain this species of toucan - making it the third-most common species of toucan in European captivity, as it is less common than the Green Aracari, and the largest species - the Toco Toucan, which is found in over 50 collections. In all, about 15 species of Toucan in all are kept in European captivity, including six species of aracari, and two species of toucanet. All species are of varying numbers - the rarest in European captivity is the Laminated Mountain Toucan, of which only one example today exists in Europe - a female kept at Amazon World Zoo on the Isle of Wight. In captivity, toucans thrive well in foliated aviaries, with ample perch opportunities. The breeding-record of toucans in captivity is fairly good, with Rotterdam Zoo having bred good amounts of the birds. A captive toucan's diet consists largely of manufactured low-iron pellets, ideally supplemented with a variety of fruits. Toucans, as such, make for good exhibit animals in zoos, as they are showy, and popular with the public as well, appearing in children's media. IVORY-BILLED WOODPECKER : CAPTIVITY Captive Frequency: None This species probably has never existed in a captive setting - and it definitely does not today - as there is dispute as to whether it exists in the wild at all. As is unsurprising, woodpeckers are challenging to maintain in captivity, and various nations have laws in place that prohibit the capture/import of wild birds, with the exception of rehabilitation centres. Nevertheless, woodpeckers can thrive in aviary-style enclosures, complete with logs for the birds to bore. In captivity, should the need arise, woodpeckers are fed mainly on an insect-based diet.
