Among the array of African birds are White-breasted Cormorants, breeding groups of Kori and Red-crested The Zoos of Texas - 2003 Bustards, a Goliath Heron, breeding Saddle-billed and Marabou Storks, Text by Josef Lindholm /II Keeper, Birds and Small Mammals, breeding Eared and Hooded Vultures, , Waco, Texas Erckel's Francolins, the only East Photos by Natalie Mashburn Lindholm, Mammal Keeper, African Green Pigeons (Treron calva) Cameron Park Zoo, Waco, Texas in the U.S., more than thirty Fischer's [Editor's Note: We bird lovers have Trumpeter Hornbills and Green Wood Lovebirds, breeding African Ring­ always been delighted with zoos because they Hoopoes have also been prolific. A necked parakeets, a large and prolific usually contain a large and beautiful assort­ walk-through aviary shares a fascinat­ flock of speckled Mousebirds, a Gray­ ment of birds - quite often birds we seldom ing building with aquaria and small headed Kingfisher, Bearded Barbets, see in private aviculture. With this in mind, mammal and reptile displays, and is and a Black-winged Bishop. Josef Lindholm has kindly put together an home to several avicultural rarities. In Zoo North one may admire overview of the zoos of Texas. Hopefully, According to ISIS, the Gray-backed Ocellated Turkeys, Beautiful, Black­ those of you who are driving to the convention Sparrow Lark (Eremopterix verticalis), naped and Wompoo Fruit Pigeons, will take time to visit the zoos along your way. at Abilene more than a decade, is the Blue-crowned Hanging Parrots, Blue­ Due to space constraints, it may take several only one exhibited anywhere. The only crowned Motmots, Swainson's issues to include all the zoos. SLD] other institution exhibiting Orange­ Toucans, Lesser Green Broadbills, winged Pytalias (Pytilia afra) is Fairy Bluebirds, Bearded Reedlings, a t the beginning of March, Honolulu Zoo, while Woodland Long-crestcd Jay, and a Collared 2003, ISIS (The International Kingfishers can otherwise be seen only Sunbird, in Dallas more than a decade A Species Inventory System) at San Antonio, San Diego Zoo, and and the sire of the first of its species listed 647 species and subspecies of Hagenbeck's Tierpark in Hamburg, and hatched in North America. birds held by participating Texas ani­ Arrow-marked Babblers at San Diego mal collections. Zoo and the Durban Zoo in South Frank Buck Zoo Ninety-six were psittacines, 92 Africa. While a growing number of The only birds I remember from were ducks, geese, and swans, 37 were zoos exhibit Blue-throated Carmine 1970s and '80s visits to this little pigeons and doves, and 148 were Bee-eaters, it happens the one in this municipal zoo in Gainesville, a few passerines. As several interesting aviary is the only Bee-eater in Texas, as miles south of the Oklahoma border, places don't submit their statistics to of early 2003. were Ostriches, Mute Swans, and ISIS, the number of bird taxa held by Off exhibit, Abilene is a partici­ Golden Pheasants. Quite recently, as public exhibits in Texas is actually pant in the vitally important Attwater's part of an overall redesign, a bird col­ somewhat higher. On the occasion of Prairie-Chicken project, holding eight lection has begun to take form. Among the scheduling of the 2003 AFA males and seven females as of mid­ the more interesting species as of Convention in San Antonio, here fol­ March, 2003, and hatching five in the March, 2003, are Bolivian Military lows the first installment of a State­ previous six months. Macaws, Blue-crowned Conures, East wide review of public bird exhibits. African Crowned and Florida Sandhill Cranes, and Chilean Flamingos. Abilene Zoological Gardens Abilene is situated on the main For more than ten years, this ven­ road between El Paso and the erable collection (with about 140 Out in the direction of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. Its zoo species of birds) has sort of been two Louisiana border, Tyler is known as the concentrates on African and North zoos in one. Wilds of Africa is con­ "Rose Capitol of the World." This city American animals, though its master nected to Zoo North by a tunnel, and has also long been famous for its inno­ plan calls for an eventual world-wide both have impressive bird exhibits, vative, privately administered, nonprof­ focus, along with a significant increase backed up by extensive off-exhibit it zoo. Texas, South America, and in acreage. Presently, the bird collec­ breeding facilities. While the popular Africa and Madagascar are empha­ tion stands at roughly fifty species, pri­ monorail in Wilds emphasizes African sized. The bird collection numbers marily African. Antelope, a mixed flock of more than about 90 species. A special feature of Abilene was among the first 150 White-faced and Fulvous the Texas exhibit has long been large places to breed Abyssinian Ground Whistling Ducks (vocalizing each time numbers of various species of ducks. Hornbills and Secretary Birds, and a train passes) is a breath-taking sight. The sight of multiple male Redheads, 52 First Quarter 2003 Hyacinth Macaws, Golden, Quality Incubators and Brooders ] endaya, and Sun Conures, and Visit our website • one of the more successful www.aveyln breeding flocks of Chilean Easy to use­ FlaI11ingos. The African area fully adjustable includes outdoor exhibits for for all birds the only South African Black 1(877)283-946i2 ~~~~==~~J Ducks in Texas, Tnllnpeter and 1-877-AVEYINC Red-billed Hornbill , prolific Toll Free East African Crowned Cranes, -Chklk Chalet Brooder'" and Hammerkops, as well as a beautiful building featuring Nile Crocodiles, Rock Pythons, Lake Malawi Cichlids, Leopard Tortoises, along with free-fly­ ing African Gray Parrots, save! Hartlaub's touracos, Golden­ breasted (or Royal) Starlings, and breeding Taveta Weavers. Through glass walls, beyond as of March, 2003, held twelve birds this panorama of birds and fish­ off-exhibit, with one hatched in the pre­ es, one can adtnire I ions, vious ix l11onths. .:. Saddle-billed Stork.s at th e Dallas Zoo 'rl'here th e f irst captive breeding took place in 1997. giraffes and various antelope. The Caldwell Zoo is th Watch for the Zoo ofTexa Part If in the next Shovelers, Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Inost recent participant In the issue of AFA Watchbird. Green-winged, Cinnamon and Blue­ Attwater' Prairie Chicken project, and winged Teal, and Hooded Mergansers, against a background of White-tailed Deer and Bison, can be breath-taking. Various species hatch each year. A cou­ ple of Mississippi Kites are another itnposing native exhibit. Large number of Rosey-billed Pochards, Chi loe

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