Birds in Texas Zoos by Josef Lindholm, III {tailor's Note: This wticle was writ/en to Brotogeris, Keeper/Birds Grey-cheeked White-hel­ open up a whole new world for those of us Fort Worth Zoological Park lied Caique, and White-crowned Parrot wbo love bin/s, love zoos and love to vacation. (Pionus senilis) . To somefolks, '"Texas" conjures up annadil/os, dust and cowboys-or oil barollS and villiam Inside the heautiful Hixon Tropical ofthe old 7Vprogram ·'Dallas." 77Jere may be Bird House can be found the last some truth to these images buttbere is a great the eight crane taxa, which also White-necked Picathartes in the deal more-pwticularly for bird lovers- as include one of the few proven hreed­ Western Hemisphere (hatched at San thefollOWing article explains. Readandenjoy. See you in San Antonio. SID} ing pairs of Hooded Cranes in captivi­ Antonio), the first Woodland ty. Kingfishers (Halcyon senegalensis) to Most zoos today display far fewer breed in an American Zoo, Golden­ s of 1 January 1996, of the 25 pan'ot species than they used to and it headed Quetzals, hreeding Cinnamon largest U.S. zoo bird collec­ is rare to find more than a dozen or so Warhling Finches (Poospiza ornata), A tions (by species) listed by the taxa on display. San Antonio, howev­ Long-tailed and Lesser Green American Zoo and Aquarium er, holds more than 40 species. While Broadhills. Golden-headed Manakins, Association (996), five were Texan. it is, of course, exciting to see such rar­ Chinese Bamhoo Partridges and many Two of these. San Antonio and ities as Blue-throated (or Caninde), other species. Softbills exhibited out-of Houston, are in the top ten. Red-fronted, and Buffon's Macaws, doors include breeding Lesser Birds of Collectively, roughly 600 species and breeding Golden Conures, Red-tailed Paradise, a large flock of Yellow­ subspecies of hirds are held by the Black Cockatoos, and Long-hilled rumped Caciques (in the Amazonia nearly 20 zoos, aquariums and wildlife Corellas, it is also very satisfying to find walk-through exhibit), Malay Wreathed parks in Texas. serious exhihits of all three species of Hornhills, and Black-headed Since at least the 1940s, the San Polytelis, Senegal Parrots (with Gonoleks. Antonio Zoological Gardens has been Jackson's Hornhills in the walk­ The limitations of space do not one of the world's great hird collec­ through Rift Valley Forest Aviary), allow me to more than mention such tions, at times exceeding 500 species and subspecies, and. in some years, being the second largest U.S. zoo bird collection, after the San Diego Zoo. On 1 January 1996, San Antonio ranked Numher Five, after the San Diego Zoo Birds Do Not Live and Wild Animal Park, the Bronx Zoo. and Cincinnati Zoo, with 1,014 speci­ mens representing 219 taxa. By Seed Alone San Antonio Zoo In their natural habitat, birds select and nourish themselves San Antonio Zoo is uniquely with a variety of insects and fruits in addition to seeds. endowed with an artesian well supply­ However, birds in captivity are fully dependent upon their ing numerous canals and pools at a owners for proper nutrition. That's why CeDe Eggfood Products are a necessary part of your bird's diet. constant warm temperature. so that tropical fishes, such as tilapia. shark Sunflower, canary, rape and other seeds alone do not catfish, and plecostomus flourish year­ provide a well balanced nutritional diet that is essential to round. It is only to he expected that the bird's health and growth. CeDe Eggfood supplements there is a wonderful collection of your birds with essential vitamins, minerals, amino acids aquatic hirds, including such oddities and animal proteins. CeDe Eggfood is perfect for your as Horned Screamers, Straw-necked bird's nutritional needs during resting, breeding, and Ibis, and a Black-necked Stork molting. (Ephippi01-hynchus asiaticus). African CeDe Eggfood has proven to be an essential contribution to successful breeding both White-hacked Ducks (Thalassornis I. in Europe and in the United States. CeDe Eggfood Products are available for all types leuconotus) are the gems among 44 of birds. If you aren't feeding CeDe Eggfood Products to your birds, your birds are taxa of ducks, geese and swans. At the not breeding to their potential! heginning of 1977, the two pairs, occu­ pying their own canal-fed enclosure, NEW! Aluminum nitrogen flushed packaging for guaranteed freshness. were the only ones in any American puhlic zoo. Of course the pair of Distributed By Sunshine Bird Supplies, P.O. Box 830366, Miami, Florida 33283 Whooping Cranes stand out among Distributor inquiries welcomed at 1-800-878-2666 or fax (305) 591-9567 afa WATCHBIRD 19 other San Antonio zoo species as Away Bird, the Western Grey Plaintain­ Cranes, and a long-time captive African-White-backed Vultures, African eater, the Fischer's, and the Eastern Reddish Egret. Pygmy Falcons, full-winged Secretary Violet-crested are rarely met with else­ Among other interesting species are Birds, Northern Helmeted and Razor­ where. Malay Argus Pheasants, Peruvian billed Curassows, Northern Greater Other spectacular Houston Zoo Thick-knees, Mauritius Pink Pigeons, Prairie Chickens (Attwater's are held birds include Blue-Knobbed, Yellow­ Jendaya Conures, both species of off exhibit), Congo Peafowl, Malay knobbed, Bare-faced, Wattled, and Ground Hornhills, and White-cheeked Peacock and Bulwer's Wattled Northern Helmeted Curassows, Bulbuls. Pheasants, Masked Lapwings, and Rothschild's Peacock Pheasants, Red­ Salvin's Pigeons (Columba oenops)--in crowned Cranes, Green-naped Texas Zoo the same aviary with Andean Condors. Pheasant Pigeons, Molucca Imperial To the North, hut also in prime bird­ Pigeons (Ducula perspicillata), African ing habitat, is the city of Victoria. True Sea World ofTexas Crowned Hornbills (first bred at to its name, the Texas Zoo keeps only Sea World Of Texas is located some Houston), breeding Javan Rhinoceros state natives. Among the roughly 40 distance from Downtown San Antonio. Hornbills, prolific Magpie Shrikes species of birds can he seen American Though the acreage is. huge, the sev­ (Corvinella melanoleuca), breeding Wood Storks, a White-tailed Hawk enty or so species of birds are concen­ White-tailed, Plush-crested, and (Buteo alhicaudatus), Broad-winged trated in several areas. A variety of Northern GreenJays, recently obtained Hawks, and Purple Gallinules. waterfowl are kept with the colony of African White-Necked Ravens, and Lesser Flamingoes, one of the very few Red Birds of Paradise. Ellen Trout Zoo colonies to thus far reproduce in cap­ Another East Texas collection is the tivity. The rarely seen Argentine Ruddy Moody Gardens Ellen Trout Zoo, in Lufkin, with a Duck (Oxyura vittata) shares a walk­ About an hour's drive from Houston growing series of hirds, presently at through aviary with Smew, Australian is Galveston Island, the home of about 60 species. Famous for breeding Bush Stone Curlew, Hammerkops, Moody Gardens. The 10 story glass West African Crowned Cranes, this zoo Scarlet Ibis, Kookaburras, and other pyramid houses a priceless plant col­ also displays a nice collection ofwater­ species. The Penguin Encounter fea­ lection and a marvelous array of fowl and parrots (including a Tucuman tures large flocks of four species: imported butterflies, so the variety of Amazon, Hyacinth Macaws, and Kings, Northern Gentoo, Rockhoppers, birds at large in this structure were Leadbeater's Cockatoos). and Chinstraps. The Alcidexhibit in the selected to harm neither. Among the Among recent additions to the col­ same building features Common 16 species of pigeons and doves are lection are Malay Crestless Fire-backed Murres and Common and Tufted breeding Wonga Wongas, as well as Pheasants and Fairy Bluebirds. Puffins, with a pair of Northern Eiders Jambu, Superb, and Beautiful Fruit (Somateria mollissima borealis). Pigeons, Pinon and Purple-tailed Waco Zoo As Busch Corporation now owns Imperial Pigeons, and the rarely seen Waco, on the road between San the Sea World Parks, a number of par­ Bare-eyed Pigeon (Columba corensis). Antonio and Dallas, relocated its zoo rots, including Golden Conures and There are also large flocks of seed-eat­ several years ago, so the bird collec­ Red-fronted Macaws, have been trans­ ing birds, including breeding tion, concentrating on African species, ferred from Busch gardens in Tampa. European Goldfinches, African Golden is still small. However, the collection is These are currently off-exhibit, but Sparrows, Bronze-winged Mannikins, distinguished by a pair of African may be viewed by those taking the the rarely imported Grey-headed Open-billed Storks, hatched at the San special behind-the-scenes tours Munias (Lonchura caniceps) from New Diego Wild Animal Park. offered at extra charge. Guinea, and various neotropical species. Dallas Zoo Houston Zoological Gardens Also concentrating on African The Houston Zoological Gardens Gladys Porter Zoo species, but in a much bigger way, is housed 183 taxa of birds on 1January The Rio Grande Valley is a hirder's the Dallas Zoo, with around 150 1996, the second largest collection in paradise, full of species one otherwise species of birds. The world first breed­ Texas, and the tenth in the U.S.A. sees south of the border. The Gladys ing of the Saddle-billed Stork was pre­ Although the famous bird house is cur­ Porter Zoo in Brownsville, with about ceded by first U.S. breedings ofGoliath rently closed for renovation visitors 150 species of hirds, almost entirely Herons and Kori Bustards. Other will find a marvelous collecti~n exhib­ displayed out of doors is also very African birds (in the "Wilds of Africa" ited in out-door aviaries, with a special much worth a visit. Giant Coots from as well as the older section of the emphasis on softbills and gamebirds.