A List of US Zoos with Live Hummingbird Exhibits This list gives the names, addresses, links to, and names of the hummingbirds exhibited for all the zoos in the US that have live hummingbird exhibits.
(Click on Hummingbirds to return to the main hummingbird page or on main site to browse 70 topics ranging from exotic kaleidoscope designs to the strange world of lucid dreaming.)
This list was
compiled from the International Species Information System, 26 Dec,
2001. (Some inaccuracies resulting from reporting delays are
unavoidable.) I am in the process of contacting each of these
facilities to verify their holdings. Please check back often for updates.
The ISIS listed several Zoos that haven't exhibited hummingbirds for several years, which I discovered when I contacted these facilities. This suggests that the demands of caring for these birds is so high that many zoos elect to eliminate their exhibits.
In working on this page I discovered something interesting about most of the zoo websites: not one of them feature an easy-to-access list of what animals they have exhibited. I should think this would be the most obvious thing they'd want to have available to prospective visitors.
NEW!!!
Denver
Zoo Update!
Bo Ure very kindly emailed me the information that there is one Anna's hummingbird in the Tropics exhibit in the Denver Zoo's Bird World. (http://www.denverzoo.org/visit/map/bird_world/bird_world.htm)
(Thanks, Bo!)
NEW!!! Baltimore National Zoo update! On 7 January, 2003, Mr. Tim Carney sent me an update on the hummingbird status at the Baltimore Zoo. There are Costa's in the Invertebrate Greenhouse. There is a male White-bellied Hummingbird in the large open walkthrough portion of the Amazonia building. Regrettably, there are no more Sapphire-spangled Emeralds.
NEW!!! Zoo updates! Mr. Josef Lindholm, (Keeper, Birds and Small animals at the Cameron Park Zoo, Waco, Texas), very kindly sent me an email in May, 2002, with the following information:
Butterfly World in Florida has achieved the first successful U.S. breeding in 42 years of Jamaican Streamertails. The birds came from Jamaica via a special permit.
The Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha opened an enormous indoor desert exhibit with Black-chinned Hummingbirds.
The San Diego Zoo has imported the first Black-Throated Trainerbearers for many years. Their last Giant Hummingbirds and Red-tailed comets died during the 1990s.
Two years ago the Detroit Zoo had Black-chinned and Black-chinned x Costa hybrids.
In 2000, the Honolulu Zoo had one Black-chinned hummingbird.
Mrs. Gail Rogowski very kindly emailed me in January, 2002, with the sad information that while the Detroit Zoo had, until recently, a hummingbird exhibit, the last bird in this exhibit died. She mentioned that the feeders were still in place so it must have been a recent event.
San Diego
Zoological Park
P.O. Box 120551
2920 Zoo Drive
San Diego, CA 92112-0551
Varieties: 3
male and 2 female Colibri Coruscans (Sparkling violet-ears)
1
female Calypte Costae (Costa's hummingbird)
This list gives the impression that this zoo has a small exhibit. Nothing could be further from the truth. On the two times I've visited the hummingbird exhibit, there were over 100 hummingbirds in a huge aviary specially designed for them. I believe the zoo has over seven different species that regularly breed. I have no explanation for the low numbers of birds reported in the ISIS report. In addition to the birds already mentioned, I have personally seen several Patagona Gigas (Giant hummingbird) and many Sappho Sparganuras (Red-tailed comet... a beautiful bird) in the San Diego Zoo.
NEW!!!
Butterfly
World
Tradewinds
Park
3600
West Sample Road
Coconut
Creek, Florida 33073
Their
hummingbirds are in a separate aviary titled "Jewels of the Sky
Hummingbird Aviary."
Email: [email protected] I tried sending them an email for more information but they had gone over their limit and the message was returned.
ALSO
NEW!!! Moody
Gardens
Galveston,
Texas
Sharon Dewar at the San Diego Zoological Society mentioned that this facility might have hummingbirds. However, I haven't been able to confirm it from the information on their website and couldn't find an email address to request more information.
San Diego
Wild Animal Park
15500 San
Pasqual Valley Drive
Escondido, CA 92027
Varieties: 2 male and 2 female Colibri Coruscans (Sparkling violet-ear)
I believe the hummingbirds are in the "Hidden Jungle" exhibit.
Arizona-Sonora
Desert Museum
2021 North
Kinney Road
Tucson,
Arizona 85743-8918
Varieties: 1
female Stellula Calliope (Calliope hummingbird)
2 male
and 2 female Cynanthus Latrirostis (Broad-billed hummingbird)
3 male
and 1 female Calypte Anna (Anna's hummingbird)
2 male
and 1 female Calypte Costae (Costa's hummingbird)
1
female Stellula Calliope (Calliope hummingbird)
2 male
and 1 female Archilochus Alexandri (Black-chinned hummingbird)
1 male
and 1 female Selasphorus Platycercus (Broad-tailed hummingbird)
1 male
and 1 female Selasphorus Rufus (Rufus hummingbird)
As exstensive as this above list is, it does not cover all of the birds in this unique facility. I believe the total holdings exceed 100 birds. The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum has the most successful hummingbird breeding facility in the world, eclipsing even the great San Diego Zoo. Part of the Desert Museum's success comes from the fact that it works primarily with indigenous species as opposed to exotics from central or south American. Having said that, it must also be acknowledged that much of this facility's outstanding success is also due to a dedicated and hard-working staff.
Indianapolis
Zoo
P.O. Box 22307
1200 West
Washington Street
Indianapolis,
IN 46222-0309
Varieties: 1 female Calypte Anna (Anna's hummingbird)
National
Aviary in Pittsburgh
Allegheny
Commons West
Pittsburgh, PA 15212
Varieties: 1 female Calypte Costae (Costa's hummingbird) in a flight with other birds.
National
Zoological Park - Washington D.C.
Smithsonian Institute
3001
Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington
D.C. 20008
Varieties: 1
male Amazilia Chionogaster (White-bellied hummingbird)
2 male
and 2 female Calypte Costae (Costa's hummingbird)
2 male
hybrids of Calypte Costae (parents not specified)
1 male
Amazilia Lactea (Sapphire-spangled hummingbird)
The Hummingbirds are housed in an aviary that also houses a living butterfly display.
Cincinnati
Zoo and Botanical Garden
3400 Vine Street
Cincinnati, OH 45220-1399
Varieties: 1 female Thaumastura Cora (Peruvian sheartail)
I couldn't find an email address in the site to verify their holdings.
North
Carolina Zoological Park
4401 Zoo Parkway
Ashboro, NC 27205-9416
Varieties: 1 male Archilochus Alexandri (Black-chinned hummingbird)
I've also heard that there may be hummingbirds at the Detroit Zoo. Unfortunately, the zoo webmaster has reconstructed the zoo's homepage to force visitors into pages dedicated to a new polar bear exhibit. The site change is so effective I couldn't figure out how to get into the zoo's general site to find information on hummingbirds. I couldn't find any email addresses either.
