BEE-EATER PHONE SURVEY RESULTS -- April 1997; updated May 2000, April 2001
Marcia Arland, Bronx Zoo
(718) 220-5070; [email protected]

INSTITUTION

SPECIES / HOUSING

ACCLIMATION / HEALTH ISSUES

SEXING

BANDING

DIET / COLORING AGENTS

NEST SITE / NESTING

SOCIAL AND OTHER BEHAVIORS

Disney's Animal Kingdon 0.0.6 carmine. Outdoor aviary       Mealworms coated in beta-tene, emeraid, and nekton; plus wild insects    

Toronto Zoo

0.0.3 White-throated indoor exhibit 20'x10'x8'h difficult getting birds on captive non-live food diet. not sexed banded MW, C, mixed fruit, dry fruit, egg, ground beef heart, kibble with veggies. Birds eat mostly live food; hawk fruit flies attracted to fruit diet no nest sites in current exhibit; concept report developed for new bee-eater exhibit w/ bee hive, stream bank w/ nest sites.  
Cincinnati Zoo 0.0.5 Carmine
2.1 White-throated
0.0.4 Red-throated
new inside exhibit; housed with 2 golded-breased starlings		 R-T in low weight; trauma in transport - 1 bird DOA; 1 bird w/ eyes matted closed. Nursed to health in small cages Came in sexed Not banded MW, C dusted w/ vitamins, fly larvae, hard-boiled egg, softbill, live bees 2-3 x/week.Will eat egg if low on livefood. Roxanthin and Necton R on all food. Good color. mud bank w/ layers of mud, sand and moss mix R-T copulations seen; species compatible; Carmines dominant
Toledo Zoo 5.5 Carmine large indoor exhibit; mixed African birds; sparse plantings   from Bird's Haven? no acclimation problems   MW, WW, C, gelatin base*w/ insects; pans sprayed w/Betatene; Bet. In cricket drinking water.*gelatin base = soaked Marion biscuit mixed w/gelatin. Birds are dark pink no nest sites in present exhibit. Planning nest sitecliff w/ nest boxes and PVC pipe for Jan. '98. courtship feeding seen

Honolulu Zoo

5.7 Carmine ?? outdoor aviary 40'x30'x15'h

none; eating and bathing upon arrival; no bill problems - birds beat food on rockwork.

sexed at Bird's Havenbut unbanded

live food, softened Wayne's low iron dog kibble. Birds eating. Will be adding Betatene - birds in bad color.

4'x4'x6' box w/ layers of plywood and packed clay.Birds do not have access yet.

Kansas City Zoo

6.5 Carmine (April 2000)  summer - outdoor aviary; winter - housed inside. Zoo building shelters onto aviary for year-round housing.

vitamin A deficient - treated.

Zoogen

color banded; bands visible in small exhibit

MW, WW, C w/ liquid calcium, live bees in summer; frozen bees in winter, crumble dry dog food, moist Zeigler BOP pellets, beet juice. Eating only live food. No Roxanthin - liver disease.

box w/ mud-packed PVC.on top and peck, no holes dug. New box design using clay/soil/sand mix, open-face PVC tubing.

San Diego WAP

3.3.20 Carmine
0.0.12 White-throated
0.0.4 White-fronted housed together in outdoor aviary.
0.0.3 Blue-cheeked housed off-exhibit

avian TB (1); tested for vitamin E selenium - OK; toenail problems; bills OK

Carmines laproscoped

metal banded; leg problems w/ color bands; difficult to see.

MW, WW, C, live bees, wild inverts., kibble (not eating); Necton I/Protivit gel on insects; Roxanthin sprinkled on food; very good color.

4'x4'x8' high box filled w/ sand/glue mix watered and packed; 3" wooded slats on front, 30 holes. 3 yr. digging; W-F seen in holes; 2 Carmine bred at Zoo.

W-T prefer denser foliage; Carmines prefer more open space; species seem to segregate. Play behavior With eucalyptus leaves; birds most active after closing. Never seen drinking water.

Woodland Park 2.1 Carmine Acclimated well. Birds arrived in good health. Already sexed when purchased Aluminum butt-end. Sometimes hard to see. See link under "institution" See link under "institution"

Bronx Zoo

0.0.19 Carmine inside exhibit, 30'x30'x40'h
0.0.3 White-throated inside exhibit w/ Bishops

difficult getting birds on captive diet. Vitamin A deficient - treated w/ vit.A injections IM. Overgrown bills

not sexed

metal & color bands; difficult to see.

MW, WW, C (live & frozen); kibble mix (dog food, bird of prey meat, vit. E, Roxanthin); Betatene sprits.

Carmines:15' high artificial gunnite bank w/ sand-filled PVC-pipe burrows; live plants & grasses; stream through exhibit under bank.

Carmines:courtship feeding;digging; copulations; aggressive sparing; splash bathe in stream.

Riverbanks Zoo

9.9 Carmine and 9.4 white-throated share inside exhibit Avian Biotech sexed; imported  color bands MW, WW, C (freshly dead), dog kibble, nekton I, betatene, offered on top of insectivore diet 12' high 4' thick gunite river bank; 3-6' nest boxes / pipe at rear of gunite form nest tunnels

Installed in exhibit Feb,01. Started digging in artificial tunnels April,01. Managed to chip some of the gunite away!

St Louis Zoo

0.0.40 Carmine bee-eaters

Imported, 01

MW, WW, C, kibble, nekton I, betatene, offered on top of insectivore diet

Columbus Zoo

0.0.20 Carmine bee-eaters

Imported, 01

MW, WW, C, kibble, nekton I, betatene, offered on top of insectivore diet