Date: Sat, 22 Apr 2000 20:49:29 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: paula sullivan Subject: Re: KAG and National Zoo/Rock Creek Park, 4/20/00 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; x-mac-type="54455854"; x-mac-creator="4D4F5353" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Kevin Graff wrote: > Went to ...the National Zoo at 9:45am. > > 388? Black-crowned Night Heron - possible 193 nests > and two last year juv. (will try count again on May > 21st) Noting Kevin's observation of something close to 388 Black-crowned Night Herons at the National Zoo, I was reminded of being told by an employee in the aviary at the Honolulu Zoo last fall that Black-crowned Night Herons, an indigenous species in Hawaii, are such a menace to zoo birds by residing in such huge numbers there, that they have to be destroyed. I have not yet formed an opinion about the wisdom of destroying an indigenous species for the benefit of captive birds, but would love to know what it is about a zoo park environment that attracts this particular species of heron. Does anyone have an idea or know how the National Zoo is coping with this amazing number of breeding Black-crowned Night Herons? Paula Sullivan Alexandria, VA paulas@erols.com ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================