Moluccan Cockatoo
Cacatua moluccenis
Range: Native to Seram and the surrounding islands in the
Indonesian archipelago, also known as the Moluccas (where
they get their name) or the Spice Islands.
Habitat: Their preferred habitat is lowland forests and wooded
mountain slopes.
Diet: Seeds, nuts, young coconuts, berries, insects and their
larvae.
Lifespan: unknown in the wild, 65 or more years in captivity.
Description: The Moluccan Cockatoo is the largest of the
white cockatoos, with the female being larger than the male.
They have pink-white feathers that give them a peachy glow. They have salmon colored feathers on
their crest, which is why they are also known as Salmon-crested Cockatoos.
Breeding: Moluccan Cockatoos reach sexual maturity at 5-6 years of age. Their breeding season is
typically in May – August. Clutch size is between 1 and 3 eggs, but most commonly it is 2 eggs and
both parents will incubate the eggs. Incubation lasts 28-29 days.
Behavior/Adaptations: Moluccan Cockatoos live in flocks of about 20 birds. They are highly
intelligent which makes them popular pets, however it also makes them one of the most demanding
and needy birds and because of this, they need lots of attention. These cockatoos are thought of as
very peaceful in the wild, but are also thought of as pests in coconut plantations because they eat
young coconuts and their milk.
Predators: They have no wild predators, just humans.
Conservation: Moluccan Cockatoos are listed as “Vulnerable” due to deforestation and trapping for
the pet trade. Even though wild trapping these birds is illegal, it is unfortunately still practiced.
The Zoo’s Moluccan Cockatoo: Alex is a male and was hatched in the wild in June of 1991.
Interesting Facts:
 Cockatoos are often destructive to their habitat, especially wooden items – it’s very important
to give them lots of enrichment.
 In addition to also being called “Salmon-crested Cockatoos” they are also known as “Rosecrested Cockatoos”.
 The oldest Moluccan Cockatoo recorded was 125 years old in England.
Information taken from the following sources:
http://www.iaate.org/companion-parrots/51-content/resource-center/171-moluccan-cockatoo-fact-sheet
http://rosamondgiffordzoo.org/assets/uploads/animals/pdf/MoluccanCockatoo.pdf
LAKE SUPERIOR ZOO • 7210 Fremont Street • Duluth, MN 55807 • www.LSZooDuluth.org
Double Yellow-headed
Amazon
Amazona oratrix
Range: Native to Mexico and Central America.
Habitat: Double Yellow-headed Amazon parrots prefer to
live in mangrove forests or riparian forests (forests near a
body of water).
Diet: Seeds, nuts, fruits, flowers, berries, and leaf buds.
Lifespan: In the wild, these birds can live to be 70 years old, in the wild; they can live to be
between 70-80 years old.
Description: Double Yellow-headed Amazons are one of the larger amazon parrots weighing in at
between 1-1.5 lbs. Their prominent feather color is green (as with all other amazon parrots) while
their head is mostly yellow with some yellow and red on the wrist joints of their wings and red and
blue on the underside of their tail feathers.
Breeding: They become sexually mature at 3-4 years of age and when they find a mate, it is for life.
Breeding season is in April-May and the female will lay 3-4 eggs in hollow tree limbs and incubate
them for 26-28 days. The young will leave the nest at 8-12 weeks.
Behavior/Adaptations: Double Yellow-headed Amazons are very social birds and can be found
living in groups of hundreds of birds. When excited, all feathers of the neck and crown are raised,
making the head appear double in size, which is how they got their name. They strongly desire
attention and will engage in all sorts of behavior to gain this attention.
Predators: Humans, monkeys, raptors, and snakes.
Conservation: Double Yellow-headed Amazons are listed as “Endangered” due to deforestation and
illegal trapping for the pet trade.
The Zoo’s Double Yellow-headed Amazon: Korbel is a female and was hatched in captivity in
January of 1973.
Information taken from the following sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow-headed_Amazon
http://rosamondgiffordzoo.org/assets/uploads/animals/pdf/DoubleYellowHeadedAmazon.pdf
LAKE SUPERIOR ZOO • 7210 Fremont Street • Duluth, MN 55807 • www.LSZooDuluth.org
Black-headed Caique
Pionities melanocephalus
Range: Native to the Amazon Rainforest in the countries of Brazil,
Columbia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and
Venezuala.
Habitat: Black-headed Caiques live in the canopy of the Amazon
Rainforest.
Diet: In the wild, Caiques live high in the tree tops and eat seeds,
berries, and fruits.
Lifespan: 30-40 years
Description: Caiques (pronounced ki-eeks) are fairly small, extremely colorful parrots with a solid
looking body and short, square tails. They average nine inches in length although the Yellow-thighed
Caique does get a big larger. Caiques are fairly new to the pet trade, but are quickly gaining in
popularity due to their beautiful coloring and friendly, playful personalities.
The Black-headed Caique parrot has a mostly black head. The feathers on the cheeks, throat, flanks,
and thighs are orange-yellow and there is an orange band across the back of the neck with a border
of bluish feathers. The feathers on the wings, back, rump, and upper tail are green. The belly and
breast feathers are creamy white and the tail feathers are yellow at the tip. Younger Black-headed
Caiques have more yellow on their underside and their yellow and orange parts are paler than an
adults’.
Breeding: Scientists believe that Black-headed Caiques will mate with other species of Caique and
create hybrids in the wild.
Behavior/Adaptations: Caiques have a social system which is slightly unusual for parrots. They
tend to live in a clan of 5-10 related families in a single enormous tree. They form long-lasting
relationships, positive and negative, with other clan members. They are extremely competitive for
status. They may be less exclusive pair bonders than larger parrots. In captivity they may be more
likely to have several long-term human “friends” than other parrots, and can be less troublesome in
relating to their bonded human’s spouse.
Conservation: Black-headed Caiques are listed as a species of “Least Concern”.
The Zoo’s Black-headed Caique: Cricket is a male and was hatched in captivity in April of 1996.
He was owned privately before being donated to the Lake Superior Zoo in 2012.
Information taken from the following sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-headed_Parrot
http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww16eiv.htm
http://www.birdtricks.com/black-headed-caique.html
LAKE SUPERIOR ZOO • 7210 Fremont Street • Duluth, MN 55807 • www.LSZooDuluth.org
Blue and Gold Macaw
Ara ararauna
Range: Native to South America.
Habitat: Blue and Gold Macaws live in forested areas,
preferring swampy forests and forests near rivers.
Diet: Fruits, seeds, berries, and nuts.
Lifespan: Up to 50 years in captivity.
Description: Blue and Gold Macaws are a large species of macaw (the largest being the Hyacinth
Macaw) and they are around 33 inches in length from their head to the tip of their tail. They have a
blue-green body and wings with yellow/gold starting t their ears, going down to their neck and
covering their entire underside with green feathers just about their cere (nostrils above the beak).
Breeding: They become sexually mature at 3-4 years of age and when they find a mate, it is for life.
They nest high above the ground in cavities of large, dead trees. They lay two eggs and while the
female is thought to do all of the incubating, both parents will aggressively defend them. Young will
leave the nest at around 10 weeks old.
Behavior/Adaptations: Blue and Gold Macaws live in flocks and are known for their intelligence.
They can be trained to talk, but are not good at mimicking. They are also known to be aggressive.
Predators: Humans, snakes, and Harpy Eagles.
Conservation: Although they are almost extirpated from Peru, they are listed as a species of “Least
Concern.”
The Zoo’s Blue and Gold Macaws:
 Sammy is a male hatched in captivity in 1991. He was privately owned before being donated
to the zoo.
 Pico is a female hatched in the wild in 1982. She was privately owned before being donated
to the zoo.
Information taken from the following sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue-and-yellow_Macaw
http://www.ehow.com/info_8245354_predators-blue-gold-macaw.html
Wildlife Fact File – Zoo Library
LAKE SUPERIOR ZOO • 7210 Fremont Street • Duluth, MN 55807 • www.LSZooDuluth.org
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
Range: American Robins are found throughout North
America. They live year round in southern Canada
through most of the United States. Some Robins do
migrate from more northern regions such as Alaska and
northern Canada and will travel as far south as southern
Mexico and Guatemala.
Habitat: Robins occupy a diverse range of habitats
including woodlands, gardens, orchards, lawns, and fields. They prefer areas of open ground or short
grass for foraging, with woodland or a few scattered trees and shrubs nearby for nesting and
roosting. Suburban and agricultural areas often provide these kinds of habitats so American Robins
are commonly found near human settlements.
Diet: Robins feed on a mixture of both wild and cultivated fruits, berries, earthworms, and insects
such as beetle grubs, caterpillars, and grasshoppers. Robins will turn to whichever food is most
readily accessible, although the diet generally consists of approximately 40% invertebrates and 60%
fruits and berries.
Lifespan: In the wild, most robins live to be about 2 years old, the oldest wild robin recorded was 14
years old.
Description: American Robins are about 9-11 inches long with brown/gray feathers on their backs,
and orange-red breast, with white on their lower belly and underneath their tail. Their heads are a
darker gray, with males heads being darker than females (some males’ heads look almost black).
Their beaks are yellow ad their legs and feet are a gray-black.
Breeding: Males and females form a pair bond during breeding season and while raising their
young. American Robins breed in the spring from April through July; they are one of the first birds to
begin laying eggs and have 2-3 broods per breeding season. The cup-shaped nest is built by the
female, who builds the outer foundation with long coarse grass, twigs, paper, and fathers woven
together. She lines the inner bowl with mud, smearing it with her breast and later adding fine grass
or other soft material to cushion the eggs. The nest can be located on the ground, or high up in the
trees, but most commonly 5-15 feet above ground in a dense bush, in the crotch of trees, or on
window ledges or other human structures. Three to five eggs are laid in each clutch and after about
14 days of incubation, the eggs begin to hatch. The female will continue to feed and brood the chicks
while they are very young. When the nestlings become older, the female broods them only at night
or during bad weather. The baby birds leave the nest about 2 weeks after they have hatched. All
babies from a clutch leave the nest within 1 day of each other. The young birds will remain close to
their parents for about 2 weeks until they are able to sustain flight and find food of their own.
Behavior/Adaptations: American Robins are active during the day. They social in the winter time
when they gather in large numbers on their winter grounds. They assemble in large flocks at night,
often in a secluded swamp or area of vegetation, where they roost in the trees. These winter
aggregations break up during the day to feed in smaller flocks on fruits and berries. Robins defend
breeding territories during the summer and are less social during that time. Young Robins will remain
in the area of their nest for the first 4 months of their lives and gather in mixed-age flocks when it
becomes time to depart for their winter grounds.
LAKE SUPERIOR ZOO • 7210 Fremont Street • Duluth, MN 55807 • www.LSZooDuluth.org
Song/Call: Their song is “Cheer-y-up, Cheer-y-dee, Cheer-y-oh.”
Predators: Snakes, Hawks, Squirrels, Blue Jays, Common Grackles, American Crows, Common
Ravens, Domestic Cats.
Conservation: American Robins are considered common.
The Zoo’s Robin: Grayson has a wing injury that prevents him from surviving in the wild.
Interesting Facts:
 When they eat honeysuckle berries exclusively, they sometimes become intoxicated.
 Robin roots can be huge, at times reaching a quarter of a million birds during winter.
 Robins will eat more earthworms in the morning and more fruit later in the day.
 Because Robins forages largely on laws, it is vulnerable to pesticide poisoning and can be an
important indicator of chemical pollution.
Information taken from the following sources:
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/american_robin/lifehistory
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Turdus_migratorius/
LAKE SUPERIOR ZOO • 7210 Fremont Street • Duluth, MN 55807 • www.LSZooDuluth.org
Cedar Waxwing
Bombycilla cedrorum
Range: Cedar Waxwings are found only in North
America. Their breeding range extends throughout the
southern half of Canada and the northern half of the U.S.
The winter range includes the United States, Mexico, and
Central America as far south as Panama. They also
winter in the Caribbean region. Many birds in the
northern U.S. and extreme southern Canada are yearround residents.
Habitat: Cedar Waxwings nest in open woodlands (deciduous, coniferous and mixed) or old-field
habitats. They prefer habitats with numerous small trees and shrubs for nesting and food. They
frequently inhabit riparian areas, which provide nesting shrubs and trees, fruits, and emerging
aquatic insects, but also use farms, orchards, conifer plantations, and suburban gardens.
Diet: During the winter, Cedar Waxwings eat fruit almost exclusively. They rely heavily on cedar
berries, especially in the northern part of their range but will also eat the fruits of other shrubs that
retain berries in winter. They will take the fruit from the tree right side up or dangling upside-down.
During the summer months, Cedar Waxwings will eat mostly insects. Often the Waxwings will catch
their prey by congregating around ponds and streams and waiting for the insects to emerge from the
water. Most of the time, they snatch insects out of the air. They will also glean bark and forage
through tree branches for insects.
Lifespan: They can live up to 8 years old.
Description: Cedar Waxwings are about 6 inches in length and have a grayish-brown plumage with
pale yellow on the breast and belly. The secondary wing feathers are tipped with red wax-like
droplets, and the tail is square with a bright yellow band at the tip. They also have a crest and a
black mask edged with white. Males and females have the same coloration, but males may have a
slightly darker chin patch.
Breeding: Cedar Waxwings are monogamous within the breeding season. Males court females by
doing a hopping dance and passing pieces of fruit, flower petals, or insects to their potential mate. If
the female is interested in the male, she reciprocates the hopping and passes the item back to the
male. Pairs form beginning in the spring, and the birds typically nest and breed from June through
August. If the first breeding attempt is successful, the pair usually stays together for a second brood.
The female lays 2-5 eggs, one per day in the early morning. After incubating the eggs for 11-13
days, the chicks will hatch. They will remain in the nest for 14-18 days before fledging the nest.
Juveniles will continue to be fed by their parents for 6-10 days after they fledge.
Behavior/Adaptations: Waxwings are nomadic and live in flocks. These flocks move from place to
place throughout the year, except during the breeding season. Some populations are also migratory.
Cedar Waxwings are very social. They travel in flocks, and do not defend a territory, even during the
breeding season. There may be some social hierarchy within flocks of Cedar Waxwings, but this has
not been studied.
Song/Call: Their call is a high-pitched trill-like “Zeeee.”
LAKE SUPERIOR ZOO • 7210 Fremont Street • Duluth, MN 55807 • www.LSZooDuluth.org
Predators: Merlins, Sharp-shinned Hawks, Cooper’s Hawks, Common Grackles. Bullfrogs, Blue Jays,
House Wrens.
Conservation: Cedar Waxwings are considered common.
The Zoo’s Cedar Waxwing: Bandito has a wing injury that prevents him from surviving in the wild.
Interesting Facts:
 The name “waxwing” comes for the waxy red secretions found on the tips of the secondaries
of some birds. The exact function of these tips is not known, but they may help attract mates.


Brown-headed Cowbirds that are raised in Cedar Waxwing nests typically don’t survive
because the chicks can’t develop on such a high fruit diet.
Cedar Waxwings occasionally become intoxicated or even die when they run across
overripe berries that have started to ferment and produce alcohol.
Information taken from the following sources:
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Cedar_Waxwing/lifehistory
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Bombycilla_cedrorum/
LAKE SUPERIOR ZOO • 7210 Fremont Street • Duluth, MN 55807 • www.LSZooDuluth.org
Cochin Bantam Chicken
Gallus gallus domesticus
Range: Domestic Species
Habitat: They have mainly been bred to be pet and show
birds, so they mostly live on farms.
Diet: Chicken feed is their main diet and at the zoo, we use
mealworms and crickets as special treats.
Lifespan: They can live to be 8-10 years old.
Description: One of the defining characteristics of Cochin chickens is that they have feathered legs
and feet. Bantams are chickens that are ¼ to 1/5 the size of their original breed. Lake Superior Zoo’s
Cochin Bantam Chicken has all black feathers, but can also be buff, partridge, blue, silver laced,
splash, golden laced, and white.
Breeding: Their eggs are a very light brown and medium in size. They can lay many eggs, but
usually not for extended periods of time. They are known for being good mothers and will even
foster chicks of other breeds.
Behavior/Adaptations: Cochin Bantam chickens are known for being calm and friendly chickens.
They are also fairly quiet.
Conservation: They are not listed.
Interesting Facts:
 Cochin ancestors first originated in the U.S. after the Chinese chicken, which was tightfeathered and had moderate to no feathers on their legs. They became very popular and the
chicken enthusiasts took the fluffiest and most feather legged chickens to breed them for
those traits, which is why we now have Cochin chickens.
Information taken from the following sources:
http://beardsleyzoo.org/bantams-fk1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochin_(chicken)
LAKE SUPERIOR ZOO • 7210 Fremont Street • Duluth, MN 55807 • www.LSZooDuluth.org
Speckled Mousebird
Colius striatus
Range: Speckled Mousebirds are found from Cameroon east to
Eritrea and Ethiopia, south through eastern Africa to southern
South Africa.
Habitat: They prefer open bushveld areas and widespread in
savanna and open woodlands, as well as areas with tangled
thickets. It is a common “backyard bird” and often seen in urban
areas that contain gardens and orchards.
Diet: Speckled Mousebirds are omnivores that forages in the mid to upper canopy, feeding primarily
on fruit. They will also eat berries, leaves, buds, blossoms, seeds, and the nectar of various aloe
plants. To add protein, it will search out termites and ants.
Lifespan: They can live to be approximately 11 years in captivity.
Description: Speckled Mousebirds are very finely barred on their chest, throat, cheeks, and nape.
Its upper parts a mousy brown with buffy underparts. The underweight is brownish with grey tips on
the flight feathers. They are about 14 inches long with the tail making up about half of the length.
Breeding: These birds build relatively large nests, which are produced by both the male and female.
The nest is made from any materials which the birds can find, which will include man made waste
products such as paper and plastic, which leads to a generally very scruffy looking nest. The female
will produce 1 to 7 eggs which take 14 days to hatch.
Behavior/Adaptations: These are conspicuously social birds, feeding together and engaging in
mutual preening. They also accompany each other when they go to dust bathe on the ground. At
night, they roost in very tight groups of 20 or so birds and on cold nights, they can become torpid.
Being in a torpid state could make them easy prey, but the large groups are apparently effective
enough to deter more nocturnal predators.
Song/Call: Speckled Mousebirds are typically noisy. They make a warbling “tsu tsu” call while in
flight, and are known for their “tisk-tisk” alarm call.
Predators: Raptors including Peregrine Falcon, Lanner Falcon, Wahlberg’s Eagle, African HarrierHawk, and the Barn Owl. They may also be eaten by Black-headed Heron.
Conservation: They are considered a species of least concern.
Interesting Facts:
 The Speckled Mousebird is the largest species of Mousebird.
 Mousebirds are related to cuckoo rollers, trogons, hornbills, kingfishers, and woodpeckers.
Information taken from the following sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mousebird
http://www.torontozoo.com/explorethezoo/AnimalDetails.asp?pg=434
http://winghamwildlifepark.co.uk/animal/speckled-mousebird
LAKE SUPERIOR ZOO • 7210 Fremont Street • Duluth, MN 55807 • www.LSZooDuluth.org
Burrowing Owl
Athene cunicularia
Range: In the summer, they can be found in the central, plains
states. In the winter, they can be found in southern South
America.
Habitat: Burrowing Owls prefer open habitats such as
savannahs, grasslands, treeless plains, and desert.
Diet: They feed on small mammals, small birds, and
invertebrates.
Lifespan: It isn’t widely known how long they can live, but the
oldest one ever banded was 8 years and 8 months old.
Description: Burrowing Owls are small – only growing to be between 7 ½ - 10 inches tall and
weighing only 5.3oz. They are predominantly brown with lighter colored speckles/spots on the back
side and some barring on the belly. They have bright yellow eyes and long legs.
Breeding: Nesting season in the United States begins in February (sometimes later depending on
the state of migration) when a male and female form a monogamous pair and either find or dig a
nesting burrow. The female will lay up to 12 eggs and incubate them for 4 weeks. Meanwhile, the
male will hunt for food and bring it back to the nest and feed his mate.
When the young hatch, they are helpless and rely on their parents for survival. The female typically
stays with the young while the male hunts for food to feed to the female and their brood. At about 4
weeks of age, the young are capable of short flights, and at 6 weeks old, they are able to fly well,
but will still be fed by their parents for the next 6-8 weeks.
Behavior/Adaptations: Unlike other owls, they will live and nest in underground burrows that they
have dug themselves or take over burrows that have been dug by a mammal (like prairie dogs). They
will line the opening of their burrows with mammal scat to attract dung beetles which they eat.
Predators: Larger mammals, raptors, reptiles, and housecats.
Conservation: They are considered to be widespread, but their populations continue to decline due
to habitat destruction, pesticide poisoning, and car collisions.
Interesting Facts:
 The Burrowing Owl is predominantly crepuscular, but will hunt all day and all night as well.
Information taken from the following sources:
http://www.arkive.org/burrowing-owl/athene-cunicularia/image-G51451.html
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/burrowing_owl/lifehistory
http://www.birdpop.org/burrowingNATHIST.htm
http://www.nmburrowingowl.com/threats.html
LAKE SUPERIOR ZOO • 7210 Fremont Street • Duluth, MN 55807 • www.LSZooDuluth.org
Ring-necked Dove
(Streptopelia risoria)
Range: Originally found in Western Africa, but
now domesticated worldwide.
Habitat: Grasslands.
Diet: Ring-necked doves feed on the ground
and eat a range of different seeds. They will
also eat the soft shoots of low-growing plants.
Lifespan: Ring-necked Doves can live to be around 12 years old.
Description: Ring-necked dove body feathers are darkest on the upper side with dull tones of gray
and brown, witch shades of lavender on the nap. It is paler below with a tint of pinkish lavender.
They have, as their name suggests, a black stripe on the back of its neck. They get grow to be 9.810.4 inches in length. They eyes are almost black, the bill is black, and the feet are dark purple. In
captivity, they can come in 40 colors and varieties.
Breeding: Males perform elaborate bows to entice a female to breed. The pair constructs a nest of
sticks and the female will lay typically 2 eggs. Both parents incubate the eggs for two weeks. Once
the babies have hatched, they grow quickly and will be the size of an adult in approximately 6 weeks.
Both parents will feed the young on crop milk, the sloughed lining of their upper digestive pouch.
Behavior/Adaptations: Ring-necked doves are descended from the African collared dove. Males
and females make different sounds for different reasons including alarm calls and mating coos. Their
flight is characterized by noisy wing beats when flying upwards and quiet downward gliding with
outstretched tail and wings. Because they are domesticated, they are quite fearless of humans, but
they do maintain an instinctive freeze response when startled by a shadow overhead which in the
wild could indicate a bird of prey. They will often bathe in shallow water, dust, or sunshine,
sometimes lying on their side with a wing outstretched.
Conservation: They are not listed.
Information taken from the following sources:
http://www.hhpz.org/files/hhpz/documents/AnimalFactSheets/Ring-necked%20Dove.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring-necked_dove
http://www.dovepage.com/species/domestic/Ringneck/ringneckdove.html
LAKE SUPERIOR ZOO • 7210 Fremont Street • Duluth, MN 55807 • www.LSZooDuluth.org