Mixed species exhibit ideas
- Thread starter LowlandGorilla4
- Start date
Seeing that marabou's are kept with a whole lot of species, I think it would be fine with most. Even in medium-sized aviaries.
Marabou have been mixed with: Ducks, Geese, Ibises, Pelicans, Vultures, Secretary birds, Egrets, Storks, Hamerkops, Guineafowl, Ground Hornbills and Cranes (and though they haven't been officially mixed with them, I think they should be fine with most smaller flying birds)
I assume Lesser adjutants should be fine with most species
Lesser adjutants are smaller than marabous, so that might make it easier, but I'm still unsure.
Could predation on eggs and/or chicks of other species not be an issue? That's what I'm worried about most. I'm also not entirely sure whether lesser adjutants would be suitable for a walk-through aviary.
For these I also think marabou rules apply. Chicks and eggs may indeed be in danger (you could make a separate aviary for breeding purposes). I think it should be fine for walkthrough, seeing the marabous in Amersfoort
Haliaeetus
Well-Known Member
Yes but only with a very large park.
African Elephants have been housed with Warthogs, Giraffes, Zebras and diverse Antelopes (I would avoid the most aggressive ones, as Oryxes or Sable Antelopes).
Would Lowland bongo or Sitatunga fall under those aggressive antelopes? Those would be the only two species really fitting into the theme of my project.
Haliaeetus
Well-Known Member
For me, Sitatungas are OK.
Nyalas too.
I'm more skeptical with the Bongos, bigger and more aggressive. Additionnally, they live in mountain forests and not in open savannas as the Bush Elephants.
My project is on the Congo rainforests, so it would be African forest elephants and lowland bongos rather than bush elephants and mountain bongos.
But I do agree that sitatungas seem a little less risky than bongos.
Racine Zoo mixes their lesser adjutants with tufted deer.
Giant anteaters with spider monkeys
Should be fine, fairly certain it's been done before
At my local zoo they had the dad in with the spider monkeys while mom was caring for her baby.
Single species seperation exhibits are quite usual for mothers with children. I would do it with larger monkeys like howlers. But I don't think it's completely necessary with spider monkeys (though it would still be better, of course)
Would these (seperate) mixes work?:
Snowy owl, Great grey owl and Common raven
Atlantic puffin, Razorbill, Common murre, Eurasian oystercatcher, European herring gull, Common eider and Great cormorant (as well as possibly some larger Atlantic salmons and Atlantic cod as underwater decoration)
Snowy owl, Great grey owl and Common raven
Atlantic puffin, Razorbill, Common murre, Eurasian oystercatcher, European herring gull, Common eider and Great cormorant (as well as possibly some larger Atlantic salmons and Atlantic cod as underwater decoration)
Last edited:
Have doubts for the later. Quite sure that the gulls will steal eggs and kill hatchlings from the other bird species. Also, the salmons and cods must be huge(!), otherwise they will be caught by the cormorants (who are - regarding the documentary movies about asian fisherman, who trained them - able to catch not only small fishes).
Platypusboy
Well-Known Member
I’m pretty sure that the owls could mix since other owl combinations have worked. Ravens can go with eagle owls and steller sea eagles to my knowing .
I would not mix smaller seabirds with larger seabirds, especially not gulls which are known predators of eggs, chicks and potentially even adult smaller birds. Perhaps gulls with cormorant would be possible, but I'm not sure about that. Perhaps sea ducks such as eiders could work with the puffins and auks (a combination like that does exist at Rotterdam), although I have read about eiders preying on chicks of other bird species suck as moorhens and other ducks.
Regent bowerbird, Glossy black cockatoo, Grey-headed flying fox, Mahogany glider, Noisy pitta, Lumholtz's tree kangaroo, Wompoo fruit dove, Striped possum, Northern brown bandicoot, Long-nosed bandicoot, Swamp wallaby, Short-beaked echidna, Boyd's forest dragon, White-lipped tree frog, Double-eyed fig parrot, Mangrove kingfisher, Beach stone-curlew, Pied imperial pigeon.
All in one mix? That would be a huge disaster
First of all: possums will eat birds, chicks, eggs, frogs, smaller mammals (like the gliders) and lizards
Second: Tree kangaroos are pretty prone to stress, and cockatoos and parrots are VERY LOUD
Thirdly: Wallabies could step on the echidnas, as well as on nests
I would separate them into different mixes:
- echidna, forest dragon and tree frog (could theoretically also hold one or two of the smaller brids)
-Possum and bandicoot (Though it's still risky, should be separated when breeding or when babies are present)
-Tree kangaroo and bandicoot (also seperated when babies are present)
-Tree kangaroo and Swamp wallaby could also work, as well as some non-ground-nesting birds, as long as there's plenty of trees and nesting areas where the tree kangaroo can't come
-Gliders would be best in their own enclosure, though could work with echidnas as well
-I'd suggest two seperate aviaries for the rest, as I wouldn't suggest mixing parrots or cockatoos with flying foxes
Aviary 1 with: Regent bowerbird, Grey-headed flying fox, Wompoo fruit dove, Mangrove kingfisher, Beach stone-curlew, Pied imperial pigeon.
Aviary 2 with: Glossy black cockatoo, Noisy pitta, Double-eyed fig parrot,