Bull Sharks, Bongos and Booroolong Frogs, Oh My!: WhistlingKite24 tours Sydney’s zoos

[Coelacanth18]

@WhistlingKite24 would you consider Featherdale to be the premier bird park in Australia, or are there others you think are even more of a must-see or equivalent? I really couldn't believe how many birds you kept adding with each post

How Australian zoos mix their little penguins is another continual point of interest – Perth Zoo for example have Bridled Terns in with their colony and smaller species of shark like Port Jackson and Brown-banded Bamboo Sharks remain popular among Aussie aquariums.

It was a big deal on here when San Diego announced they were mixing African Penguins with Leopard Sharks; interesting to hear that Australian zoos and aquariums have been doing similar mixes for a while.

 

[WhistlingKite24]

@WhistlingKite24 would you consider Featherdale to be the premier bird park in Australia, or are there others you think are even more of a must-see or equivalent? I really couldn't believe how many birds you kept adding with each post

I definitely would, but in saying this, I haven't been to many other places with the really large native bird collections. Other contenders would be Gorge Wildlife Park, Caversham Wildlife Park and the two main parks in the Northern Territory - Alice Springs Desert Park and Territory Wildlife Park. There are a few others I'm sure.

 

[WhistlingKite24]

Day 2, Part 8: Sydney Zoo – Australia:

The Australian precinct within Sydney Zoo was generally larger than expected. The area can be divided into two sections with a large walkthrough enclosure with a range of open-topped smaller exhibits and a nocturnal/reptile house that tunnels into the side of a grassy hill within the first aforementioned area. The macropods can then technically rest on top of the building which is a smart way to maximise space and provide decent elevation. The first enclosure sits between a set of gates and is basically a photocopy of every exotic carnivore enclosure at the zoo; manicured grass, a few rocky shelters and maturing trees. This enclosure contained a few Dingoes.

Dingo enclosure

Through the second gate commenced the walkthrough which was a generous space with lots of opportunities for the macropods to remain out of reach from the public. There was a diverse mix with Emu, Red Kangaroo, Kangaroo Island Kangaroo, Red-necked Wallaby, Swamp Wallaby, Tammar Wallaby and Yellow-footed Rock-Wallaby all sharing the same space. All six species of macropods filled out the exhibit nicely and made for some interesting comparisons between species. The sloping hills that featured across the walkthrough were favoured by most of the wallabies as they all congregate right at the top but the kangaroos are always visible at ground level. Along the pathway were several open-topped enclosures that contained a range of the common staples; two small enclosures for Koala, one for a Common Wombat that also has access to an indoor den viewed through the other side within the nocturnal house, one for Tasmanian Devil and a final one for Lace Monitors. These were all very standard exhibits but the best of the lot were the one for monitors as it’s always good to see these large lizards outdoors. Before entering the reptile house there was also a side fenced exhibit for a large group of Tammar Wallabies housed separately from the other macropods and a set of multiple enclosures for more Koalas.

Walkthrough Enclosure

Four Species of Macropod

The combined reptile and nocturnal house begins with a winding darken path that travels through a diverse range of well-executed exhibits. The space was not all cramped together which I appreciated and there was a notable amount of space between the sets of enclosures, providing plenty of opportunities for the crowds to view the animals in relative comfort. Visitors were not all trying to push and shove to catch glimpses of the animals; there were large viewing windows, breaks between enclosures, and a wide path through different sets of rooms to break up the crowds. There was clearly some thought behind reducing congestion and it worked magnificently. The one element of the building I disliked was the rotating electronic signage which was just plain annoying especially as half the time it was showing their sponsors for the building. There were two floor-to-ceiling enclosures that began the first set of exhibits; one bushland enclosure had a Lace Monitor and the second had a Perentie with a desert background, rocky ledges and large sturdy branches. It seemed a bit pointless having a Lace Monitor indoors when there are already two outside but it was interesting to compare Australia’s largest monitor species side-by-side. The enclosure for the perentie was particularly attention grabbing and I watched as the monitor emerged deep from the red sand covered in a thick layer of it as it patrolled around its exhibit.

Perentie enclosure

The next row of exhibits were around a turn and featured lizards and snakes. These enclosures were raised off the ground and were laid out it a long continuous line that travels around a rounded corner. The first three enclosures had the big pythons including Australian Scrub Python, Centralian Python and some stunning Diamond Pythons. These were followed by the venomous snakes in smaller exhibits but all wonderfully done with a range of hiding opportunities with very effective backgrounds. These enclosures contained Broad-headed Snake, Common Death Adder, Tiger Snake, Red-bellied Black Snake and Eastern Brown Snake. Around the corner the exhibits were mainly for desert reptiles and an enclosure for an Inland Taipan was next. All the venomous snakes were followed by two spacious mixed species habitats for lizards; these were among my favourite enclosures in the whole building. The first contained Shingleback in a pleasant exhibit. So often shinglebacks are mixed with bluetongues or bearded dragons, and for good reason, it works as a tried and tested mix. But what I loved about this indoor exhibit was these beautiful yet largely inactive lizards were housed with a big group of tiny Pygmy Spiny-tailed Skinks that added another dimension to the display. This species accessed the nooks, branches and crevices a lumbering shingleback cannot and added so much movement and activity. A good way to showcase the diversity of skinks and they were such fun to watch. I’ve said it before on here somewhere, but groups of Egernia skinks have to be one of my favourite reptile displays to watch. Their neighbours were a mix of Central Netted Dragon, and for something a bit different, a few Burns' Dragon. A strong sense of continuity was created with the desert background and similar furnishings running throughout the arid exhibits separated by a panel of glass. A bit like Taronga did with their reptile house but double the size in terms of space. The final two exhibits in this portion had arboreal reptiles; a Frilled Dragon in one and a pair of Boyd’s Forest Dragons in a spacious enclosure.

Python enclosures

Arid Reptile Enclosures

Pygmy Spiny-tailed Skink

Someone really likes their monitors at Sydney Zoo and the next section of reptiles commenced with a trio of largish exhibits for the medium-sized lizards. The first contained a Merten’s Water Monitor in a rather bare exhibit with a few logs and a small pool that the lizard was soaking in. The next exhibit contained a pair of Heath Monitors which I thought were just lovely creatures. Sort of like a miniature but a more compact version of a Lace Monitor. The final monitor was a single Black-headed Monitor that was resting high up on a vertical branch. Around the corner was a Rough-scaled Python about to shed and what had to be one of the largest enclosures for a Green Tree Python I’d ever seen with an impressive network of branches.

Rough-scaled Python enclosure

Green Tree Python enclosure

Heath Monitor

When I think about a building that hybridises a traditional brightly-lit reptile house with a dim nocturnal house I think about the need for a transition zone. Something to meld the two ‘worlds’ together and Sydney Zoo does exactly that with a corridor of eight triangular exhibits, past the final snakes, for an assortment of invertebrates, amphibians and geckoes. This pathway is an effective way to transition into the dark light with tanks for Goliath Stick Insect, Spiny Leaf Insect, Spiny Katydid and Flinders Ranges Scorpion on one side and Green Tree Frog, Green and Golden Bell Frog and Magnificent Tree Frog on the other side. All were housed in soft lighting. There are so many fantastic species of katydids in Australia and I’m glad Sydney Zoo opted to exhibit one of the finest examples. The final exhibit before turning into the larger nocturnal displays was a stand-alone tank for a mix of Centralian Knob-tailed Gecko occupying the ground space and a Northern Spiny-tailed Gecko living above in the branches.

Stick Insect/Katydid Enclosures

Spiny Katydid

There of a total of ten large displays for the official nocturnal house portion of the building. All of the enclosures in this first row were fixed with yellow or red lighting meaning the animals, if active, can always be seen clearly. The first enclosure had an active group of Feathertail Gliders bouncing off the walls. This exhibit was huge for these tiny little gliders. An Australian nocturnal house would simply not be complete without a colony of Spinifex Hopping-Mice which were followed by enclosure number three for a small group of Fat-tailed Dunnarts. There was no sign of any phascogales at the zoo anymore. A floor-to-ceiling display for a few Ghost Bats and Greater Bilbies were also housed in a large spacious exhibit.

Spinifex Hopping-Mouse and Bilby/Ghost Bat Enclosures

Feathertail Glider

Around the corner, was an exhibit for Long-nosed Potoroo. It seemed that this display once housed a possum/glider species but it currently seemed to be only for them. There were three large enclosures for a Common Ringtail Possum, a Yellow-bellied Glider and a mix of more Yellow-bellied Glider and Squirrel Glider. There was an indoor den viewing area for the Common Wombat and rather amusingly a kangaroo had managed to hop into the outdoor wombat enclosure and then clamber its way into the den area with the wombat. It was eating its food and the wombat was snoozing away. There can’t be too many kangaroos in nocturnal houses! Finally a trio of Eastern Quolls finished the building as a pleasant ending to a diverse and well-executed building. All in all – the reptile and nocturnal house was a highlight with a very well-developed flow of exhibits that each had a place and function in the overall scheme of the cohesive layout.

Common Ringtail Possum enclosure

Yellow-bellied Glider

Day 2, Part 9 will cover Sydney Zoo’s aquarium and finish with concluding thoughts on the facility overall.

 

[tetrapod]

The nocturnal exhibits look surprisingly well-lit or have you got the camera set to a high ISO?

 

[WhistlingKite24]

The nocturnal exhibits look surprisingly well-lit or have you got the camera set to a high ISO?

The nocturnal exhibits were in fact all very well lit in person - all of the animals were seen easily with the various coloured lighting used.

 

[WhistlingKite24]

Day 2, Part 9: Sydney Zoo – Aquarium:

The final portion of Sydney Zoo was the aquarium and a few of its surrounding exhibits. This was probably the part I was most looking forward to seeing as it was largely dedicated to native freshwater species in large mixed displays. Very few institutions in Australia place a great deal of emphasis on Australia’s freshwater ecosystems – Cairns Aquarium being the overwhelming exception off the top of my head. The layout of the aquarium, like the reptile/nocturnal house, was clearly carefully planned with large viewing windows spaced out well between exhibits and the addition of natural light was noted for several tanks. While this created some algae problems, it greatly improved the viewing experience and overall presentation of some of the freshwater exhibits. The recent addition of a set of small live saltwater tanks was a further pleasing point of difference and a popular one at that. A sensible decision. The general public visit the aquarium for two main reasons however – penguins and sharks. Sydney Zoo currently houses two juvenile Bull Sharks in a large open-topped exhibit and they made for an incredibly popular drawcard for what was an overall pleasing building.

Walking into the darken space leaving the blazing sun behind (not a lot of shade at the zoo I must also add), the first tank in the building was a large well-lit display with a Pig-nosed Turtle being the feature animal of this exhibit as an obligatory species for any Australian freshwater exhibit. The resting turtle was mixed with an assortment of native fish including some striking Snakehead Gudgeon with their bright colouration, a small group of Yellow-eyed Mullet, Olive Perchlet, Spotted Scat and a large group of Murray River Rainbowfish that added the colour and activity. A really fun tank to begin the walkthrough of the aquarium. The second tank had a large Murray River Cod, a small number of Eel-tailed Catfish and a large group of Crimson-spotted and Murray River Rainbowfish. Western Carp Gudgeon and Common Yabby were also signed but not seen. The cod was really interesting to see especially.

Pig-nosed Turtle tank (use the turtle in the far corner for scale)

The third tank was a large exhibit with a meshed roof providing a lot of natural light. This display had both Eastern Water Dragons on the surrounding land areas and Eastern Long-necked Turtles with an assortment of freshwater fish. There was Gulf Saratoga, Indo-Pacific Tarpon, Sevenspot Archerfish, Giant Glassfish, Banded Rainbowfish and unseen Mono. The water dragons had access to large tall branches that were positioned out of the water, providing decent height. There was also a ledge that ran across the front of the tank, allowing visitors to sit near the fish. The archerfish and rainbowfish were the two species that really assisted this exhibit in terms of visibility as they would swim right across the front of the tank. Most of the fish were right at the back. The next tank had a few smaller species like Red Rainbowfish, Banded Rainbowfish, Crimson-spotted Rainbowfish, Pacific Blue-eye and Mono. Suddenly a big rock started moving among all the rainbowfish. The rock had powerful legs and travelled up the side of the tank revealing a large bulbous head – it was an Alligator Snapping Turtle. As it was the first time I’d ever seen one, nothing prepared me for the sheer size of these turtles up close and I definitely underestimated the girth of these animals. It made for a captivating sight to see it move around its tank which was an ok size for this large creature. I can only hope more zoos start acquiring this species following the breeding success by the Wild Cat Conservation Centre as only about six known facilities in Australia have this species currently and not all of them are on show.

Eastern Water Dragon/Long-necked Turtle tank

Seven-spot Archerfish

Alligator Snapping Turtle

There was then a small row of three tanks; the first contained a colony of Common Yabbies and the other two were the saltwater tanks each with a signature focus of ‘seahorse’ and ‘clownfish’. I can’t say I’ve seen too many reef displays with seahorses and Sydney Zoo has the small non-native South-east Asian Barbour’s Seahorses in a coral tank with an assortment of reef fish, contrasting the usual seagrass tank for the larger Pot-bellied Seahorses that is the overwhelming option for most places. The seahorses were mixed with the stripey Coral Cardinalfish, the striking Yellow Coral Goby, Zebra Dartfish, Red-spotted Blenny, Morrison’s Dragonet, Leopard Wrasse for dazzling pattern, Orange-spot Surgeonfish for size, Yellow Boxfish for the oddball species, unseen Mandarinfish and an assortment of sea stars, sea cucumbers and shrimps. The second tank had the clownfish – Pink Anenomefish as a nice point of difference along with Common Clownfish, Blacktail Humbug, Blackaxil Puller rather than the usual green chromis, Golden-head Sleeper Goby, Sixline Wrasse, unseen Bicolour Blenny, Dusky Surgeonfish, Coral Beauty and an assortment of shrimp. The zoo clearly tried to maximise the diversity across both tanks and it was so nice to see marine displays with live corals and anemones rather than the usual fake painted treatment.

Barbour’s Seahorses

The next tank was a large exhibit for Longfin Eel, Fork-tailed Catfish and Golden Perch which made for an engaging Australian mega fish display. I don’t think I’ve ever seen large freshwater eels displayed in this manner in a large raised tank but I really enjoyed watching them. I guess lungfish are the more traditional option to fit the ‘long unusual fish’ brief, and rightly so, but eels are another excellent option as proven here. Near the eels along the adjoining wall was a large viewing window for a small group of Little Penguins. The penguins had access to a side burrow portion of the exhibit and there was an alright amount of land and water space. It’s not the nicest exhibit aesthetically I felt in the aquarium but it was fit for purpose you could say. It felt a tad plain and snug for their small colony but I don’t know the ins and outs of their requirements so I’m always conscious of passing judgment. The feature tank for the aquarium was around the corner and contained two juvenile Bull Sharks as the icons of the aquarium. The sharks were difficult to view as they could escape into the depths of the large open-topped pool that has access to natural light and can be seen from above. The sharks are mixed with large Barramundi and Silver Perch that add that big attention-grabbing fish element when the sharks are out of view. There were a few additional species signed that were not seen like Yellow-eyed Mullet, Mono and most interestingly, Milkfish. The last species is the sole living representative of its family. There was a long row of seating space opposite the large tank allowing families a moment of respite towards the end of the aquarium. Finally, there were two small tanks aimed at good pet keeping practices – one contained a very eclectic assortment of fish - Freshwater Angelfish, Neon Tetra, Rummynose Tetra, Glowlight Tetra, Black Phantom Tetra, Emperor Tetra, Crimson-spotted Rainbowfish and Western Carp Gudgeon – and the second tank had some young Eastern Long-necked Turtles. Outside the aquarium was the enclosure for their large Saltwater Crocodile with wooden panelling running across the front of the exhibit and a large viewing window going straight into his pool. There was a small enclosure nearby for a Southern Cassowary as well. Overall, the aquarium made for an enjoyable experience and was a clear strength of Sydney Zoo with a decent range of aquatic life, well-presented (mostly) spacious displays and several notable points of difference like the Bull Sharks. There is always a great deal of movement in an aquarium so I look forward to seeing how it evolves over the coming years and the species line-up continues to evolve.

Eel tank

Penguin tank

Bull Shark tank

Concluding Thoughts:

Sydney Zoo is clearly a place that knows how to draw a crowd and flaunts the megafauna as a clear drawcard for the families of Western Sydney. Even after visiting Featherdale, the lack of birds was still felt with only four species – three ratites and penguins. If aviaries ever do become part of Sydney Zoo’s vision than there would be several opportunities to have a point of difference from Featherdale with an emphasis on exotic bird displays or even a single large bird walkthrough experience. They’d have to tread carefully however regarding how they’d approach this.

In reflection, I liked the zoo more than expected but levitated more towards the nocturnal/reptile house and aquarium as the hubs for diversity and real points of interest unexpectedly. The rest of the zoo sat around the realm of mediocre for the most part with a copy and paste style of exhibitory; exotics were frequently housed in far superior enclosures than Taronga I’ll give them that, but most of the displays lacked the hype or any sense of novelty in which they were promoted so grandly leading up to opening. What I did like is that the zoo has chosen to maintain a few interesting exotics like nyala and hyena; those are really nice animals to see here. The confirmed addition of Cotton-top Tamarins will be welcomed as well to further develop the primate collection. Coupled with species like orangs and rhinos which Taronga Zoo doesn’t currently house, I can see why the regular punter wouldn’t waste the trip (especially the traffic) out to the busy harbour and rather stick with this new local zoo with the family favourites. It’s one to watch over the coming years.

Day 3, Part 1 will cover Wild Life Sydney Zoo (not to be confused with Sydney’s Taronga Zoo or Sydney Zoo). This is the small, mainly indoor facility opposite the aquarium.

 

[WhistlingKite24]

Day 3, Part 1: Wild Life Sydney Zoo – No Numbat but Many Monotremes:

Wildlife Sydney Zoo is located within the busy Darling Harbour and was first opened in 2006 as a quick fix of native wildlife from an accessible location in the CBD next to the aquarium. It’s not a large facility particularly but features several large netted dome-like structures that provide the vertical space for a handful of bird species. Past admission, the former tropical zone for butterflies and a series of turtles and lizards has now been converted for some new species for the zoo with two sleek exhibits. The first species – a Numbat that came from Perth Zoo a few years ago now – lives in an open-topped exhibit with a small den area that used to be glass-fronted but has been boarded up due to a lack of accessibility for cleaning purposes. The numbat was a gut-wrenching no-show. I waited a combined total of at least a full hour and a half with several return visits for the creature to emerge but nothing. Not even a peek. The keeper even walked in, opened his den box, cleaned his bedding out fully and put in a fresh food bowl. As an old animal and being part of a species that prefers dry conditions, he was tucked into a second smaller box within the bigger box and would not budge in the light rain. They must be absolutely tiny things I must say seeing the size of everything in its den box. On a miniature scale. So I saw what a numbat eats and where it sleeps but not the numbat. An even bigger reason to go to Perth Zoo then. Opposite the numbat was an enclosure that occupied most of my time while I waited for the numbat; the zoo has now mixed their new Goodfellow’s Tree-Kangaroo that was bred at Healesville Sanctuary with three Short-beaked Echidnas. The tree-kangaroo was able to completely escape public view due to some carefully angled platforms and resting boxes. I remember reading on the forum that Melbourne Zoo used to have this mix and how widely praised it was for its simple yet pleasant ability to showcase these often elusive species. In person, I really do think it works well and of course, makes sense to add some activity on the ground level and the echidnas certainly fit this brief with a dozing tree kangaroo. Very effective and probably the best part of the zoo I felt. A big tick in my book.

Numbat enclosure

Tree-kangaroo/echidna enclosure - back view

Short-beaked Echidna

Moving through a narrow corridor were a pair of glass-fronted displays for Tasmanian Devils. The latter exhibit used to have kookaburra, curlew and koala until a few years ago but it's all for devils now. The four individuals at the zoo were among the most active devils I’ve seen and were poking their faces into their meal tucked in tubing. The international tourists especially were thrilled to hear the snarling devils squabble over their enrichment as most visitors breezed past the sleeping numbats and hidden tree-roo, largely ignoring the echidnas. There was a walled tank opposite the devils that had a Blotched Bluetongue and there was also an enclosure under development nearby. A large exhibit was next for some striking Diamond Pythons as well.

Tasmanian devil enclosure

Tasmanian devil enrichment

Past the devils, the Wallaby Cliffs display is a large glass-fronted exhibit that had a large complex of red mock rock for five Yellow-footed Rock-Wallabies that were bounding around in the drizzly conditions. The enclosure is viewed from the indoors but the animals have access to sunlight and the greater elements. The rock-wallabies are mixed with a Common Wombat. Their particular male is a wild-born rescue and has been mixed with the wallabies for several years now. On my last visit the wombat was roaming freely among the rock-wallabies, well within close proximity of each other. There is an additional side den area for the wombat for better viewing opportunities. There was a small tank for Eastern Bluetongue nearby as well; leaving a desire for something a bit more novel considering the previous bluetongue was just a few metres down the path.

Wallaby Cliffs exhibit

Yellow-footed Rock-Wallaby

Past the wombat, the Daintree Rainforest enclosure is a large lush display with floor-to-ceiling viewing windows positioned throughout the route as the pathway wraps around the enclosure. It represents one of the few cassowary mixed exhibits I’ve seen in person with a single Southern Cassowary mixed with a mob of Red-legged Pademelons. There are birds in the canopy and pools of water as well with two male Satin Bowerbirds with their large well-constructed bowers in full view, Plumed Whistling-Ducks, bulky Brown Cuckoo-Doves and Wonga Pigeons and the only finches I saw at the zoo – Chestnut-breasted Mannikins. The bowerbirds had to dodge the cassowary a few times as it stomped about in the leaf litter. There are undoubtedly other species as well like a Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove that the zoo posted about a few months ago and there were Topknot Pigeons here back in 2019. While watching the birds I noticed that there is a serious sparrow problem at the zoo currently and unfortunately most of the birds you see are wild House Sparrows that have squeezed through the netting. They are actively breeding throughout the trees within the enclosed spaces and have seemed to have displaced most the finches that were much more visible on my last visit. There were a few tanks nearby as well with one for Boyd’s Forest Dragons, a mix of Frilled Dragon and Eastern Water Dragon, and a pleasant trio of frog tanks for White-lipped Tree Frog, Green and Golden Bell Frog and Green Tree Frog.

Daintree Rainforest enclosure - cassowary in photo for scale

Frog tanks

The central part of the zoo is a small walkthrough enclosure with several eucalypts dotted among the desert theming. No emus seem to be housed here anymore but the mob of Kangaroo Island Kangaroos are still housed here along with an assortment of showy birds that have free range of this area – Bush Stone-Curlew, Australian King Parrot, White-headed Pigeon, Pacific Emerald Dove, Cockatiel and wild-type Budgerigar. The Princess Parrots were in a holding aviary in full view but the Spinifex Pigeons and White-browed Woodswallows were not seen anywhere. The quokka was not there anymore either and its exhibit stands empty. It felt all very tired especially as the sparrow problem persisted throughout. There is however a corridor of really nice reptile terrariums around the side of the walkthrough enclosure back indoors; one of the larger exhibits had the Spencer’s Monitor which I was glad to still see here and exhibits for Shingleback, Dwarf Bearded Dragon and Central Netted Dragon. These arid-themed tanks were organically-shaped with nice rocky backdrops and well-positioned branches providing good height for the littler lizards especially.

Lizard enclosures

Spencer’s Monitor enrichment

The crocodile exhibit was up next and was empty following the death of the zoo’s last Saltwater Crocodile. The new Freshwater Crocodiles were due to arrive a few days later and were added to the large pool which overall is a better species choice for this smaller facility. The croc on my last visit was mixed with a flock of Red-collared Lorikeets that occupied the top portion of the exhibit but there was no sign of them in the vacant exhibit. Through a winding path commenced a few nocturnal displays; the first one contained a male Platypus that was recently transferred from Taronga as part of a breeding swap with their resident ageing female. I'm not sure how well the platypus can access it but the exhibit has some land space which is unusual for a platypus display and the body of water is a decent amount but always feels a tad shallow. The platypus was very visible and putting on a good show for the growing crowds. Around a turn, was the spacious display for several Greater Bilbies bounding about with no sign of the Ghost Bats. It’s a nice roomy enclosure for them with a floor-to-ceiling viewing window. The former feathertail glider enclosure was empty and there was a set of smaller exhibits for species like Woma Python, Black-headed Python, Centralian Knob-tailed Gecko, unseen Night Skink and unseen Rainforest Scorpion. The final two nocturnal exhibits were large enclosures of a similar size; one contained a mix of Rufous Bettong and Yellow-bellied Glider and the second one had Sugar Glider.

Sugar Glider

Platypus enclosure

Yellow-bellied Glider/Rufous Bettong enclosure

The last portion of the zoo was mainly for invertebrates; the first circular tank no longer had the fascinating Cyclone Larry Stick Insect but rather Migratory Locusts (also known as the reptile food no doubt) and the former hopping mice enclosure is filled with eucalyptus for the Goliath Stick Insects. Up a set of stairs were more circular tanks for Rock Orb-weaving Spider and Spiny Leaf Insect. No more of those delightful Golden-tailed Geckos unfortunately that caught my attention on my last visit. The nearby walled invert tanks had a nice addition since my last visit; two Giant Rainforest Mantids. There were also tanks for Giant Burrowing Cockroach, Atherton Tableland Bicoloured Snails and more Spiny Leaf Insect. Spiders were represented with a Queensland Whistling Tarantula and an unidentified wolf spider. I do enjoy these invert walls when done in zoos; a space-saving, cost-effective, flexible display spaceto showcase some really engaging inverts. It really would fill up some bare-walled reptile houses I’ve seen across my travels. The final enclosures were some very simple koala exhibits with two recent joeys that were just starting to emerge from their pouches. These exhibits overlook the kangaroo walkthrough from a balcony viewing area.

Concluding Thoughts:

I’ve never quite warmed fully to Wild Life Sydney Zoo but there are clearly some pleasant parts. There were a few unfortunate losses seemingly and a general reduction in species since my last visit – no Quokka, Spinifex Hopping-Mice, Golden-tailed Gecko and Feathertail Glider most notably - but the numbat and tree-kangaroo are undoubtedly great additions that enhance the experience especially in the winding entrance area. If the numbat was seen, I imagine my overall view of the facility would had been swayed but I get the general impression a lot of the exhibits were specifically designed for something in mind originally many years ago but there are now a lot of common fillers to simply put something in there. Sometimes it’s not very thoughtfully done I felt. All in all, it's not my favourite place of all time but it makes for a pleasant enough experience with some neat species dotted throughout. It's still worth a visit.

Day 3, Part 2 will explore Sea Life Sydney on a date with a dugong.

 

[Coelacanth18]

I don't think I've seen or heard of mixing cassowary with other species before; is this done in other Australian facilities?

It's interesting to see already how Sydney has a balance of several facilities that complement each other: a large historical zoo, a suburban exotics zoo, a bird park, a downtown indoor zoo for natives, and an aquarium. It definitely seems like a great city for tourists to get their feet wet in terms of easily seeing a swath of Australian fauna.

 

[WhistlingKite24]

I don't think I've seen or heard of mixing cassowary with other species before; is this done in other Australian facilities?

It's certainly not common. An online husbandry manual mentions that David Fleay Wildlife Park mixed pademelons with their cassowary which is not the case anymore. Various larger birds like Black-necked Storks, Australian Brush-Turkeys and other waterfowl species have been trialled as well. There are usually some wild brush-turkeys anyways that hang around most cassowary exhibits in Australian zoos within their natural range. The main problem stated is the introduction of new stock into established carefully-managed mixes that the cassowary is not familiar with is when most of the attacks occur.

 

[WhistlingKite24]

Day 3, Part 2: Sea Life Sydney – Date with a Dugong:

Better later than never I suppose! Apologies for the three-month delay as I have been occupied with other projects (and future ones!) in my free time, and work of course. My wildlife watching thread has also kept me busy with an influx of surprises but I decided it was time to finally wrap up this thread with one of the main highlights of the trip. Sea Life Sydney’s current and longstanding superstar has been Pig the Dugong – one of the very few dugongs currently in captivity. His story starts in 1998 when he was found as a calf in Forrest Beach, north Queensland. Predicted to be under a week of age, he was taken to SeaWorld Gold Coast where he was hand raised for three years. Pig was released but eight months later was found again in very poor body condition. He was rescued again but the decision was made for him to move to later Sea Life Sydney with another female Wuru who died in May 2018. The staff at Sea Life Sydney were also heavily involved with another rescued dugong at SeaWorld that was able to be successfully released in 2016. It’s always worth a trip to aquarium for the dugong alone but there were some other bright spots encountered during my brief walkthrough Sea Life Sydney. I start this by saying that it was absolutely packed during my visit and I often had momentary glances into tanks before the relentless wave of prams and toddlers came through. I will also bold only the species of note as I wouldn’t be able to provide a comprehensive species list for the entire aquarium.

At the entrance of the dark corridor was the first entrance exhibit featuring Australia’s freshwater systems with the most popular addition being two Pig-nosed Turtles mixed with an assortment of native fish that filled the tank nicely - tarpon, scats, diamondscale mullet, snakehead gudgeon and undoubtedly others in a well-lit display. Continuing onwards was the heavily themed South Coast Shipwreck which had a diverse assortment of local fish species that can be found in Sydney Harbour and the greater regions. The highlight here for me were the Eastern Hulafish; a fantastically distinctive fish with its common name apparently deriving from its exaggerated movements. There were some other highlights throughout the tanks here including a few egg cases from their Port Jackson Sharks and an assortment of the whimsically-looking yet striking Ornate Cowfish along with a lone Eastern Smooth Boxfish. Lots of active cardinalfish, morays for the wow factor, a feeding porcupinefish that drew the crowds and a single South Seas Demoiselle for a splash of colour. The adult Port Jackson Sharks can be seen mixed with the Little Penguins in a relatively small exhibit. I was excited to see that both White-barred Boxfish and Eastern Blue Grouper were signed but I couldn’t see either unfortunately.

Eastern Hulafish

The next zone is called Jurassic Seas with a rather nice central tank with large freshwater fish – notably a large active group of Queensland Lungfish with a prominent white one among the large lumbering beasts. The lungfish share their space with some hefty archerfish (two species), Freshwater Longtom, a large Broad-shelled River Turtle cruising past all the fish and a single Spotted Gar. As prohibited fish I believe in the Australian private trade, seeing gars is pretty exciting! Seeing a gar again reminded me that my local aquarium here in Queensland used to have an impressive Alligator Gar on-show in a river monsters tank. A haphazard assortment encircled this central tank; an exhibit with an anemone, a display about the aquarium’s work with the Southern Pygmy Perch that replaced a juvenile crocodile tank, small wall tanks for scorpionfish, sun coral and a few morays. Like the aforementioned blue grouper, another extremely exciting species was signed but not seen – Striped Pyjama Squid (worth looking up if you’re not familiar with them). It would have been awesome to see one in the flesh but its tank only had a lone hermit crab. There are three more tanks in this zone; one with a faux skeleton feature housing an assortment of surgeonfish, unicornfish, damsels and Epaulette Sharks and a tank for Silver-striped Mudskippers. Always great to see mudskippers. Such fun. Besides the dugong, the most noteworthy species at the aquarium in my opinion are several Broad-gilled Hagfish housed in a rocky and dark exhibit near the mudskippers. They have quietly maintained these hagfish for a few years now (they were definitely on-show in 2019 during my first memorable encounter with them) and continue to be a source of fascination mixed with slight repulsion. Nevertheless, a valued feature for this zone.

Jurassic Seas tank

Broad-gilled Hagfish

Up next were breeding tanks showcasing the zoo’s work with the endangered White’s Seahorse with a breed-for-release programme straight into Sydney Harbour. In October 2019, five breeding pairs were collected and taken to this breeding facility where they have bred very well with several releases. Surveys have further indicated that the aquarium-bred seahorses are already breeding out in the big blue. Some of the best tanks in the aquarium were in the Sydney Harbour zone; a lot of them seem to be original pre-Sea Life exhibits with natural well-established tanks for an assortment of reef fish – damsels, clownfish, angelfish etc, followed by more traditionally Southern species like stripeys, scads, wirrah, eastern pomfred and oldwife. Crustaceans stole the show with impressive rock lobsters and slipper lobsters among the tanks. Some strong connections were made to the local harbour and that’s always a plus. I felt the flow was slightly impacted by coming through the shipwreck area, a mixed prehistoric fish display and ending up back to more southern local species. It lacked some clarity I felt.

Sydney Harbour tank example

Leaving behind the harbour tanks was a spiralling ramp down into the bowels of the aquarium leading to a surprisingly light and bright oceanarium containing two tunnels side by side. This large area of course contains the one and only Dugong. It’s pretty incredible having a dugong sit onto the tunnel while you soak in such a creature and he often glides past visitor’s heads, bumbling past with his enormous tail. I’ll doubt the aquarium will replace such an expensive animal to manage and maintain so enjoy his presence at the facility while you can. Luckily, they are long-lived. There is a whole assortment of fish housed with the dugong – large ones like shovelnose rays, barramundi, emperors but also a range of smaller ones – damsels and Yellow-tailed Fusiliers bulk out the display but there is an accent on butterflyfish especially. Notably Moorish Idol are among them as well.

Pig the Dugong

Dugong overhead!

On my visit it seemed like the dugong only had access to one half of the total oceanarium with the other half being occupied by the Ocellated Eagle Rays as the main feature for the second tunnel. There is a second manner in which to view the dugong with an open-topped view of the oceanarium. The sound of the dugong surfacing is equally incredible to hear; with a big powerful release of air and he often feeds on his lettuce right on the surface. Wonderful to watch.

Second viewing area for dugong

The final three main areas are hard to compare to the dugong and feel almost anticlimactic if I’m honest; there is the shark tunnel with a large assortment of species – Grey Nurse Shark, Port Jackson Sharks, an assortment of wobbegongs, Smooth Stingray, Southern Eagle Rays, fiddler rays and my first Common Stingaree. Crested Horned Sharks received a passing mention a few years ago but I didn’t see any. There are lots of pelagic fish here as well but they can be difficult to clearly see in dim conditions and often crowded viewing opportunities – the morwong was among my favourites however. The next area was the exhibit for the aquarium’s King and Gentoo Penguins; both sizeable populations of both. Themed around a Macquarie Island station, visitors are able to take a boat ride within the exhibit which proved so popular the line blocked most of the several viewing nooks punctuated around the penguin enclosure. For those who are not aware, all of Australasia’s Kings and Gentoo Penguins kept in aquariums stem from a single source - Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium in New Zealand. As not an opportunity to take for granted considering strict regulations around birds, it always brings me joy to see these two species being kept and bred in Australasia (despite probably getting a tad inbred by this stage several generations in?)

King Penguin

Past the penguins and visitor bottlenecks, the final part of the aquarium is the called Day and Night on Reef, attempting to use lighting to simulate different times of days, representing different types of biological activities on the Great Barrier Reef. Its attempt to present some kind of narrative around the cycles on the reef is commendable but not always strong. It was an incredibly popular display with the general public however with several interactive elements (e.g., a glowing beach):

• 18:00 Coral Cove: a pleasing well-lit stretch of coral tanks with a range of commonly kept reef species but I liked the pair of Clark’s Anemonefish especially and a small nearby touchpool. There are some rocky parts that provide coverage along with natural coral and anemones – a rarity in a Sea Life establishment.

• 19:00 Jellyfish Garden + 21:00 Jellyfish Lullaby – standard garishly-lit cylindrical tanks with Blue Blubber, Moon Jellyfish and Upside-Down Jellyfish.

• 22:00 Glowing Beach - aimed towards showcasing bioluminescence with a glowing beach interactive display with a small cylindrical fish tank.

• 00:00 Shark Alley up to 06:00 Sunshine Reef – main walkthrough large tank with a range of sharks, larger fish and notably at least one sawfish. Some interesting ways to view the fish including a walkway where the material is translucent allowing you to have fish swim under your feet.

• 18:00 Turtle Beach – final feature before exiting. Clear, open views of the aquarium’s sea turtles in the mixed display with a rather unappealing wave-based design that frames the window (a matter of taste I guess) – both Green and Loggerhead Turtles were seen among all the fish.

Glowing Beach

Main tank - Day and Night on the Reef

Concluding Thoughts:

Sea Life Sydney Aquarium is one of the better aquariums available in Australia. The dugong is undoubtedly the central drawcard for many but there are some smaller, hidden gems tucked away nestled in all the mock rock and fake coral that inevitably comes with the Sea Life brand. There is a real mash of the old and new here as there are in both of the other Sea Life aquariums in Australia, but I enjoyed the variety that come from two oceanariums and there were a few strong local connections that I appreciated to the greater Sydney area. The aquarium’s breed-for-release work with White’s Seahorse and now the Southern Pygmy Perch is praiseworthy and well-documented throughout the aquarium. Overall, a nice way to finish but it was of course great to see the one and only dugong once again.

 

[WhistlingKite24]

Species List:

After several months, I have finally compiled the species list that summarises the five collections I visited in Sydney which was almost a year ago now. I have grouped them roughly into taxonomic groups from amphibians to mammals. I have used a simple acronym for each facility – TZ (Taronga), FWP (Featherdale), SZ (Sydney Zoo), WLSZ (Wild Life Sydney Zoo) and SLS (Sea Life Sydney) to keep things straightforward. This list only includes species I actually saw so several of the species I didn’t spot like the Numbat – which has since gone into that big termite-filled mound in the sky anyway – are not included. Also note that Taronga’s largest walkthrough aviary was closed during my visit so that puts a big dent in their birds. The major changes since I visited Sydney have included the opening of Taronga’s new Australian precinct with the nocturnal house (Western Quoll is probably the highlight species-wise) along with the continual construction of their new reptile and amphibian centre, Sydney Zoo got lemurs and Freshwater Crocodiles at Wild Life Sydney Zoo.

Amphibians
Eastern Dwarf Tree Frog Litoria fallax - TZ
Red-eyed Tree Frog Litoria chloris - TZ
Green Tree Frog Litoria caerulea - SZ, WLSZ
White-lipped Tree Frog Litoria infrafrenata – TZ, WLSZ
Magnificent Tree-Frog Litoria splendida - SZ
Green and Golden Bell Frog Litoria aurea – SZ, WLSZ
Yellow-spotted Bell Frog Litoria castanea - TZ
Booroolong Frog Litoria booroolongensis - TZ
Northern Corroboree Frog Pseudophryne pengilleyi - TZ

Reptiles
Freshwater Crocodile Crocodylus johnstoni – TZ
Saltwater Crocodile Crocodylus porosus - FWP, SZ

Alligator Snapping Turtle Macrochelys temminckii – SZ
Loggerhead Turtle Caretta caretta - SLS
Pig-nosed Turtle Carettochelys insculpta - WLSZ, SZ, SLS
Eastern River Cooter Pseudemys concinna concinna - TZ
Aldabra Giant Tortoise Aldabrachelys gigantea - TZ
Indian Star Tortoise Geochelone elegans - TZ
Elongated Tortoise Indotestudo elongata - TZ
Broad-shelled River Turtle Chelodina expansa – FWP, SLS
Eastern Long-necked Turtle Chelodina longicollis - TZ, SZ
Macquarie Turtle Emydura macquarii - TZ, FWP
Bellinger River Turtle Myuchelys georgesi - TZ
Saw-shelled Turtle Myuchelys latisternum – TZ, FWP

Centralian Knob-tailed Gecko Nephurus amyae – WLSZ, SZ
Northern Spiny-tailed Gecko Strophurus ciliaris - SZ
Golden-tailed Gecko Strophurus taenicauda – TZ
Giant Cave Gecko Pseudothecadactylus lindneri - TZ
Cunningham’s Skink Egernia cunninghami – TZ
Pygmy Spiny-tailed Skink Egernia depressa - SZ
Eastern Pilbara Spiny-tailed Skink Egernia epsisolus - TZ
Goldfields Crevice Skink Egernia formosa - TZ
Hosmer’s Skink Egernia hosmeri - TZ
Centralian Bluetongue Tiliqua multifasciata - FWP
Blotched Bluetongue Tiliqua nigrolutea – WLSZ
Shingleback Tiliqua rugosa – TZ, SZ, WLSZ
Eastern Bluetongue Tiliqua scincoides scincoides – TZ, FWP, WLSZ
Frilled Lizard Chlamydosaurus kingii – TZ, FWP, SZ, WLSZ
Central Netted Dragon Ctenophorus nuchalis – TZ, FWP, WLSZ
Red-barred Dragon Ctenophorus vadnappa - TZ
Boyd’s Forest Dragon Lophosaurus boydii – TZ, FWP, SZ, WLSZ
Burn’s Dragon Amphibolurus burnsi - SZ
Australian Water Dragon Intellagama lesuerii - SZ, WLSZ
Eastern Bearded Dragon Pogona barbata – FWP
Downs Bearded Dragon Pogona henrylawsoni - WLSZ
Scheltopusik Pseudopus apodus - TZ
Fijian Crested Iguana Brachylophus vitiensis - TZ
Rhinoceros Iguana Cyclura cornuta - TZ
Gila Monster Heloderma suspectum – TZ
Plumed Basilisk Basiliscus plumifrons - TZ
Rusty Desert Monitor Varanus eremius - TZ
Perentie Varanus giganteus – FWP, SZ
Merten’s Water Monitor Varanus mertensi – TZ, SZ
Heath Monitor Varanus rosenbergi - SZ
Spencer’s Monitor Varanus spenceri - WLSZ
Black-headed Monitor Varanus tristis tristis - SZ
Lace Monitor Varanus varius – FWP, SZ
Boa Constrictor Boa constrictor - TZ
Green Anaconda Eunectes murinus – TZ
Reticulated Python Python reticulatus - TZ
Children’s Python Antaresia childreni - TZ
Stimson’s Python Antaresia stimsoni - TZ
Black-headed Python Aspidites melanocephalus - FWP, WLSZ
Woma Aspidites ramsayi – FWP, WLSZ
Olive Python Liasis olivaceus - TZ, FWP
Rough-scaled Python Morelia carinata - SZ
Diamond Python Morelia spilota spilota - SZ, WLSZ
Jungle Carpet Python Morelia spilota cheynei - FWP
Centralian Python Morelia bredli - TZ, FWP, SZ
Green Tree Python Morelia viridis – TZ, SZ
Australian Scrub Python Simalia kinghorni – TZ, SZ
Brown Tree Snake Boiga irregularis – FWP
Corn Snake Pantherophis guttatus – TZ
Common Death Adder Acanthophis antarcticus - TZ, FWP, SZ
Broad-headed Snake Hoplocephalus bungaroides – TZ, FWP, SZ
Tiger Snake Notechis scutatus – FWP, SZ
Inland Taipan Oxyuranus microlepidotus - TZ, FWP, SZ
Coastal Taipan Oxyuranus scutellatus - TZ
Red-bellied Black Snake Pseudechis pophyriacus - TZ, SZ
Eastern Brown Snake Pseudonaja textilis - SZ
Monocled Cobra Naja kaouthia - TZ
Eyelash Viper Bothriechis schlegelii - TZ
Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake Crotaus adamanteus - TZ

Birds
Common Ostrich Struthio camelus – SZ
Southern Cassowary Casuarius casuarius johnsonii – FWP, SZ, WLSZ
Emu Dromaius novaehollandiae - FWP, SZ

Magpie Goose Anseranas semipalmata - FWP
Plumed Whistling Duck Dendrocygna eytoni – FWP, WLSZ
Wandering Whistling Duck Dendrocygna arcuate - TZ
Cape Barren Goose Cereopsis novaehollandiae - FWP
Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca – TZ, FWP
Radjah Shelduck Radjah radjah - FWP
Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea - TZ
Australian Shelduck Tadorna tadornoides - FWP
Green Pygmy-Goose Nettapus pulchellus - TZ
Mandarin Duck Aix galericulata - TZ
Blue-billed Duck Oxyura australis - FWP

Malleefowl Leipoa ocellata -FWP
Helmeted Guineafowl Numida meleagris - TZ
Brown Quail Synoicus ypsilophorus – FWP
King Quail Synoicus chinensis - FWP
Stubble Quail Coturnix pectoralis – FWP
Golden Pheasant Chrysolophus pictus – TZ, FWP
Lady Amherst’s Pheasant Chrysolophus amherstiae - TZ
Indian Peafowl Pavo cristatus – TZ

White-headed Pigeon Columba leucomela – TZ, FWP, WLSZ
Brown Cuckoo-Dove Macropygia phasianella – TZ, FWP, WLSZ
Pacific Emerald Dove Chalcophaps longiostris – TZ, FWP, WLSZ
White-bibbed Ground Dove Alopecoenas jobiensis – TZ, FWP
Common Bronzewing Phaps chalcoptera - FWP
Brush Bronzewing Phaps elegans – FWP
Flock Bronzewing Phaps histrionica – FWP
Spinifex Pigeon Geophaps plumifera – FWP
Squatter Pigeon Geophaps scripta – FWP
Wonga Pigeon Leucosarcia melanoleuca - FWP, WLSZ
Diamond Dove Geopelia cuneata – FWP
Peaceful Dove Geopelia striata - FWP
Bar-shouldered Dove Geopelia humeralis - FWP
Nicobar Pigeon Caloenas nicobarica – TZ, FWP
Luzon Bleeding-Heart Dove Gallicolumba luzonica – TZ, FWP
Wompoo Fruit-Dove Ptilinopus magnificus – TZ
Superb Fruit-Dove Ptilinopus superbus – TZ, FWP
Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove Ptilinopus regina – TZ, FWP
Torresian Imperial-Pigeon Ducula spilorrhoa – TZ, FWP
Topknot Pigeon Lopholaimus antarcticus - TZ, FWP

Australian Bustard Ardeotis australis – FWP

Pheasant Coucal Centropus phasianinus - FWP

Tawny Frogmouth Podargus strigodes – FWP

Chestnut Rail Gallirallus castaneoventris - FWP
Buff-banded Rail Gallirallus philippensis - FWP
Brolga Antigone rubicunda – FWP

Bush Stone-Curlew Burhinus grallarius – FWP, WLSZ
Pied Stilt Himantopus leucocephalus – FWP
Pied Oystercatcher Haematopus longirostris – FWP
Banded Lapwing Vanellus tricolor – FWP
Masked Lapwing Vanellus miles - FWP [both subspecies]
Inland Dotterel Peltohyas australis – FWP
Red-backed Buttonquail Turnix maculosus – FWP
Black-breasted Buttonquail Turnix melanogaster - FWP
Painted Buttonquail Turnix varius – FWP
Red-chested Buttonquail Turnix pyrrhothorax – FWP
Silver Gull Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae – FWP
Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus – FWP
Pacific Gull Larus pacificus – FWP

King Penguin Aptenodytes patagonicus SLS
Gentoo Penguin Pygoscelis papua - SLS
Australian Little Penguin Eudyptula novaehollandiae – TZ, FWP, SZ, SLS
Fiordland Penguin Eudyptes pachyrhynchus – TZ

Black-necked Stork Ephippioorhynchus asiaticus - FWP

Little Pied Cormorant Phalacrocorax melanoleucos – TZ, FWP
Little Black Cormorant Phalacrocorax sulcirostris - FWP
Pied Cormorant Phalacrocorax varius – FWP

Australian Pelican Pelecanus conspicillatus – TZ, FWP
White-faced Heron Egretta novaehollandiae – FWP
Pied Heron Egretta picata - TZ
Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis – FWP
Nankeen Night Heron Nycticorax caledonicus – FWP
Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus – TZ, FWP
Royal Spoonbill Platalea regia – TZ, FWP

Andean Condor Vultur gryphus - TZ
Eastern Osprey Pandion haliaetus – FWP
Black-breasted Buzzard Hamirostra melanosternon – TZ, FWP
Whistling Kite Haliastur sphenurus – TZ

Rufous Owl Ninox rufa - FWP
Powerful Owl Ninox strenua – FWP
Barking Owl Ninox connivens – TZ, FWP
Southern Boobook Ninox boobook – FWP
Lesser Sooty Owl Tyto multipunctata – FWP
Australian Grass Owl Tyto longimembris - FWP
Eastern Barn Owl Tyto delicatula – TZ, FWP

Laughing Kookaburra Dacelo novaeguineae – FWP
Blue-winged Kookaburra Dacelo leachii - FWP
Forest Kingfisher Todiramphus macleayii - TZ, FWP
Sacred Kingfisher Todiramphus sanctus – FWP
Rainbow Bee-eater Merops ornatus – FWP

Nankeen Kestrel Falco cenchroides – FWP

Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus banksii– FWP
Glossy Black-Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus lathami - FWP
Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo Zanda funerea - FWP
Baudin’s Black-Cockatoo Zanda baudinii - FWP
Gang-gang Cockatoo Callocephalon fimbriatum - FWP
Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo Lophochroa leadbeateri - FWP
Galah Eolophus roseicapillus – FWP
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Cacatua galerita – TZ, FWP
Cockatiel Nymphicus hollandicus – FWP, WLSZ
Princess Parrot Polytelis alexandrae – FWP, WLSZ
Australian King Parrot Alisterus scapularis – TZ, FWP, WLSZ
Eclectus Parrot Eclectus roratus - TZ, FWP
Bourke’s Parrot Neopsephotus bourkii – FWP
Blue-winged Parrot Neophema chrysostoma – FWP
Elegant Parrot Neophema elegans – FWP
Turquoise Parrot Neophema pulchella – FWP
Swift Parrot Lathamus discolor – FWP
Cloncurry Ringneck Barnardius zonarius macgillivrayi – FWP
Northern Rosella Platycercus venustus - FWP
Pale-headed Rosella Platycerus adscitus - FWP
Greater Bluebonnet Northiella haematogaster – FWP
Red-rumped Parrot Psephotus haematonotus – FWP
Mulga Parrot Psephotus varius – FWP
Hooded Parrot Psephotus dissimilis – FWP
Golden-shouldered Parrot Psephotus chrysopterygius – FWP
Macleay’s Fig Parrot Cyclopsitta diophthalma macleayana - TZ
Budgerigar Melopsittacus undulatus – TZ, FWP, WLSZ
Musk Lorikeet Glossopsitta concinna – TZ, FWP
Little Lorikeet Glossopsitta pusilla – TZ, FWP
Purple-crowned Lorikeet Glossopsitta porphyrocephala – FWP
Red Lory Eos bornea – TZ, FWP
Rainbow Lorikeet Trichoglossus moluccans – FWP
Red-collared Lorikeet Trichoglossus rubritorquis - FWP
Green-winged Macaw Ara chloropterus – FWP

Noisy Pitta Pitta versicolor – TZ, FWP
Superb Lyrebird Menura novaehollandiae – FWP
Green Catbird Ailuroedus crassirostris – FWP
Satin Bowerbird Ptilonorhynchus violaceus – FWP, WLSZ
Regent Bowerbird Ptilonorhynchus chrysocephalus – TZ, FWP
Spotted Bowerbird Chlamydera maculata – FWP
Purple-crowned Fairywren Malurus coronatus – FWP
Variegated Fairywren Malurus lamberti – TZ, FWP
Superb Fairywren Malurus cyaneus – FWP
Eastern Spinebill Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris – FWP
Crimson Chat Epthianura tricolor – FWP
Regent Honeyeater Anthochaera phrygia – FWP
Striped Honeyeater Plectorhyncha lanceolata – FWP
Noisy Friarbird Philemon corniculatus – FWP
Scarlet Honeyeater Myzomela sanguinolenta – FWP
White-cheeked Honeyeater Phylidonyris niger – FWP
White-naped Honeyeater Melithreptus lunatus – FWP
Yellow-tufted Honeyeater Lichenostomus melanops – FWP
Grey-crowned Babbler Pomatostomus temporalis – FWP
Eastern Whipbird Psophodes olivaceus – TZ, FWP
Chiming Wedgebill Psophodes occidentalis – FWP
Crested Bellbird Oreoica gutturalis – FWP
White-breasted Woodswallow Artamus leucorynchus – FWP
Masked Woodswallow Artamus personatus – FWP
White-browed Woodswallow Artamus superciliosus – FWP
Black-faced Woodswallow Artamus cinereus – FWP
Australian Magpie Cracticus tibicen – FWP
Cinnamon Quail-thrush Cinclosoma cinnamomeum – FWP
Grey Shrikethrush Colluricincla harmonica – FWP
Golden Whistler Pachycephala pectoralis - TZ
Rufous Whistler Pachycephala rufiventris – TZ
Olive-backed Oriole Oriolus sagittatus – FWP
White-winged Chough Corcorax melanorhamphos – FWP
Apostlebird Struthidea cinerea – FWP
Eastern Yellow Robin Eopsaltria australis - FWP
Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis – FWP
Australian Reed-warbler Acrocephalus australis - TZ
Red-whiskered Bulbul Pycnonotus jocosus – TZ, FWP
Silvereye Zosterops lateralis – FWP
Metallic Starling Alpornis metallica – TZ, FWP
White-rumped Shama Copsychus malabaricus – TZ
Painted Firetail Emblema pictum - FWP
Diamond Firetail Stagonopleura guttata - FWP
Red-browed Finch Neochmia temporalis - FWP
Crimson Finch Neochmia phaeton - TZ
Star Finch Neochmia ruficauda - FWP
Zebra Finch Taeniopygia guttata - FWP
Double-barred Finch Taeniopygia bichenovii – FWP
Masked Finch Poephila personata – TZ, FWP
Long-tailed Finch Poephila acuticauda – FWP
Black-throated Finch Poephila cincta – FWP
Blue-faced Parrot Finch Erythrura trichroa – TZ, FWP
Gouldian Finch Erythrura gouldiae – TZ, FWP
Tricoloured Munia Lonchura malacca – FWP
Black-headed Munia Lonchura atricapilla - TZ
Yellow-rumped Mannikin Lonchura flaviprymna - FWP
Chestnut-breasted Mannikin Lonchura castaneothorax - FWP, WLSZ
Java Sparrow Lonchura oryzivora – FWP

Mammals:
Platypus Ornithorhynchus anatinus - WLSZ
Short-beaked Echidna Tachyglossus aculeatus – TZ, FWP, WLSZ
Eastern Long-beaked Echidna Zaglossus bartoni - TZ

Eastern Quoll Dasyurus viverrinus – SZ
Tasmanian Devil Sarcophilus harrisii – TZ, FWP, SZ, WLSZ
Fat-tailed Dunnart Sminthopsis crassicaudata - SZ
Greater Bilby Macrotis lagotis - FWP, SZ, WLSZ
Koala Phascolarctos cinereus - TZ, FWP, SZ, WLSZ
Common Wombat Vombatus ursinus – FWP, SZ, WLSZ
Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat Lasiorhinus latifrons – TZ, FWP
Common Ringtail Possum Pseudocheirus peregrinus – SZ
Yellow-bellied Glider Petaurus australis - SZ
Sugar Glider Petaurus breviceps - WLSZ
Squirrel Glider Petaurus norfolcensis - SZ
Feathertail Glider Acrobates spp. - SZ
Rufous Bettong Aepyprymus rufescens – WLSZ
Long-nosed Potoroo Potorus tridactylus - SZ
Quokka Setonix brachyurus – TZ, FWP
Red-legged Pademelon Thylogale stigmatica – WLSZ
Red-necked Pademelon Thylogale thetis - FWP
Kangaroo Island Kangaroo Macropus fuliginosus fuliginosus – FWP, SZ, WLSZ
Eastern Grey Kangaroo Macropus giganteus – FWP
Common Wallaroo Osphranter robustus - FWP
Red Kangaroo Osphranter rufus – TZ, SZ
Tammar Wallaby Notamacropus eugenii - FWP, SZ
Parma Wallaby Notamacropus parma – FWP
Red-necked Wallaby Notamacropus rufogriseus– FWP, SZ
Swamp Wallaby Wallabia bicolor - SZ
Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby Petrogale penicillata – FWP
Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby Petrogale xanthopus– FWP, SZ, WLSZ
Goodfellow’s Tree Kangaroo Dendrolagus goodfellowi – TZ, FWP, WLSZ

Asian Elephant Elephas maximus – TZ, SZ

Dugong Dugong dugon - SLS

South African Crested Porcupine Hystrix africaeaustralis - SZ
Capybara Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris – TZ, SZ
Spinifex Hopping-mouse Notomys alexis – SZ, WLSZ

Ring-tailed Lemur Lemur catta - TZ
Bolivian Squirrel Monkey Saimiri boliviensis boliviensis – TZ
François’ Langur Trachypithecus francoisi - TZ
Hamadryas Baboon Papio hamadryas – SZ
Northern White-cheeked Gibbon Nomascus leucogenys - TZ
Sumatran Orangutan Pongo abelii – SZ
Western Lowland Gorilla Gorilla gorilla gorilla – TZ
Common Chimpanzee Pan troglodytes – TZ, SZ

Ghost Bat Macroderma gigas – FWP, SZ

Plains Zebra Equus quagga – TZ, SZ
Southern White Rhinoceros Ceratotherium simum simum - SZ
Dromedary Camelus dromedarius – TZ, SZ
Pygmy Hippopotamus Hexaprotodon liberiensis - TZ
Giraffe Giraffa spp. – TZ, SZ
Eastern Bongo Tragelaphus eurycerus isaaci – TZ
Nyala Tragelaphus angasii – SZ

Lion Panthera leo -SZ
Tiger Panthera tigris – SZ
Sumatran Tiger Panthera tigris sumatrae - TZ
Cheetah Acinonyx jubatus – SZ
Fishing Cat Prionailurus viverrinus - TZ
Meerkat Suricata suricatta – TZ, SZ
Binturong Arctictis binturong – TZ
Dingo Canis dingo dingo – TZ, FWP, SZ
African Hunting Dog Lycaon pictus - SZ
Fennec Fox Vulpes zerda - TZ
Spotted Hyena Crocuta crocuta - SZ
Malayan Sun Bear Helarctos malayanus malayanus - TZ
Nepalese Red Panda Ailurus fulgens fulgens – TZ, SZ
Asian Small-clawed Otter Aonyx cinerea - TZ, SZ
New Zealand Fur Seal Artocephalus forsteri – TZ
Australian Sea-lion Neophoca cinerea - TZ

 

[Zoofan15]

Species List:

After several months, I have finally compiled the species list that summarises the five collections I visited in Sydney which was almost a year ago now. I have grouped them roughly into taxonomic groups from amphibians to mammals. I have used a simple acronym for each facility – TZ (Taronga), FWP (Featherdale), SZ (Sydney Zoo), WLSZ (Wild Life Sydney Zoo) and SLS (Sea Life Sydney) to keep things straightforward. This list only includes species I actually saw so several of the species I didn’t spot like the Numbat – which has since gone into that big termite-filled mound in the sky anyway – are not included. Also note that Taronga’s largest walkthrough aviary was closed during my visit so that puts a big dent in their birds. The major changes since I visited Sydney have included the opening of Taronga’s new Australian precinct with the nocturnal house (Western Quoll is probably the highlight species-wise) along with the continual construction of their new reptile and amphibian centre, Sydney Zoo got lemurs and Freshwater Crocodiles at Wild Life Sydney Zoo.

Amphibians
Eastern Dwarf Tree Frog Litoria fallax - TZ
Red-eyed Tree Frog Litoria chloris - TZ
Green Tree Frog Litoria caerulea - SZ, WLSZ
White-lipped Tree Frog Litoria infrafrenata – TZ, WLSZ
Magnificent Tree-Frog Litoria splendida - SZ
Green and Golden Bell Frog Litoria aurea – SZ, WLSZ
Yellow-spotted Bell Frog Litoria castanea - TZ
Booroolong Frog Litoria booroolongensis - TZ
Northern Corroboree Frog Pseudophryne pengilleyi - TZ

Reptiles
Freshwater Crocodile Crocodylus johnstoni – TZ
Saltwater Crocodile Crocodylus porosus - FWP, SZ

Alligator Snapping Turtle Macrochelys temminckii – SZ
Loggerhead Turtle Caretta caretta - SLS
Pig-nosed Turtle Carettochelys insculpta - WLSZ, SZ, SLS
Eastern River Cooter Pseudemys concinna concinna - TZ
Aldabra Giant Tortoise Aldabrachelys gigantea - TZ
Indian Star Tortoise Geochelone elegans - TZ
Elongated Tortoise Indotestudo elongata - TZ
Broad-shelled River Turtle Chelodina expansa – FWP, SLS
Eastern Long-necked Turtle Chelodina longicollis - TZ, SZ
Macquarie Turtle Emydura macquarii - TZ, FWP
Bellinger River Turtle Myuchelys georgesi - TZ
Saw-shelled Turtle Myuchelys latisternum – TZ, FWP

Centralian Knob-tailed Gecko Nephurus amyae – WLSZ, SZ
Northern Spiny-tailed Gecko Strophurus ciliaris - SZ
Golden-tailed Gecko Strophurus taenicauda – TZ
Giant Cave Gecko Pseudothecadactylus lindneri - TZ
Cunningham’s Skink Egernia cunninghami – TZ
Pygmy Spiny-tailed Skink Egernia depressa - SZ
Eastern Pilbara Spiny-tailed Skink Egernia epsisolus - TZ
Goldfields Crevice Skink Egernia formosa - TZ
Hosmer’s Skink Egernia hosmeri - TZ
Centralian Bluetongue Tiliqua multifasciata - FWP
Blotched Bluetongue Tiliqua nigrolutea – WLSZ
Shingleback Tiliqua rugosa – TZ, SZ, WLSZ
Eastern Bluetongue Tiliqua scincoides scincoides – TZ, FWP, WLSZ
Frilled Lizard Chlamydosaurus kingii – TZ, FWP, SZ, WLSZ
Central Netted Dragon Ctenophorus nuchalis – TZ, FWP, WLSZ
Red-barred Dragon Ctenophorus vadnappa - TZ
Boyd’s Forest Dragon Lophosaurus boydii – TZ, FWP, SZ, WLSZ
Burn’s Dragon Amphibolurus burnsi - SZ
Australian Water Dragon Intellagama lesuerii - SZ, WLSZ
Eastern Bearded Dragon Pogona barbata – FWP
Downs Bearded Dragon Pogona henrylawsoni - WLSZ
Scheltopusik Pseudopus apodus - TZ
Fijian Crested Iguana Brachylophus vitiensis - TZ
Rhinoceros Iguana Cyclura cornuta - TZ
Gila Monster Heloderma suspectum – TZ
Plumed Basilisk Basiliscus plumifrons - TZ
Rusty Desert Monitor Varanus eremius - TZ
Perentie Varanus giganteus – FWP, SZ
Merten’s Water Monitor Varanus mertensi – TZ, SZ
Heath Monitor Varanus rosenbergi - SZ
Spencer’s Monitor Varanus spenceri - WLSZ
Black-headed Monitor Varanus tristis tristis - SZ
Lace Monitor Varanus varius – FWP, SZ
Boa Constrictor Boa constrictor - TZ
Green Anaconda Eunectes murinus – TZ
Reticulated Python Python reticulatus - TZ
Children’s Python Antaresia childreni - TZ
Stimson’s Python Antaresia stimsoni - TZ
Black-headed Python Aspidites melanocephalus - FWP, WLSZ
Woma Aspidites ramsayi – FWP, WLSZ
Olive Python Liasis olivaceus - TZ, FWP
Rough-scaled Python Morelia carinata - SZ
Diamond Python Morelia spilota spilota - SZ, WLSZ
Jungle Carpet Python Morelia spilota cheynei - FWP
Centralian Python Morelia bredli - TZ, FWP, SZ
Green Tree Python Morelia viridis – TZ, SZ
Australian Scrub Python Simalia kinghorni – TZ, SZ
Brown Tree Snake Boiga irregularis – FWP
Corn Snake Pantherophis guttatus – TZ
Common Death Adder Acanthophis antarcticus - TZ, FWP, SZ
Broad-headed Snake Hoplocephalus bungaroides – TZ, FWP, SZ
Tiger Snake Notechis scutatus – FWP, SZ
Inland Taipan Oxyuranus microlepidotus - TZ, FWP, SZ
Coastal Taipan Oxyuranus scutellatus - TZ
Red-bellied Black Snake Pseudechis pophyriacus - TZ, SZ
Eastern Brown Snake Pseudonaja textilis - SZ
Monocled Cobra Naja kaouthia - TZ
Eyelash Viper Bothriechis schlegelii - TZ
Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake Crotaus adamanteus - TZ

Birds
Common Ostrich Struthio camelus – SZ
Southern Cassowary Casuarius casuarius johnsonii – FWP, SZ, WLSZ
Emu Dromaius novaehollandiae - FWP, SZ

Magpie Goose Anseranas semipalmata - FWP
Plumed Whistling Duck Dendrocygna eytoni – FWP, WLSZ
Wandering Whistling Duck Dendrocygna arcuate - TZ
Cape Barren Goose Cereopsis novaehollandiae - FWP
Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca – TZ, FWP
Radjah Shelduck Radjah radjah - FWP
Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea - TZ
Australian Shelduck Tadorna tadornoides - FWP
Green Pygmy-Goose Nettapus pulchellus - TZ
Mandarin Duck Aix galericulata - TZ
Blue-billed Duck Oxyura australis - FWP

Malleefowl Leipoa ocellata -FWP
Helmeted Guineafowl Numida meleagris - TZ
Brown Quail Synoicus ypsilophorus – FWP
King Quail Synoicus chinensis - FWP
Stubble Quail Coturnix pectoralis – FWP
Golden Pheasant Chrysolophus pictus – TZ, FWP
Lady Amherst’s Pheasant Chrysolophus amherstiae - TZ
Indian Peafowl Pavo cristatus – TZ

White-headed Pigeon Columba leucomela – TZ, FWP, WLSZ
Brown Cuckoo-Dove Macropygia phasianella – TZ, FWP, WLSZ
Pacific Emerald Dove Chalcophaps longiostris – TZ, FWP, WLSZ
White-bibbed Ground Dove Alopecoenas jobiensis – TZ, FWP
Common Bronzewing Phaps chalcoptera - FWP
Brush Bronzewing Phaps elegans – FWP
Flock Bronzewing Phaps histrionica – FWP
Spinifex Pigeon Geophaps plumifera – FWP
Squatter Pigeon Geophaps scripta – FWP
Wonga Pigeon Leucosarcia melanoleuca - FWP, WLSZ
Diamond Dove Geopelia cuneata – FWP
Peaceful Dove Geopelia striata - FWP
Bar-shouldered Dove Geopelia humeralis - FWP
Nicobar Pigeon Caloenas nicobarica – TZ, FWP
Luzon Bleeding-Heart Dove Gallicolumba luzonica – TZ, FWP
Wompoo Fruit-Dove Ptilinopus magnificus – TZ
Superb Fruit-Dove Ptilinopus superbus – TZ, FWP
Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove Ptilinopus regina – TZ, FWP
Torresian Imperial-Pigeon Ducula spilorrhoa – TZ, FWP
Topknot Pigeon Lopholaimus antarcticus - TZ, FWP

Australian Bustard Ardeotis australis – FWP

Pheasant Coucal Centropus phasianinus - FWP

Tawny Frogmouth Podargus strigodes – FWP

Chestnut Rail Gallirallus castaneoventris - FWP
Buff-banded Rail Gallirallus philippensis - FWP
Brolga Antigone rubicunda – FWP

Bush Stone-Curlew Burhinus grallarius – FWP, WLSZ
Pied Stilt Himantopus leucocephalus – FWP
Pied Oystercatcher Haematopus longirostris – FWP
Banded Lapwing Vanellus tricolor – FWP
Masked Lapwing Vanellus miles - FWP [both subspecies]
Inland Dotterel Peltohyas australis – FWP
Red-backed Buttonquail Turnix maculosus – FWP
Black-breasted Buttonquail Turnix melanogaster - FWP
Painted Buttonquail Turnix varius – FWP
Red-chested Buttonquail Turnix pyrrhothorax – FWP
Silver Gull Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae – FWP
Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus – FWP
Pacific Gull Larus pacificus – FWP

King Penguin Aptenodytes patagonicus SLS
Gentoo Penguin Pygoscelis papua - SLS
Australian Little Penguin Eudyptula novaehollandiae – TZ, FWP, SZ, SLS
Fiordland Penguin Eudyptes pachyrhynchus – TZ

Black-necked Stork Ephippioorhynchus asiaticus - FWP

Little Pied Cormorant Phalacrocorax melanoleucos – TZ, FWP
Little Black Cormorant Phalacrocorax sulcirostris - FWP
Pied Cormorant Phalacrocorax varius – FWP

Australian Pelican Pelecanus conspicillatus – TZ, FWP
White-faced Heron Egretta novaehollandiae – FWP
Pied Heron Egretta picata - TZ
Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis – FWP
Nankeen Night Heron Nycticorax caledonicus – FWP
Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus – TZ, FWP
Royal Spoonbill Platalea regia – TZ, FWP

Andean Condor Vultur gryphus - TZ
Eastern Osprey Pandion haliaetus – FWP
Black-breasted Buzzard Hamirostra melanosternon – TZ, FWP
Whistling Kite Haliastur sphenurus – TZ

Rufous Owl Ninox rufa - FWP
Powerful Owl Ninox strenua – FWP
Barking Owl Ninox connivens – TZ, FWP
Southern Boobook Ninox boobook – FWP
Lesser Sooty Owl Tyto multipunctata – FWP
Australian Grass Owl Tyto longimembris - FWP
Eastern Barn Owl Tyto delicatula – TZ, FWP

Laughing Kookaburra Dacelo novaeguineae – FWP
Blue-winged Kookaburra Dacelo leachii - FWP
Forest Kingfisher Todiramphus macleayii - TZ, FWP
Sacred Kingfisher Todiramphus sanctus – FWP
Rainbow Bee-eater Merops ornatus – FWP

Nankeen Kestrel Falco cenchroides – FWP

Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus banksii– FWP
Glossy Black-Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus lathami - FWP
Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo Zanda funerea - FWP
Baudin’s Black-Cockatoo Zanda baudinii - FWP
Gang-gang Cockatoo Callocephalon fimbriatum - FWP
Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo Lophochroa leadbeateri - FWP
Galah Eolophus roseicapillus – FWP
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Cacatua galerita – TZ, FWP
Cockatiel Nymphicus hollandicus – FWP, WLSZ
Princess Parrot Polytelis alexandrae – FWP, WLSZ
Australian King Parrot Alisterus scapularis – TZ, FWP, WLSZ
Eclectus Parrot Eclectus roratus - TZ, FWP
Bourke’s Parrot Neopsephotus bourkii – FWP
Blue-winged Parrot Neophema chrysostoma – FWP
Elegant Parrot Neophema elegans – FWP
Turquoise Parrot Neophema pulchella – FWP
Swift Parrot Lathamus discolor – FWP
Cloncurry Ringneck Barnardius zonarius macgillivrayi – FWP
Northern Rosella Platycercus venustus - FWP
Pale-headed Rosella Platycerus adscitus - FWP
Greater Bluebonnet Northiella haematogaster – FWP
Red-rumped Parrot Psephotus haematonotus – FWP
Mulga Parrot Psephotus varius – FWP
Hooded Parrot Psephotus dissimilis – FWP
Golden-shouldered Parrot Psephotus chrysopterygius – FWP
Macleay’s Fig Parrot Cyclopsitta diophthalma macleayana - TZ
Budgerigar Melopsittacus undulatus – TZ, FWP, WLSZ
Musk Lorikeet Glossopsitta concinna – TZ, FWP
Little Lorikeet Glossopsitta pusilla – TZ, FWP
Purple-crowned Lorikeet Glossopsitta porphyrocephala – FWP
Red Lory Eos bornea – TZ, FWP
Rainbow Lorikeet Trichoglossus moluccans – FWP
Red-collared Lorikeet Trichoglossus rubritorquis - FWP
Green-winged Macaw Ara chloropterus – FWP

Noisy Pitta Pitta versicolor – TZ, FWP
Superb Lyrebird Menura novaehollandiae – FWP
Green Catbird Ailuroedus crassirostris – FWP
Satin Bowerbird Ptilonorhynchus violaceus – FWP, WLSZ
Regent Bowerbird Ptilonorhynchus chrysocephalus – TZ, FWP
Spotted Bowerbird Chlamydera maculata – FWP
Purple-crowned Fairywren Malurus coronatus – FWP
Variegated Fairywren Malurus lamberti – TZ, FWP
Superb Fairywren Malurus cyaneus – FWP
Eastern Spinebill Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris – FWP
Crimson Chat Epthianura tricolor – FWP
Regent Honeyeater Anthochaera phrygia – FWP
Striped Honeyeater Plectorhyncha lanceolata – FWP
Noisy Friarbird Philemon corniculatus – FWP
Scarlet Honeyeater Myzomela sanguinolenta – FWP
White-cheeked Honeyeater Phylidonyris niger – FWP
White-naped Honeyeater Melithreptus lunatus – FWP
Yellow-tufted Honeyeater Lichenostomus melanops – FWP
Grey-crowned Babbler Pomatostomus temporalis – FWP
Eastern Whipbird Psophodes olivaceus – TZ, FWP
Chiming Wedgebill Psophodes occidentalis – FWP
Crested Bellbird Oreoica gutturalis – FWP
White-breasted Woodswallow Artamus leucorynchus – FWP
Masked Woodswallow Artamus personatus – FWP
White-browed Woodswallow Artamus superciliosus – FWP
Black-faced Woodswallow Artamus cinereus – FWP
Australian Magpie Cracticus tibicen – FWP
Cinnamon Quail-thrush Cinclosoma cinnamomeum – FWP
Grey Shrikethrush Colluricincla harmonica – FWP
Golden Whistler Pachycephala pectoralis - TZ
Rufous Whistler Pachycephala rufiventris – TZ
Olive-backed Oriole Oriolus sagittatus – FWP
White-winged Chough Corcorax melanorhamphos – FWP
Apostlebird Struthidea cinerea – FWP
Eastern Yellow Robin Eopsaltria australis - FWP
Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis – FWP
Australian Reed-warbler Acrocephalus australis - TZ
Red-whiskered Bulbul Pycnonotus jocosus – TZ, FWP
Silvereye Zosterops lateralis – FWP
Metallic Starling Alpornis metallica – TZ, FWP
White-rumped Shama Copsychus malabaricus – TZ
Painted Firetail Emblema pictum - FWP
Diamond Firetail Stagonopleura guttata - FWP
Red-browed Finch Neochmia temporalis - FWP
Crimson Finch Neochmia phaeton - TZ
Star Finch Neochmia ruficauda - FWP
Zebra Finch Taeniopygia guttata - FWP
Double-barred Finch Taeniopygia bichenovii – FWP
Masked Finch Poephila personata – TZ, FWP
Long-tailed Finch Poephila acuticauda – FWP
Black-throated Finch Poephila cincta – FWP
Blue-faced Parrot Finch Erythrura trichroa – TZ, FWP
Gouldian Finch Erythrura gouldiae – TZ, FWP
Tricoloured Munia Lonchura malacca – FWP
Black-headed Munia Lonchura atricapilla - TZ
Yellow-rumped Mannikin Lonchura flaviprymna - FWP
Chestnut-breasted Mannikin Lonchura castaneothorax - FWP, WLSZ
Java Sparrow Lonchura oryzivora – FWP

Mammals:
Platypus Ornithorhynchus anatinus - WLSZ
Short-beaked Echidna Tachyglossus aculeatus – TZ, FWP, WLSZ
Eastern Long-beaked Echidna Zaglossus bartoni - TZ

Eastern Quoll Dasyurus viverrinus – SZ
Tasmanian Devil Sarcophilus harrisii – TZ, FWP, SZ, WLSZ
Fat-tailed Dunnart Sminthopsis crassicaudata - SZ
Greater Bilby Macrotis lagotis - FWP, SZ, WLSZ
Koala Phascolarctos cinereus - TZ, FWP, SZ, WLSZ
Common Wombat Vombatus ursinus – FWP, SZ, WLSZ
Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat Lasiorhinus latifrons – TZ, FWP
Common Ringtail Possum Pseudocheirus peregrinus – SZ
Yellow-bellied Glider Petaurus australis - SZ
Sugar Glider Petaurus breviceps - WLSZ
Squirrel Glider Petaurus norfolcensis - SZ
Feathertail Glider Acrobates spp. - SZ
Rufous Bettong Aepyprymus rufescens – WLSZ
Long-nosed Potoroo Potorus tridactylus - SZ
Quokka Setonix brachyurus – TZ, FWP
Red-legged Pademelon Thylogale stigmatica – WLSZ
Red-necked Pademelon Thylogale thetis - FWP
Kangaroo Island Kangaroo Macropus fuliginosus fuliginosus – FWP, SZ, WLSZ
Eastern Grey Kangaroo Macropus giganteus – FWP
Common Wallaroo Osphranter robustus - FWP
Red Kangaroo Osphranter rufus – TZ, SZ
Tammar Wallaby Notamacropus eugenii - FWP, SZ
Parma Wallaby Notamacropus parma – FWP
Red-necked Wallaby Notamacropus rufogriseus– FWP, SZ
Swamp Wallaby Wallabia bicolor - SZ
Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby Petrogale penicillata – FWP
Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby Petrogale xanthopus– FWP, SZ, WLSZ
Goodfellow’s Tree Kangaroo Dendrolagus goodfellowi – TZ, FWP, WLSZ

Asian Elephant Elephas maximus – TZ, SZ

Dugong Dugong dugon - SLS

South African Crested Porcupine Hystrix africaeaustralis - SZ
Capybara Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris – TZ, SZ
Spinifex Hopping-mouse Notomys alexis – SZ, WLSZ

Ring-tailed Lemur Lemur catta - TZ
Bolivian Squirrel Monkey Saimiri boliviensis boliviensis – TZ
François’ Langur Trachypithecus francoisi - TZ
Hamadryas Baboon Papio hamadryas – SZ
Northern White-cheeked Gibbon Nomascus leucogenys - TZ
Sumatran Orangutan Pongo abelii – SZ
Western Lowland Gorilla Gorilla gorilla gorilla – TZ
Common Chimpanzee Pan troglodytes – TZ, SZ

Ghost Bat Macroderma gigas – FWP, SZ

Plains Zebra Equus quagga – TZ, SZ
Southern White Rhinoceros Ceratotherium simum simum - SZ
Dromedary Camelus dromedarius – TZ, SZ
Pygmy Hippopotamus Hexaprotodon liberiensis - TZ
Giraffe Giraffa spp. – TZ, SZ
Eastern Bongo Tragelaphus eurycerus isaaci – TZ
Nyala Tragelaphus angasii – SZ

Lion Panthera leo -SZ
Tiger Panthera tigris – SZ
Sumatran Tiger Panthera tigris sumatrae - TZ
Cheetah Acinonyx jubatus – SZ
Fishing Cat Prionailurus viverrinus - TZ
Meerkat Suricata suricatta – TZ, SZ
Binturong Arctictis binturong – TZ
Dingo Canis dingo dingo – TZ, FWP, SZ
African Hunting Dog Lycaon pictus - SZ
Fennec Fox Vulpes zerda - TZ
Spotted Hyena Crocuta crocuta - SZ
Malayan Sun Bear Helarctos malayanus malayanus - TZ
Nepalese Red Panda Ailurus fulgens fulgens – TZ, SZ
Asian Small-clawed Otter Aonyx cinerea - TZ, SZ
New Zealand Fur Seal Artocephalus forsteri – TZ
Australian Sea-lion Neophoca cinerea - TZ

Nice list. It’s serves as a good comparison between the facilities, bar a few omissions based on what you didn’t see on the day. I see from your previous post the lions were off display on your Taronga visit, due to their escape.

Sydney Zoo are now in their consolidation phase, so no doubt we’ll see more species added via mixed species exhibits over the coming years.