Chester Zoo Birds for the African Aviary

bongorob said:
I went to see this aviary yesterday and it is better than I expected. I saw all the birds apart form the chats and the turacos. The rollers are nesting, and there was some slight aggression between a roller and the male hornbill. There is also a nice view of the pelicans next door.
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The Chats and the Touracos are not in the aviary yet!!!!!
 
So I get the first 100% twitching score then? It does explain why there is still a label in the Tropical Realm for the chats.
 
bongorob said:
So I get the first 100% twitching score then? It does explain why there is still a label in the Tropical Realm for the chats.
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You do for the time been i don`t have a timescale for them going in at the moment but have heard rumours of other species going in as well 1 been the Green Wood Hoopoe!!!
 
Does anyone know: What is the reason for the netting over the pelican enclosure? Is the composition of birds in there going to change? Are the pelicans pinioned or do they normally just have their flight feathers clipped? Thanks
 
zoogiraffe said:
You do for the time been i don`t have a timescale for them going in at the moment but have heard rumours of other species going in as well 1 been the Green Wood Hoopoe!!!
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Weren't the hoopoe on some of the original marketing for the new enclosure?

I seem to remember them on last year's map on the "coming soon" section.
 
Pygathrix said:
Does anyone know: What is the reason for the netting over the pelican enclosure? Is the composition of birds in there going to change? Are the pelicans pinioned or do they normally just have their flight feathers clipped? Thanks
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I don't know the answers for sure; but I know that they removed the old net, pollarded all the trees that grew through it and have added poles to raise the new netting above the stumps of the pollards, giving much more height for any full-winged waterfowl to use. I'm sure they will be hoping this will prevent ducks from landing on the netting (I've seen wild birds which were trying to land in the pool caught in the netting) and that it will prevent intruders too.
The pelicans are pinioned, although one or two may just be clipped.
I don't know if any changes to the stocking are planned, but I'm sure the new enclosure would suit full-winged magpie geese very well - they look wonderful in flight.

Alan
 
bongorob said:
So I get the first 100% twitching score then?
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I've just noticed Gentle Lemur beat me to it. My apologies for stealing his glory.

The turacos have just had chicks, so I expect they will move when the young have fledged.
 
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CZJimmy said:
Weren't the hoopoe on some of the original marketing for the new enclosure?

I seem to remember them on last year's map on the "coming soon" section.
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Quite correct but things change at Chester quite alot for reasons that are not always clear this was probably one of them.
 
I got my first chance to see the new aviary on a hot afternoon this week and really liked it. The landscaping is really well done. I think the stars of the exhibit in the future will be the weavers once the numbers have built up, perhaps even into treble figures. Otherwise at the moment the bird density is not high. My only gripe is that it is too small, twice the size with a long winding path might give you the chance to feel like you could get lost in there, which isn't the case currently. As mentioned above you get good views into the pelican enclosure. The reed beds in there are becoming well established - I've already said what I think would look great in there.
 
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