The puffin and walrus exhibits are my favourite at the Point Defiance Zoo, and they can be found in the Rocky Shores section of the zoo along with harbour seals and sea otters. There is a lot of thick undergrowth at the top of the cliff face in the puffin enclosure, and the colourful birds waddle out of the grass and then unceremoniously plunge into their cold pool. Their habitat is a walk-through one, and there is no netting or glass separating the birds from their human visitors.
Auks make an excellent exhibit - active, attractive and in the case of puffins, colourful. This looks a good aviary; does it have underwater viewing?
Two of my favourite exhibits are for auks; Auk Cliffs at Living Coasts, home to Tufted Puffins, Pigeon Guillemots, Common Guillemots (or Murres, to our American friends!), Red-legged Kittiwakes and Red-billed Choughs; and the Bass Rock aviary at Rotterdam, which has Atlantic Puffins, Common Guillemots, a Razorbill, Common Eiders and Black-legged Kittiwakes (plus various fish including Common Sea Bass and Gilthead Bream). Both give the opportunity to view the auks underwater; at Living Coasts the auk underwater viewing is the very first exhibit when you enter. Although it lacks the fish (which adds a nice aspect as there's always something to see below water), Auk Cliffs is probably the better exhibit - it's a walkthrough, so there's no barrier - the viewing for Bass Rock is through glass and the salt-spray from the water can make life difficult!
Nice photos Maguari! The puffin exhibit at the Point Defiance Zoo does have underwater viewing, and it is walk-through thus giving visitors an aroma of both puffins and sea otters in a nearby pool. I just love the fact that the puffins have thick grass to waddle through, which obscures some of them but is fantastic for the birds.
Nice photos Maguari! The puffin exhibit at the Point Defiance Zoo does have underwater viewing, and it is walk-through thus giving visitors an aroma of both puffins and sea otters in a nearby pool. I just love the fact that the puffins have thick grass to waddle through, which obscures some of them but is fantastic for the birds.
On the subject of grass - I'm not sure about Tufteds but certainly Atlantic Puffins are one of those species that really do live and breed in areas of fairly short turf - albeit at the top of cliffs - they're burrow breeders.
Puffins are very neat, they are very active especially in the wild! I must say I am very impressed with the auks cliff exhibit because it recreates the birds natural habitat. As for the Point Defiance Zoo's exhibit it looks a bit more jungle like, although it is a very attractive nice design maybe instead of all the plants add some river rocks or just dirt.
