It was open aired in this previous exhibit so I assume their wings are clipped. Pardon my ignorance, but can their wings grow back so they could have a chance to fly again?
It was open aired in this previous exhibit so I assume their wings are clipped. Pardon my ignorance, but can their wings grow back so they could have a chance to fly again?
My guess is that the cormorants are pinioned, but managing cormorants with feather clipping is also effective.
When a bird has its wings "clipped" this refers to cutting primary and sometimes secondary feathers to restrict the bird's flight. This is temporary, and the bird can achieve full flight again after a molt.
Pinioned birds are permanently flight restricted, as pinioning is a surgical procedure removing part of the wing. There are other permanent flight restriction methods such as tendonectomy in which the wing may appear more cosmetically in-tact.
This outstanding looking exhibit, home to 70 penguins and capable of holding up to 100 of the birds, just won the Best Exhibit award at the recent AZA Annual Conference. It was in the category of Best Exhibit with a cost of over $5 million, as there is a separate category with an "under $5 million" price-tag. Does anyone have an updated list of the nominees for either award?
