Any notable species in the aviary?51. Wings of Asia
Zoo Miami, FL
Opened: 1984
Size: 54,000 Square Feet (5,000 Square Meters)
Inhabitants: >80 Southeast Asian bird species and a variety of turtles and fish.
Europe has become a dominant force in recent years when it comes to enormous walkthrough aviaries. While the US does not boast as many of these mega-aviaries, there are still some spectacular ones to be found. Netting over an acre and a half of lush rainforest makes for an amazing exhibit by itself, but the intricate design makes this aviary truly exhilarating. Containing over 400 specimens including birds as large as Sarus cranes and painted storks, even a casual birder could spend all day inside of the structure trying to find every species. You start inside of an air-conditioned lobby including underwater viewing for a pond with a selection of larger turtles and fish. From there the guest path traverses through a lowland forest before slowly heading uphill towards the canopy overlook. The vegetation is incredibly thick which makes it a challenge to locate every species. Instead of traditional signage, visitors can pick up a field guide that lists every species inside the aviary which makes it much easier to identify the inhabitants. While signage is minimal otherwise, just outside of the aviary is a large plaza with educational displays detailing modern birds and their relation to dinosaurs. It all adds up to be one of the most impressive aviaries in any zoo and arguably the single best one on the continent.
@Sarus Crane
@red river hog
@Leaf Productions
@Leaf Productions
@geomorph
Similar Exhibits: When it comes to other notable Asian aviaries, perhaps only the previously mentioned Owen’s Aviary at San Diego is on the same level. Zoo Tampa’s Sulwesi aviary is a pleasant example of what can be done for Tropical birds on a smaller scale with fewer resources, even if the stocklist is hardly accurate to the name.
@SwampDonkey
@SwampDonkey
There of course isn't just one reason, as there seldom is, but the wear that snow and ice have on mesh aviaries is certainly one of the major reasons these exhibits aren't possible (or at least are significantly more difficult to do) in Northern zoos. For tropical birds, I agree that an indoor exhibit would be the better option for most zoos, but I'm not aware of any northern zoos with aviaries as impressive even for winter-tolerant birds (e.g. Asian and North American crane species, waterfowl, a number of pheasant species, etc.) A number of zoos have nice smaller walk-through aviaries, but they simply can't compete with the size and stature of what can be accomplished in Florida and Southern California.
Not necessarily. The Simmons Aviary at Omaha is the largest in the country, although it's a bit uninspired and not nearly as well designed as Miami or San Diego. Regardless it proves that large scale walkthrough aviaries can be and have been done in Northern states. There will be another one that will make an appearance later on and from my perspective it should be a pretty obvious inclusion.
Javan pond heron is a species of note, but otherwise I'm unfamiliar with what would classify as being particularly rare or unusual. Here is a full species list done last year by @red river hog that lists all of the inhabitants.
I can't say that's a word I ever expected to hear on this site, but Zoo Miami is indeed a fantastic zoo and this will not be it's only entry.
While certainly an aviary, it's worth noting FPZ's condor flight cage is made out of a completely different material- it has a complete metal frame instead of being a mesh aviary, such as the one at Miami.
I'd be curious to see how many/how frequent the Simmons Aviary's support beams are. If I were to guess, in order to let the aviary withstand the weather, Simmons Aviary would require support beams closer together than a Zoo Miami, DAK, or San Diego aviary would have to. I'd also wonder if the "uninspired" piece about Simmons Aviary may somehow be related to climate as well- as the colder weather would limit the number of plants Omaha is able to use in the outdoor aviary, as most of the tropical plants a Florida zoo can utilize would die in an Omaha winter.
Simmons aviary has no beams, only vertical posts and cables upon which nylon mesh panels are suspended. Nylon is far lighter than stainless steel netting, but needs to be replaced after a few years of exposure to the elements. To avoid snow load, the Simmons aviary mesh opening sizes are quite large (3-4"?), which limits the types of birds that can be contained inside. And yes the vegetation possible in Omaha is far less interesting/varied than in Miami. So, while quite large, it is not especially impressive. Recent renovations have, however, greatly improved circulation and visitor comfort in the structure.
Finally, a Miami exhibit! I've been lurking patiently on the sidelines, but fully expected this one to be on the list. A beautiful aviary that takes full advantage of south Florida's beautiful weather is a no-brainer for one of the best in the country. I'm certain at least one more exhibit at Miami will make the list when all is said and done.51. Wings of Asia
Zoo Miami, FL
Opened: 1984
Size: 54,000 Square Feet (5,000 Square Meters)
Inhabitants: >80 Southeast Asian bird species and a variety of turtles and fish.
Europe has become a dominant force in recent years when it comes to enormous walkthrough aviaries. While the US does not boast as many of these mega-aviaries, there are still some spectacular ones to be found. Netting over an acre and a half of lush rainforest makes for an amazing exhibit by itself, but the intricate design makes this aviary truly exhilarating. Containing over 400 specimens including birds as large as Sarus cranes and painted storks, even a casual birder could spend all day inside of the structure trying to find every species. You start inside of an air-conditioned lobby including underwater viewing for a pond with a selection of larger turtles and fish. From there the guest path traverses through a lowland forest before slowly heading uphill towards the canopy overlook. The vegetation is incredibly thick which makes it a challenge to locate every species. Instead of traditional signage, visitors can pick up a field guide that lists every species inside the aviary which makes it much easier to identify the inhabitants. While signage is minimal otherwise, just outside of the aviary is a large plaza with educational displays detailing modern birds and their relation to dinosaurs. It all adds up to be one of the most impressive aviaries in any zoo and arguably the single best one on the continent.
@Sarus Crane
@red river hog
@Leaf Productions
@Leaf Productions
@geomorph
Similar Exhibits: When it comes to other notable Asian aviaries, perhaps only the previously mentioned Owen’s Aviary at San Diego is on the same level. Zoo Tampa’s Sulwesi aviary is a pleasant example of what can be done for Tropical birds on a smaller scale with fewer resources, even if the stocklist is hardly accurate to the name.
@SwampDonkey
@SwampDonkey
There used to be 2 Sarus Cranes, but Heathcliffe's mate Gertrude passed away in November 2018.
Well this was a surprise. Not only an exhibit I was unfamiliar with, but an exhibit at a zoo I was unfamiliar with as well. Certainly seem to be impressive bear exhibits though, so I certainly can agree with this inclusion. What's also surprising is it looks like one of the four states that were yet-to-be-included was Alaska, and I don't think anyone saw that one coming!52. Bear Exhibits
Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, AK
Opened: Unknown (Expanded in 2014)
Size: 48 Acres (19 Hectares)
Inhabitants: Alaskan Brown Bear, American Black Bear
Some of the greatest zoo exhibits are just fenced in portions of a wild environment and that’s what was done here to create a pair of fantastic enclosures for brown bears and American black bears. Both exhibits are scenic meadows that are absolutely enormous in size, although the brown bear enclosure is far larger and is considered the largest of its kind in the western hemisphere. They are both beautifully landscaped with tall grasses, mature trees and large pools creating a beautiful taiga setting. While the presentation may seem simplistic to some, the visitor experience wasn’t forgotten about. A small interpretive center features educational displays for every North American bear species and a lengthy elevated walkway runs between the exhibits providing unobstructed views of the bears on either side of the path. What really puts these enclosure over the edge is the breathtaking mountainous backdrop, which is surely one of the most impressive views in any institution. The vistas are just the cherry on top of what are already two of the most brilliant bear habitats in the world.
@Pleistohorse
@Pleistohorse
@Pleistohorse
@Arizona Docent
@Pleistohorse
Similar Exhibits: There is another pair of brilliant bear exhibits at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park that similarly makes use of the natural landscape. It's not the vast Alaskan taiga, but instead several acres of pine forest fenced-off for grizzlies and black bears. It works brilliantly and further proves it doesn't take millions of dollars to create stunning enclosures, especially for native species.
@Coelacanth18
@Coelacanth18
Well there are quite a number of the photos of them in the gallery, so I imagine they aren't too difficult to find. The exhibits may be large, but they're also very open which makes the bears easier to spot from a distance.
