Bird species NOT keept in walktrough aviaries

GiratinaIsGod

GiratinaIsGod

Well-Known Member
5+ year member
After seeing a video about mynas, I just realized. I never saw them in any big walktrough aviary or rainforest halls, and I can't realy see a real reason not to keep them in them.
Are there any in this type of exclosure, and maybe besides obvious birds, like large birds of prey, are there any other weird examples
 
Can't think of a place either, but I haven't been to that many zoos compared to others here, I think. Another species I can think of spontaneously would be the bali myna. Gelsenkirchen for example keeps them in a separate aviary in the tropical hall, because they are too valuable in the cage-bird trade and might get stolen. Considering the popularity of "normal" mynas, too, maybe it's for the same reason.
 
GiratinaIsGod said:
After seeing a video about mynas, I just realized. I never saw them in any big walktrough aviary or rainforest halls, and I can't realy see a real reason not to keep them in them.
Are there any in this type of exclosure, and maybe besides obvious birds, like large birds of prey, are there any other weird examples
Click to expand...
Penguins perhaps? I’ve heard they can be really feisty if you spook them. Another one might be gulls or cranes and storks. Geese could also be another bird that isn’t fit for walkthrough aviaries due to their aggression.
 
I've seen mynas in a few free-flight aviaries. Geese, cranes, gulls, penguins, and storks as well. No large birds of prey though, for obvious reasons.
 
I've also seen gulls, cranes, storks, and geese in walkthroughs, so they all certainly can work. There are some species which might not work for aggression reasons. Walk throughs aren't often the best set up for breeding many of the more delicate species, either because of disturbance from guests or harassment from other birds
 
birdsandbats said:
No large birds of prey though, for obvious reasons.
Click to expand...
Well, it depends. Birds like turkey vultures have been successfully kept in walk-throughs. I assume you mean mainly condors and eagles.
Randomname0183 said:
Penguins perhaps? I’ve heard they can be really feisty if you spook them.
Click to expand...
Penguins in general are very stabby with their beaks. I have heard of king penguins specifically stabbing keepers with their beaks.
Also, "special" birds like laughing kooks, tawny frogmouths, and sulfur crested cockatoos are all usually placed in individual exhibits instead of large aviaries even though they would be way more interesting in larger spaces with other birds.
 
Westcoastperson said:
Well, it depends. Birds like turkey vultures have been successfully kept in walk-throughs. I assume you mean mainly condors and eagles
Click to expand...
True I know Memphis has an aviary walk-through with African vultures in it, so I’m sure other birds of that nature could as well. Laughing kookaburra are another bird I have not seen in walk-through as well, although I think a big part of that is due to the fact most places like for them to have their own aviary off to the side to put them in, as I have never seen them with other species of bird before and honestly don’t know if they are able to.
 
Last edited:
ParathePineapple said:
That is true all ratites with the exception of maybe kiwis would be horrible birds to put in a walkthrough, that would just be injuries waiting to happen.
Click to expand...
Seen Emus in walkthoughs

One thing about kiwis other then being nocturnal or shy is they can also be quite aggressive. if we ever got a walkthough kiwi enclosure it would probably end up with some bloody shins eventually, that why i like to call them pocket cassowaries
 
Westcoastperson said:
Well, it depends. Birds like turkey vultures have been successfully kept in walk-throughs. I assume you mean mainly condors and eagles.

Penguins in general are very stabby with their beaks. I have heard of king penguins specifically stabbing keepers with their beaks.
Also, "special" birds like laughing kooks, tawny frogmouths, and sulfur crested cockatoos are all usually placed in individual exhibits instead of large aviaries even though they would be way more interesting in larger spaces with other birds.
Click to expand...
Yes, I've seen Turkey Vulturues in walk-throughs. I meant any bird large or dangerous enough to eat other aviary inhabitants/potentially injure visitors.

Saint Louis keeps King Penguins in a walk-through.

Kookaburras and frogmouths run the risk of eating other aviary inhabitants. I've seen pinioned Sulphur-crested Cockatoos in Australian walkabouts.
 
For some reason I personally haven’t seen very many parrots or macaws (lorikeets and budgies not included) in walk-throughs, maybe it is because they like to bite.
 
JoJo22 said:
Another species I can think of spontaneously would be the bali myna. Gelsenkirchen for example keeps them in a separate aviary in the tropical hall, because they are too valuable in the cage-bird trade and might get stolen. Considering the popularity of "normal"
Click to expand...

I've seen Bali Mynas in walk-throughs before.

birdsandbats said:
I've seen pinioned Sulphur-crested Cockatoos in Australian walkabouts
Click to expand...

Fresno Chaffee had/has Lesser Sulphur-crested Cockatoos in a walk-through, not sure if they're pinioned or not.

Bengal Tiger said:
New For some reason I personally haven’t seen very many parrots or macaws (lorikeets and budgies not included) in walk-throughs, maybe it is because they like to bite.
Click to expand...

It varies due to biting issues, (though anyone who's been bitten by a lorikeet knows that isn't fun either) but I've seen a variety of parrots in walk-throughs. Including African Gray, Lesser Vasa, Sun Conure, Eclectus, Lesser Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, and Eastern Rosella. Besides a handful of fairly small species.
I've never been to a walk-through with flighted macaws, but I've seen plenty of photos of such walk-throughs and recall a story on the site of a Zoochatter being chased by breeding Scarlet Macaws.

Also to add to birds of prey, I recall a couple different places in Europe with birds of prey in walk-throughs. Unfortunately I don't remember names offhand, but one had Great Gray Owls (UK i think), there's one with a large aviary with a variety of vultures, kites, and such, and then one in I think Spain with the Long-crested Eagle and others.
 
Westcoastperson said:
Well, it depends. Birds like turkey vultures have been successfully kept in walk-throughs. I assume you mean mainly condors and eagles.

Penguins in general are very stabby with their beaks. I have heard of king penguins specifically stabbing keepers with their beaks.
Also, "special" birds like laughing kooks, tawny frogmouths, and sulfur crested cockatoos are all usually placed in individual exhibits instead of large aviaries even though they would be way more interesting in larger spaces with other birds.
Click to expand...

Denver has Laughing Kookaburra and Tawny Frogmouth both in their large walk through Forest Aviary, although, it was mentioned by @birdsandbats that the issue with keeping them in one would be them eating/ attacking other aviary inhabitants, and the only other inhabitants of the Forest Aviary are Ibis, Geese, and various other Waterfowl species, too large to be bothered. I’ll say one thing though, finding the two Tawny Frogmouth in a heavily forested outdoor aviary of that size is…an experience to say the least! :p
 
I think the issue with mynahs as mentioned at the top of this thread is the larger Hill Mynahs are quite predatory. They are certainly capable of killing finch sized birds for example. I cannot see a rreason agaionst the smaller starling species - I have seen Emerald Starlings in walk thoughs for example. The smaller parrots/ parakeets would be OK but they might interact with visitors too much, and even smaller parrots could get quite aggressive when breeding.
 
JoJo22 said:
Can't think of a place either, but I haven't been to that many zoos compared to others here, I think. Another species I can think of spontaneously would be the bali myna. Gelsenkirchen for example keeps them in a separate aviary in the tropical hall, because they are too valuable in the cage-bird trade and might get stolen. Considering the popularity of "normal" mynas, too, maybe it's for the same reason.
Click to expand...
Bali myna are in walkthrough aviary (Edward Youde Aviary in Hong Kong :) )

Randomname0183 said:
Penguins perhaps? I’ve heard they can be really feisty if you spook them. Another one might be gulls or cranes and storks. Geese could also be another bird that isn’t fit for walkthrough aviaries due to their aggression.
Click to expand...
Seen cranes and storks in walkthrough (e,g KL Bird Park :) )

I think KAK have walkthrough parrots and macaws. Also another for toucans and turacos.
I've hold and pet an owl in an owl cafe in Japan so i can't see why they can't be in a walkthrough.

Back to the question, maybe secretarybird? I understand why they don't want to be in a walkthrough (although shoebill can be kept inside,but shoebill won't use karate kick on snakes)
 
ParathePineapple said:
That is true all ratites with the exception of maybe kiwis would be horrible birds to put in a walkthrough, that would just be injuries waiting to happen.
Click to expand...

Traditionally kiwis are kept behind glass to prevent the public from tampering with them, but Wellington Zoo has a walk through nocturnal house where you could (theoretically) touch them (I say this in past tense as they’re currently between kiwis).

Several Australasian zoos have Emu in walk through exhibits. I took this photo at Auckland Zoo:

Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae)

Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae)

  • Media owner Zoofan15
  • Date added
  • Comments 1
Photo taken 23/01/2021.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top