Edinburgh Zoo Cock-of-the-Rock

Bwassa

Bwassa

Well-Known Member
The latest membership/adoption mag has announced that Edinburgh is now home to a pair of Andean Cock-of-the-Rocks. They came from Sofia Zoo in Bulgaria. Don't know where they are housed though, the article didn't say. Can't wait to see them when I visit later in the year!
 
That is excellent news. More exciting than Pandas!
I wonder when thi species was last seen in the UK? Raymond Sawyer perhaps?
 
Bwassa said:
The latest membership/adoption mag has announced that Edinburgh is now home to a pair of Andean Cock-of-the-Rocks. They came from Sofia Zoo in Bulgaria. Don't know where they are housed though, the article didn't say. Can't wait to see them when I visit later in the year!
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I wonder how this birds reached Sofia Zoo - Bulgaria ? since they are still rare in captivity! Any idea??
 
Bulgaria is one of the places in the EU that still freely imports wild-caught birds. So my assumption is that they came directly from South America and are wild-caught.
 
I wonder if they are in the aviary in the former lorikeet exhibit, which has a window to view them from outside?
 
Very exciting news. Beautiful species.

(and I'd say equally as exciting as pandas, were it not for pandas being so sleep-heavy. So, yes, Rupicola wins!)
 
Zambar said:
Someone needs a visit to Howletts! :D
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I've been to Howletts twice and all it did was remind me how much more interesting African Wildcats, Heck's Macaques, Grizzled Langurs, Nilgai, Giant Anteaters, Indian Desert Cats, Dholes, Ratels, North China Leopards, Geladas, Greater Kudu and dozens of others are compared to gorillas. :D


I'll now run away before Pertinax comes after me...
 
Maguari said:
I'll now run away before Pertinax comes after me...
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Be careful, I may be sneaking up behind you.

If you don't like gorillas, don't go to Howletts. The other species are virtually sideshows - amusing enough, but not the main event.

Alan
 
To be fair, a leopard is a leopard. It might be exciting to know you're seeing a rare subspecies, but nothing prepares you for the social cohesion of the gorilla groups, especially if all you've ever seen is glass-fronted small 'family groups' that struggle to breed with many changes to the group composition in an attempt to achieve that.
 
gentle lemur said:
Be careful, I may be sneaking up behind you.

If you don't like gorillas, don't go to Howletts. The other species are virtually sideshows - amusing enough, but not the main event.

Alan
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Collections of cats, canids and cercopithecids like Howletts' can never be called sideshows. And even for the less nerdish visitor there are the rhinos, big cats, monkeys, wolves and that fantastic elephant herd. Plenty of non-gorilla fun!

Anywho, cocks-of-the-rock... :-)
 
johnstoni said:
To be fair, a leopard is a leopard. It might be exciting to know you're seeing a rare subspecies, but nothing prepares you for the social cohesion of the gorilla groups, especially if all you've ever seen is glass-fronted small 'family groups' that struggle to breed with many changes to the group composition in an attempt to achieve that.
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Each to his own, but for me a leopard is inherently more interesting than a gorilla, regardless of subspecies. And although they are undoubtedly very cohesive gorilla groups, I just can't get excited about them. I don't dislike gorillas, but they just don't do much for me. Not everyone is fascinated by the same things, which is just as it should be.
 
Maguari said:
I've been to Howletts twice and all it did was remind me how much more interesting African Wildcats, Heck's Macaques, Grizzled Langurs, Nilgai, Giant Anteaters, Indian Desert Cats, Dholes, Ratels, North China Leopards, Geladas, Greater Kudu and dozens of others are compared to gorillas. :D


I'll now run away before Pertinax comes after me...
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Only twice?- I thought you were a regular there by now!!

Actually a lot of what I get out of Gorillas nowadays relates to their breeding history, family trees and relatedness, management and transfers etc. In many smaller groups(particularly those without juveniles) I'll agree all they do under normal circumstances is sit around and munch food a lot, or do nothing, though the big family groups at Howletts and Port Lympne are rather a different matter in that respect.

I'll now steer this back to 'Cocks of the Rocks' at Edinburgh. (steady as she goes on the tiller)
 
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Pertinax said:
Only twice?- I thought you were a regular there by now!!
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Well, given I only went for the first time in 2009, again in 2010 and have a loose plan to go again this year, I am regular, just infrequent! :D


Pertinax said:
I'll now steer this back to 'Cocks of the Rocks' at Edinburgh. (steady as she goes on the tiller)
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Steering with you, I seem to recall a debate somewhere on here about cotingas in general in the UK that seemed to reach the conclusion that there weren't any (in public collections at least). Can't find a thread now - may have been in the Chatroom. Good to know that little gap has been filled. :)
 
Maguari said:
Well, given I only went for the first time in 2009, again in 2010 and have a loose plan to go again this year, I am regular, just infrequent! :D




Steering with you, I seem to recall a debate somewhere on here about cotingas in general in the UK that seemed to reach the conclusion that there weren't any (in public collections at least). Can't find a thread now - may have been in the Chatroom. Good to know that little gap has been filled. :)
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Amazon World Zoo Park in Isle of Wight have pair of Cotinga cayana.
 
Maguari said:
Collections of cats, canids and cercopithecids like Howletts' can never be called sideshows.
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That's why I added the word 'virtually' ;)

I can't get very excited about the c of the r, but I hope it starts a trend for a more varied bird collection at Edinburgh.

Alan
 
A posting on the zoo's facebook page

Margaret Mollon
Cock of the Rock ( in Brilliant Birds )
42 · 2 hours ago

Are they on display, can anyone confirm?
 
posted 20 hours ago on their facebook page, along with a photo: "If your (sic!) visiting the park in the coming weeks don't forget to stop by our Brilliant Birds aviary and see the striking new addition - the Andean Cock-of-the-rock..."

So they've been there for a year and they're only just now going on display?
 
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