Zooplantman
Well-Known Member
Surely not this:
http://www.zoochat.com/36/south-american-aviary-139794/
It doesn't seem "well planted" in your photos
Do any zoos have parrot exhibits that really do them justice?
- Thread starter DavidBrown
- Start date
Surely not this:
http://www.zoochat.com/36/south-american-aviary-139794/
It doesn't seem "well planted" in your photos
chrisbarela
Well-Known Member
An aspect that has not yet been mentioned is that most parrots get extremely attached to specific husbandry staff and serious mental problems can arise in parrots if they are parted from the person they have bonded to. Scarlets especially will pluck themselves bare if a bonded keeper gets a new job elsewhere. They do not bounce back easily from this.
Aside from the above mention aggression to other birds (and guests if it is a walk thru) the main problem that The Living Planet faced when discussing whether to have macaws on exhibit is that they would spend the day dismantling the H-Vac systems. That's the biggest problem with displaying large parrots - they get bored so easily that anything within reach is fair game to destroy - plants, cage structures, children, other birds, etc.
I personally also hate the "parrot on a stick" approach and thankfully we will not go that route, though that is the easy out that a lot of zoos use.
Here is the best case scenario for displaying Macaws - Keep them in the back of house. Give them a LONG TERM DEDICATED STAFF. Work with them DAILY. Bring them out for shows or walk arounds or even fly arounds. Do not try to display them the way other birds are displayed. Or, if a place does want to display them in a large, free flight enclosure they will need to overcome the obstacles listed above. (Which is exactly why most zoos just say, "To hell with it, clip the damn birds' wings and stick 'em over the koi pond!")
Aside from the above mention aggression to other birds (and guests if it is a walk thru) the main problem that The Living Planet faced when discussing whether to have macaws on exhibit is that they would spend the day dismantling the H-Vac systems. That's the biggest problem with displaying large parrots - they get bored so easily that anything within reach is fair game to destroy - plants, cage structures, children, other birds, etc.
I personally also hate the "parrot on a stick" approach and thankfully we will not go that route, though that is the easy out that a lot of zoos use.
Here is the best case scenario for displaying Macaws - Keep them in the back of house. Give them a LONG TERM DEDICATED STAFF. Work with them DAILY. Bring them out for shows or walk arounds or even fly arounds. Do not try to display them the way other birds are displayed. Or, if a place does want to display them in a large, free flight enclosure they will need to overcome the obstacles listed above. (Which is exactly why most zoos just say, "To hell with it, clip the damn birds' wings and stick 'em over the koi pond!")
I haven't been there in about twenty-years, but I remember the Free Flight Sanctuary in Del Mar was quite nice in terms of diversity. It's only five bucks to get in, and the grounds were well planted. I don't believe they were caged either.
It's right off the I-5 behind the Del Mar Fairgrounds.
The photo linked by you is from 2010 and in the meantime plants have been grown in the aviary. I´ve up-loaded a picture of a Crested seriema living in the macaw-aviary and there you can see the flora a lot betterhttp://1.1.1.4/bmi/www.zoochat.com/images/smilies/biggrin.gif
IMO it looks quite good.
Amsterdam zoo also has a good macaw display (blue-throated, blue-headed and military macaws) PLUS the distinction that they have separate enclosures for housing breeding pairs of hyacinth, military, green-winged, blue-and-yellow macaws.
Zooplantman
Well-Known Member
I must admit that none of these exhibits for large parrots "really do them justice" IMO
Yes, some offer better husbandry than others
Yes, anything is better than a parrot on a stick
But I would like someday to see a properly lush planted exhibit (depending on the bird species) as well as room to fly.
There are passable lorikeet exhibits, and conures are simply not a challenge.
But macaws! Now that would be something worth doing!
I know one zoo that hopes to do something interesting. We'll see if it works in another year or so
Yes, some offer better husbandry than others
Yes, anything is better than a parrot on a stick
But I would like someday to see a properly lush planted exhibit (depending on the bird species) as well as room to fly.
There are passable lorikeet exhibits, and conures are simply not a challenge.
But macaws! Now that would be something worth doing!
I know one zoo that hopes to do something interesting. We'll see if it works in another year or so
ostrich
Well-Known Member
The Jurong Bird Park has a great Blue-and-yellow Macaw exhibit. Has anybody had a chance to go to the Jurong Bird Park in Singapore? Their Caribbean Flamingo exhibit is also fantastic! It’s called Flamingo Lake and it’s huge! The Lory Loft is absolutely stunning and breathtaking! You can feed Lorikeets nectar. If you get a chance to go, check out Wetlands Falls, too.
Another great place with an amazing Blue-and-yellow Macaw exhibit is Weltvogelpark Walsrode in Germany. Most of the aviaries are open and the birds are free-flighted. The Blue-and-yellow Macaw flying demonstration is fantastic! They fly through hoops and do all sorts of amazing stuff! They also have an amazing Great Grey Owl exhibit.
Honestly, I don’t believe in clipping wings on birds.
Another great place with an amazing Blue-and-yellow Macaw exhibit is Weltvogelpark Walsrode in Germany. Most of the aviaries are open and the birds are free-flighted. The Blue-and-yellow Macaw flying demonstration is fantastic! They fly through hoops and do all sorts of amazing stuff! They also have an amazing Great Grey Owl exhibit.
Honestly, I don’t believe in clipping wings on birds.
Only just discovered this thread! I used to love the "Big Flight" at Paradise Park until it was reduced in size in order to build the Jungle Barn play area. Flamingo Land's "Parrotsphere" has its moments. I was watching macaws flying in there last week and they looked very good indeed. I love the large flocks of Orange-winged Amazons and Yellow-collared Macaws in there too. From the public point of view though photography is not that easy. Rode's free-flying macaws were not in an exhibit as such of course, but it was truly wonderful to look up and see them soaring above the trees. As far as flying displays go, it would be hard to beat the macaws at the Welsh Mountain Zoo with the backdrop of the breathtaking scenery, whilst the display at the Tropical Butterfly House is a real treat too. The parrot aviary at the TBH is also very nice indeed.
MinxFox
Member
Here is a cool setup a bird owner has done for some of his parrots. Some of them are rescues. He did have problems with them fighting or being territorial so he rotates them out into the large aviary. I think the rotation idea sounds good. Anyways here is the video:
Walk in Aviary - YouTube
His other videos are of this aviary too.
Walk in Aviary - YouTube
His other videos are of this aviary too.