Europe's 100 must see exhibits
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Very beautiful aviary, and Doue has at least 2 more very good aviaries, overshadowed by the okapi and South American ones!
I am curious why not every zoo has such an aviary? Especially that, with limited space, it is possible to cover an ungulate paddock with a net, like Doue, Rotterdam and Antwerp.
Are pylons costly? Doue of course benefits from being a quarry.
Is snow a problem, or a need of a heavy mesh and corresponding strong pylons not to collapse after a heavy snowfall? I notice that most such aviaries are in cities which experience little snow.
I am curious why not every zoo has such an aviary? Especially that, with limited space, it is possible to cover an ungulate paddock with a net, like Doue, Rotterdam and Antwerp.
Are pylons costly? Doue of course benefits from being a quarry.
Is snow a problem, or a need of a heavy mesh and corresponding strong pylons not to collapse after a heavy snowfall? I notice that most such aviaries are in cities which experience little snow.
I think there are 3 pairs with non related birds but will try to confirm during my next visit.
These type of aviaries with metal mesh cost a lot of money. They are hard to build, the mesh weighs heavily and you need strong pylons (as you said) to support. You can do the same with nylon mesh but, of course, in case of strong wind or snowfall (remeber GaiaZoo), and you have to change it quite often.
There is indeed a trend towards large aviaries, sometimes with hoofstock. Especially in France they seem to have picked up on the idea, but with Doue they had a trendsetter closeby. There are even more examples (and there will be more aviaries on this thread soon too), but we still do not have anything as impressive as Jurong's waterfall aviary, though I imagine the coming Pantanal aviary in Zurich could come close...
They do indeed, and with a total of 4 aviaries in the whole zoo, the level is very high. The "small" European aviary is really good too, but with the Okapi and S-American aviary being comfortably in the top10/top25 of European zoo exhibits they are easy to forget.
Aviaries in moderate temperature countries will always have a hard time competing with aviaries in tropical countries. Especially ones with the money and expertise Jurong can bring to the table, so I guess it’s just not fair
I believe I have 4 more aviaries on my list, but a few (probably at least 3) I believe you will not have. I also had Katandra treetops on it as a separate entry, also for sheer fame and the pictures of it look quite impressive.
Beauval is another zoo that is quite overtly moving its bird collection to 4 massive aviaries - a welcome move given the at times sorry housing for the parrots in particular. It will depend on exactly what Delord has in mind, but I reckon these aviaries could be quite impressive too.
43. Southern Ocean
Oceanario, Lisbon, Portugal
Opened: 1996
Size: 700 square metres
Inhabitants: Magellanic penguin, Inca tern, Weedy sea dragon and a wide array of other fish
Coldwater sea aquariums in Europe typically focus on European waters, with some exceptions showing the Pacific kelp forests, both of which are also present in Lisbon. To see a whole section devoted to the Southern Oceans is unique though. Built in the typical Lisbon design, this area is divided over two floors, the upper floor is above the water, showing a rocky shore with penguins and terns. The lower floor is where it gets interesting. The penguin tank is also home to several larger fish, including small sharks. Typical of Lisbon the penguin tank is only separated by acrylic panels from the main ocean tank, creating an illusion of much greater depth. Around the large penguin tank is a whole array of smaller tanks showing other typical southern ocean species, many of which are very rare in other European zoos. The highlight for many would be the two species of sea dragon, which are much rarer in Europe than in the States. It is refreshing not to see the same regions again and again, especially as these rarely represented areas often have a unique species composition of their own. To see that represented in a professional way gives hope that not every aquarium is turning into a sea life.
Unfortunately there are no good pictures of the lower floor of this complex, only the penguin enclosure is represented in the gallery.
@TheoV
@Maguari
Similar exhibits: Czech zoos are probably the champions in highlighting otherwise overlooked geographic regions. Zoo Ostrava has it's Papua house for example, but Plzen takes this geographic representations the furthest, complete with fitting (endemic) flora. The small newish Canary Islands display with native birds, reptiles and flora must be one of the most unique representations of an otherwise ignored ecosystem. Unfortunately there are no pictures yet on Zoochat, but @wstefan should be able to upload some.
Oceanario, Lisbon, Portugal
Opened: 1996
Size: 700 square metres
Inhabitants: Magellanic penguin, Inca tern, Weedy sea dragon and a wide array of other fish
Coldwater sea aquariums in Europe typically focus on European waters, with some exceptions showing the Pacific kelp forests, both of which are also present in Lisbon. To see a whole section devoted to the Southern Oceans is unique though. Built in the typical Lisbon design, this area is divided over two floors, the upper floor is above the water, showing a rocky shore with penguins and terns. The lower floor is where it gets interesting. The penguin tank is also home to several larger fish, including small sharks. Typical of Lisbon the penguin tank is only separated by acrylic panels from the main ocean tank, creating an illusion of much greater depth. Around the large penguin tank is a whole array of smaller tanks showing other typical southern ocean species, many of which are very rare in other European zoos. The highlight for many would be the two species of sea dragon, which are much rarer in Europe than in the States. It is refreshing not to see the same regions again and again, especially as these rarely represented areas often have a unique species composition of their own. To see that represented in a professional way gives hope that not every aquarium is turning into a sea life.
Unfortunately there are no good pictures of the lower floor of this complex, only the penguin enclosure is represented in the gallery.
@TheoV
@Maguari
Similar exhibits: Czech zoos are probably the champions in highlighting otherwise overlooked geographic regions. Zoo Ostrava has it's Papua house for example, but Plzen takes this geographic representations the furthest, complete with fitting (endemic) flora. The small newish Canary Islands display with native birds, reptiles and flora must be one of the most unique representations of an otherwise ignored ecosystem. Unfortunately there are no pictures yet on Zoochat, but @wstefan should be able to upload some.
I attached several shots to my various posts in the last worldwide ZooCup thread; I'll see if I can root them out and upload them properly.
Unfortunately the birds aren't there now and I doubt they will return...which makes the exhibits less impressive. But the newly refurbished aviaries in Rhino house, dedicated to Fiji, Utila and Madagascar, might be still somewhat similar.
43. Southern Ocean
Oceanario, Lisbon, Portugal
Opened: 1996
Size: 700 square metres
Inhabitants: Magellanic penguin, Inca tern, Weedy sea dragon and a wide array of other fish
Coldwater sea aquariums in Europe typically focus on European waters, with some exceptions showing the Pacific kelp forests, both of which are also present in Lisbon. To see a whole section devoted to the Southern Oceans is unique though. Built in the typical Lisbon design, this area is divided over two floors, the upper floor is above the water, showing a rocky shore with penguins and terns. The lower floor is where it gets interesting. The penguin tank is also home to several larger fish, including small sharks. Typical of Lisbon the penguin tank is only separated by acrylic panels from the main ocean tank, creating an illusion of much greater depth. Around the large penguin tank is a whole array of smaller tanks showing other typical southern ocean species, many of which are very rare in other European zoos. The highlight for many would be the two species of sea dragon, which are much rarer in Europe than in the States. It is refreshing not to see the same regions again and again, especially as these rarely represented areas often have a unique species composition of their own. To see that represented in a professional way gives hope that not every aquarium is turning into a sea life.
Unfortunately there are no good pictures of the lower floor of this complex, only the penguin enclosure is represented in the gallery.
@TheoV
@Maguari
Similar exhibits: Czech zoos are probably the champions in highlighting otherwise overlooked geographic regions. Zoo Ostrava has it's Papua house for example, but Plzen takes this geographic representations the furthest, complete with fitting (endemic) flora. The small newish Canary Islands display with native birds, reptiles and flora must be one of the most unique representations of an otherwise ignored ecosystem. Unfortunately there are no pictures yet on Zoochat, but @wstefan should be able to upload some.
Funny you picked that corner of the Oceanario. I picked a different one for my list, so now I wonder if Oceanario will deliver more exhibits for this list.
I don’t mind this “exhibit” on the list because let’s face it, the whole Oceanario is pretty classy (if you skip the debate about constantly having to restock many of the inhabitants…).
Many birds which fight and kill each other in 80m2 aviary would coexist in a 8000m2 aviary.
I am at a loss here: Dombes bird park has such aviaries built of what looks like ordinary wooden telephone poles and rows of fence mesh.
I liked that visitors can touch real ice, and then go to a tropical exhibit next door!
Yes but as you see there are plenty of poles and there is less height.. so not he same space for birds and the same feeling for visitors. And what will happen with storm or heavy snow
42. South-American aviary
Bioparc Zoo de Doué-la-Fontaine, France
Opened: 2009
Size: 8000 square metres
Inhabitants: Southern pudu, six-banded armadillo and roughly 25 bird species
Carved into the rock lies one of Europe’s largest aviaries. At first this is a bizarre barren maze of paths, rock pillars and little vegetation, but on a closer look this is one of the most fascinating exhibits Europe has to offer. The obvious highlight are the large groups of parrots, ranging in size from dozens of small mitred parakeets to several large hyacinth macaws. Seeing parrots in prolonged flight gives a unique appreciation of these birds compared to just being the colourful animals on sticks in most zoos. Side enclosures house southern pudu, armadillo, Chilean flamingo and Humboldt’s penguin. The roster is made complete by a larger number of duck species, ibis, new world vultures and more. This is one of those places where patience pays off, as there is always something new to see and while at first sight the aviary looks quite open, there are countless places the birds can choose to forage, hide or relax. Fortunately in recent years more zoos have tried to create large aviaries for their birds, as it makes birds so much more engaging than in the traditional setting.
@lintworm
@lintworm
@lintworm
@lintworm
@Therabu
@Maguari
Similar exhibits: Fortunately there are quite a number of large free-flight aviaries by now. Good and large parrot focused aviaries would be Katandra Treetops in Loro Parque, Tenerife, Spain, and the newly opened Parrot World, Crecy-la-Chapelle, France. Good South-American aviaries have appeared since in Dierenpark Planckendael, Mechelen, Belgium, focusing on penguins and flamingos. Vogelpark Marlow, Germany, has a great penguin aviary, with flying brown pelicans and dozens of Inca terns as highlights. Tierpark Cottbus, Germany, shows how one can create a low-cost, but pretty flamingo aviary, also housing a variety of other S-American birds.
Loro Parque:
@devilfish
@Maguari
Parrot World:
@NRJMelvinT
@NRJMelvinT
Dierenpark Planckendael:
@KevinB
@KevinB
Vogelpark Marlow:
@lintworm
@lintworm
Tierpark Cottbus:
@lintworm
@lintworm
The South American aviary at Doué might well be my favorite exhibit that I wish to one day visit - if I'll ever be able to travel into France.
I also love that you included a substantial number of similar exhibits - and I will be looking further into several of these examples, as they all look pretty cool.
Large aviaries have also been built in areas that sometimes get snowfall, like Belgium and the Netherlands. GaiaZoo and Planckendael have had to deal with seriously damaged aviaries due to snowfall in the last couple of years. The issue of snowfall is quite well known in zoos and in aviculture.
I guess metal mesh aviaries with heavier netting and support structures might deal with heavy snowfall better, but the strength of metal constructions also is not unlimited and might be affected by weather and exposure over the years. Also metal mesh aviaries or metal netting is from what I have heard a lot more expensive than nylon, so zoos might try to avoid having to use it unless it absolutely necessary.
The big aviaries and aviaries with hoofstock and birds trend is one of the modern zoo trend that I definitely do not lament and in fact like and encourage.
The photos I've seen of Doué make it look like a real gem of a place. I really hope I can make a visit happen one day.
While I like the big aviaries trend, I do want to add one small criticism to it: not all bird species do or breed that well in big aviary settings, and there are some risks of predation on eggs or chicks. Also having massive aviaries with mesh small enough to keep smaller (passerine) species might be possible, but expensive. Therefore I do not think that smaller aviary blocks, smaller aviaries with single or only a couple of species and bird houses with numerous smaller exhibits are something that should be abandoned. Such exhibits might to 'normal' visitors, as in not people like us, not be nearly as interesting as massive mixed aviaries, but they are still needed for conservation and breeding purposes.
43. Southern Ocean
Oceanario, Lisbon, Portugal
Opened: 1996
Size: 700 square metres
Inhabitants: Magellanic penguin, Inca tern, Weedy sea dragon and a wide array of other fish
Coldwater sea aquariums in Europe typically focus on European waters, with some exceptions showing the Pacific kelp forests, both of which are also present in Lisbon. To see a whole section devoted to the Southern Oceans is unique though. Built in the typical Lisbon design, this area is divided over two floors, the upper floor is above the water, showing a rocky shore with penguins and terns. The lower floor is where it gets interesting. The penguin tank is also home to several larger fish, including small sharks. Typical of Lisbon the penguin tank is only separated by acrylic panels from the main ocean tank, creating an illusion of much greater depth. Around the large penguin tank is a whole array of smaller tanks showing other typical southern ocean species, many of which are very rare in other European zoos. The highlight for many would be the two species of sea dragon, which are much rarer in Europe than in the States. It is refreshing not to see the same regions again and again, especially as these rarely represented areas often have a unique species composition of their own. To see that represented in a professional way gives hope that not every aquarium is turning into a sea life.
Unfortunately there are no good pictures of the lower floor of this complex, only the penguin enclosure is represented in the gallery.
@TheoV
@Maguari
Similar exhibits: Czech zoos are probably the champions in highlighting otherwise overlooked geographic regions. Zoo Ostrava has it's Papua house for example, but Plzen takes this geographic representations the furthest, complete with fitting (endemic) flora. The small newish Canary Islands display with native birds, reptiles and flora must be one of the most unique representations of an otherwise ignored ecosystem. Unfortunately there are no pictures yet on Zoochat, but @wstefan should be able to upload some.
I always like exhibits on less well-known geographical regions.
Do you have any ideas of the size of the penguin exhibit? To me the land area looks nice, but also not that big and not really suitable for a large (several dozen individuals) flock.
Thank you very much for this post. I remembered seeing photos of a Canary Islands exhibit somewhere, but I could not find it in the gallery or in my bookmarks, and now I have found it again.
Do you by any chance know if a species list for these exhibits is available anywhere?
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I uploaded some pictures of the glass house and two of the rare inhabitents. It was hard to get a look at the birds, but the reptiles were easy to spot when the sun came through.
The land part was not huge, but seemed adequate for the group of 25-30 penguins. The underwater area is much larger than visible in the picture.
Thank you.
Could a moderator move these pictures into the original post @TeaLovingDave
@wstefan
@wstefan
44. Gems of the Jungle
Newquay zoo, UK
Opened: 2016
Size: ?
Inhabitants: roughly 20-25 SE-Asian bird species including blue-crowned hanging parrots, Javan green magpie and multiple laughing thrushes
With giant aviaries being the trend, this small jewel shows that size is not all that matters. Well-designed, beautifully planted (walkthrough) aviaries can be just as stunning as their much bigger counterparts. With most giant aviaries only displaying larger species, a smaller walkthrough is one of the best ways to appreciate passerines and other small birds. Newquay does an outstanding job with this small complex, there are a few side aviaries for species unsuited to a walkthrough like Javan green magpies. But this exhibit complex is all about the small, but well-planted walkthrough aviary. One does not need a massive budget to create attractive exhibits that focus on breeding endangered species. Gems of the Jungle should be an example to other zoos of what is possible in showcasing underappreciated species, unfortunately many still focus primarily on the ABCs and ignore birds.
@gentle lemur
@gentle lemur
@gentle lemur
@gentle lemur
@gentle lemur
Similar exhibits: the best other examples will follow later on
Newquay zoo, UK
Opened: 2016
Size: ?
Inhabitants: roughly 20-25 SE-Asian bird species including blue-crowned hanging parrots, Javan green magpie and multiple laughing thrushes
With giant aviaries being the trend, this small jewel shows that size is not all that matters. Well-designed, beautifully planted (walkthrough) aviaries can be just as stunning as their much bigger counterparts. With most giant aviaries only displaying larger species, a smaller walkthrough is one of the best ways to appreciate passerines and other small birds. Newquay does an outstanding job with this small complex, there are a few side aviaries for species unsuited to a walkthrough like Javan green magpies. But this exhibit complex is all about the small, but well-planted walkthrough aviary. One does not need a massive budget to create attractive exhibits that focus on breeding endangered species. Gems of the Jungle should be an example to other zoos of what is possible in showcasing underappreciated species, unfortunately many still focus primarily on the ABCs and ignore birds.
@gentle lemur
@gentle lemur
@gentle lemur
@gentle lemur
@gentle lemur
Similar exhibits: the best other examples will follow later on
45. Hippo aviary
Zooparc de Beauval, Saint-Aignan-sur-Cher, France
Opened: 2016
Size: 6000 square metres
Inhabitants: Common hippo, nyala, red river hog. a wide selection of African wetland birds, including Pink-backed pelican, African openbill and European fish species
This aviary seems to be built to impress, and impress it does. With a height of close to 30 metres, two towering fake baobab trees and multilevel viewing this aviary is one of a kind. Add a large hippo tank with full underwater viewing, and rather unique in Europe: clear water, and one understands why this is a crowd-favourite. And while it is an impressive bird display, how could one tire of seeing pelicans 20 metres above the ground and storks flying, the aviary is not without significant flaws. There is no separation option for the hippos and the impressive land area is strangely divided into smaller 3 enclosures, instead of one large area which the hippo can use. Despite these criticisms there is still a lot to love about this aviary, visitor amenities are great and the hippo pool is really spacious. Ignoring the great grey blobs the real stars are the birds here, stocking levels might be a bit high, but admiring all these larger African bird species in free-flight is fascinating.
@lintworm
@antonmuster
@Maguari
@Maguari
@Maguari
Similar exhibits: A second large walkthrough with a famous African mammal and many birds is located in Zoo Antwerp, Belgium. The African buffalo aviary might be quite a bit smaller than the counterpart in Beauval, but is still one of the better large walkthroughs around. They even managed to incorporate a monumental building, which is quite a strange sight among all the mock rock.
@KevinB
@KevinB
@lintworm
Zooparc de Beauval, Saint-Aignan-sur-Cher, France
Opened: 2016
Size: 6000 square metres
Inhabitants: Common hippo, nyala, red river hog. a wide selection of African wetland birds, including Pink-backed pelican, African openbill and European fish species
This aviary seems to be built to impress, and impress it does. With a height of close to 30 metres, two towering fake baobab trees and multilevel viewing this aviary is one of a kind. Add a large hippo tank with full underwater viewing, and rather unique in Europe: clear water, and one understands why this is a crowd-favourite. And while it is an impressive bird display, how could one tire of seeing pelicans 20 metres above the ground and storks flying, the aviary is not without significant flaws. There is no separation option for the hippos and the impressive land area is strangely divided into smaller 3 enclosures, instead of one large area which the hippo can use. Despite these criticisms there is still a lot to love about this aviary, visitor amenities are great and the hippo pool is really spacious. Ignoring the great grey blobs the real stars are the birds here, stocking levels might be a bit high, but admiring all these larger African bird species in free-flight is fascinating.
@lintworm
@antonmuster
@Maguari
@Maguari
@Maguari
Similar exhibits: A second large walkthrough with a famous African mammal and many birds is located in Zoo Antwerp, Belgium. The African buffalo aviary might be quite a bit smaller than the counterpart in Beauval, but is still one of the better large walkthroughs around. They even managed to incorporate a monumental building, which is quite a strange sight among all the mock rock.
@KevinB
@KevinB
@lintworm
@lintworm
Two really beautiful enclosures, in terms of visitor experience and animal welfare.
I can't say too much about the aviary in beauval, since i unfortunately haven't been there so far, but the one in Antwerpen really stood out in this overall extroardinary zoo. One important aspect that really contributes to the great visitor experience is the placement within the zoo, aswell as the composition it creates with the neighboring enclosures. The savannah-aviary lies within a complex of the zoo housing mostly African animals. Directly to the aviary leads a twisted path surrounded by bamboo meandering between the big and overnetted chimpanzee and gorilla enclosures. The path leads to a cave with one final panorama view into the gorilla enclosure and ends with a first view through glass into the savannah-aviary. Finally to top off the great experience, the path leads directly to the renowned historic egyptian temple. Last but not least there is a restaurant on top of said cave with two glass walls, one looking over the gorilla enclosure and one the savannah aviary.
Two really beautiful enclosures, in terms of visitor experience and animal welfare.
I can't say too much about the aviary in beauval, since i unfortunately haven't been there so far, but the one in Antwerpen really stood out in this overall extroardinary zoo. One important aspect that really contributes to the great visitor experience is the placement within the zoo, aswell as the composition it creates with the neighboring enclosures. The savannah-aviary lies within a complex of the zoo housing mostly African animals. Directly to the aviary leads a twisted path surrounded by bamboo meandering between the big and overnetted chimpanzee and gorilla enclosures. The path leads to a cave with one final panorama view into the gorilla enclosure and ends with a first view through glass into the savannah-aviary. Finally to top off the great experience, the path leads directly to the renowned historic egyptian temple. Last but not least there is a restaurant on top of said cave with two glass walls, one looking over the gorilla enclosure and one the savannah aviary.
This enclosure is the primary reason why Beauval is one of my most anticipated overseas zoos. Large megafauna aviaries are a concept that has yet to spread to America, which is a shame as the two examples mentioned above plus the okapi aviary at Doué are absolutely fantastic looking.45. Hippo aviary
Zooparc de Beauval, Saint-Aignan-sur-Cher, France
Opened: 2016
Size: 6000 square metres
Inhabitants: Common hippo, nyala, red river hog. a wide selection of African wetland birds, including Pink-backed pelican, African openbill and European fish species
This aviary seems to be built to impress, and impress it does. With a height of close to 30 metres, two towering fake baobab trees and multilevel viewing this aviary is one of a kind. Add a large hippo tank with full underwater viewing, and rather unique in Europe: clear water, and one understands why this is a crowd-favourite. And while it is an impressive bird display, how could one tire of seeing pelicans 20 metres above the ground and storks flying, the aviary is not without significant flaws. There is no separation option for the hippos and the impressive land area is strangely divided into smaller 3 enclosures, instead of one large area which the hippo can use. Despite these criticisms there is still a lot to love about this aviary, visitor amenities are great and the hippo pool is really spacious. Ignoring the great grey blobs the real stars are the birds here, stocking levels might be a bit high, but admiring all these larger African bird species in free-flight is fascinating.
@lintworm
@antonmuster
@Maguari
@Maguari
@Maguari
Similar exhibits: A second large walkthrough with a famous African mammal and many birds is located in Zoo Antwerp, Belgium. The African buffalo aviary might be quite a bit smaller than the counterpart in Beauval, but is still one of the better large walkthroughs around. They even managed to incorporate a monumental building, which is quite a strange sight among all the mock rock.
@KevinB
@KevinB
@lintworm
What's that glass building in Antwerp's buffalo aviary? Looks really cool but definitely contrasts with the house and mock rock.
