In the Desert both the Socorro Doves and Scaled Quails aren't free-ranging anymore and are confined to the bird canyon.
Perhaps the bird flu epidemic could have something to do with that (especially for the quails)?
Gambel’s and Scaled are likely to hybridiseMaybe for breeding purposes, as the gambell's quails are still freeroaming. just guessing though. In my experience the scaled quails were also relatively harder to see freeroaming then the other species, maybe that has something to do with it aswell.
Weren't the scaled already in the canyon? During my first visit 3 years ago they were there at least (during my visit this summer the canyon was closed off). A pair of Socorro doves have also lived there for a longer time I believe, maybe those in the hall were surplus individuals that got send away?Maybe for breeding purposes, as the gambell's quails are still freeroaming. just guessing though. In my experience the scaled quails were also relatively harder to see freeroaming then the other species, maybe that has something to do with it aswell.
Weren't the scaled already in the canyon? During my first visit 3 years ago they were there at least (during my visit this summer the canyon was closed off). A pair of Socorro doves have also lived there for a longer time I believe, maybe those in the hall were surplus individuals that got send away?
Soccoro dove is free-ranging.
I know it's old by now, but they're actually kept in two groups. They have a breeding pair in the canyon, a small walk-through aviary you can enter through one of the cave systems. And their offspring, who are kept free-roaming through the hall
Edit: read the rest of the thread, they weren't there yet at time of this comment
I also haven't seen anyone mention the three wrinkled hornbills free-roaming in the bush, they're a bachelor group of three males, as they previously had trouble with a breeding pair killing off the other free-roamers. According to some zoochatters they are best found in the trees above the otter encosure
Recently they can actually be more found throughout the hall. I encountered two of them at the overviewing platform (near ocean) last week
I do work at the zoo and during breaks we of course take a strollLast week? Are you a keeper there?
I do work at the zoo and during breaks we of course take a stroll(No keeper though)
Are there any other unofficial animals in the greenhouses that walked in from outside?
This is a little less relevant, so feel free to ignore this. But I once found a huge toad in the mangrove, assumedly walked in from outside. I heard it banging on one of the overflow boxes of the manatee pool and alerted a keeper.
Are there any other unofficial animals in the greenhouses that walked in from outside?
Bonus points for the reptile species that (from what I've heard recently) is present but not classified as part of the collection due to having arrived in soil/plantsto wit Brahminy Blind Snake.
Well, not "walked in" per se.... but I would be willing to bet either Bush or Mangrove contains Brahminy Blind Snakesas noted upthread I've certainly heard they are in the former.
Theres a few unwanted Stick Insects in the mangrove, but I'd not be surprised of them also being in the Bush.This is a little less relevant, so feel free to ignore this. But I once found a huge toad in the mangrove, assumedly walked in from outside. I heard it banging on one of the overflow boxes of the manatee pool and alerted a keeper.
Are there any other unofficial animals in the greenhouses that walked in from outside?
Are there any other unofficial animals in the greenhouses that walked in from outside?
A new official addition to the Mangrove is the Crested Bobwhite (a quail species), a species only kept in 2 other European zoos as the moment.
They also mentioned the trumpeter birds from the pheasantry but the trees are too weak and small for them at this point.I was about to say this, they also talked about possibly adding dart frogs or iguanas in the future