How can zoos provide environmental enrichment for birds?

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Parakeets

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How can zoos provide environmental enrichment for birds and how can they feed them using different methods?

Any suggestions?
 
This sounds as if you have a school assignment :). There are a lot of methods, but instead of asking this question on zoochat it will be a lot more interesting to contact a local park and see with your own eyes what they are doing and how they are doing it.
 
DDcorvus said:
There are a lot of methods, but instead of asking this question on zoochat it will be a lot more interesting to contact a local park and see with your own eyes what they are doing and how they are doing it.
Click to expand...

I think bird parks may be scarce in Kinross, so here are a few pointers
  • presentation of food - live food for insectivores, whole seed heads rather than threshed seeds for seed eaters, puzzle feeders for New Caledonian crows etc
  • nesting - provision of logs so that hole-nesting birds can excavate or modify cavities, provision of natural nesting materials
  • dust-bathing areas for pheasants etc

Alan
 
...environmental enrichment for birds?

Most birds enjoy running water to drink, bathe or play in.
 
Foliage and full branches can be used as enrichment. Or anything that the birds still need to "work" for their food. Think about providing complete palm-nuts to parrots b.e..
 
Mixing species can be enrichment to some extent, until it causes competition and stress.
A good example is putting a hippo in cattle egret exhibit, or using mite-ridden ungulates for oxpeckers :)
Generally, many land-based non-carnivores can share an exhibit with birds, if the last have safe shelters & feeding ground.
 
Parakeets said:
How can zoos provide environmental enrichment for birds and how can they feed them using different methods?

Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

Are you a 'one post wonder'? Is this a school project? If you give us some more background on the reason for your question, we might be able to help you even more.
 
It depends on what birds you want to enrich!! Some examples are

1- Boxes filled with shredded newspaper and treats are good for hornbills, toucans, cranes storks and vultures.
2-fresh flowers, spiked fruits and and a wide range of edible plants, branches, and leaves.
3- huge pile of leaves left over night !! Then allow the birds to forage amongst them- great for all terrestrial birds(galiformes, waterfowl, pigeons and incubator birds)
4-Running water, marsh areas and reed beds for waders, ibis, swamp hens, waterfowl, some perching birds,rails and egrets
 
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