Writhedhornbill
Well-Known Member
This zoo is one of the most popular in the world and has many species, such as the Tahitian Blue lorikeet, Bennett's cassowary and Kenya horned viper, which are very very rare in captivity.
For birders this zoo houses many species that you'd have to spend years trekking the vast mountain slopes of Papua new guinea to ever see in the wild. Some species are Pesquet's parrot, Glossy mantled manucode and magnificent Bird of paradise. At the San diego zoo, there are are three big walk-in aviaries, Owen's rainforest, Parker and Scripps.
The Owen's Rainforest Aviary houses birds from South east Asia and the Malay Archipelago. Some of the notable species are Bulwer's pheasants (the only pair outside of Asia), Thick billed ground dove, Mount goliath lorikeets, Helmeted Friar bird, comb billed Jacana, Raggiana bird of Paradise and Dollarbird. This aviary also has a pool at the top where there are many species of fish, including archer fish. There are also Kingfishers in this aviary which can feed on the fish in this pool.
The parker aviary is smaller than the Owen's rainforest, and one of the most important species in here is the Sulawesi Wrinkled hornbill. This species has the most fantastic facial skin and a wonderful cherry red casque. It is one of the most beautiful species of hornbill, and in this large naturalistic setting in can only be described as magical.
The Scripp's aviary is an on an African theme and there are many species in here that, in usual San Diego zoo style, are exceptionally rare in zoos, or were until the zoo bred some offspring to expand the captive population. Some examples are the African openbill and the Madagascan crested Ibis. Some species are not kept free flight in here, because they are so rare in zoos, or may endanger the other birds in the aviary. These birds are the Black casqued hornbill and Purple crested turaco.
But San Diego zoo isn't just about birds, there are many mammals kept here that most other zoos would love to be able to display. There are the only herd of Bush pigs in America, the only breeding group of sun bears in the U.S and the first breeding group of sichuan takin outside China.
The majority of the zoo's hoofstock are kept in an area called horn and Hoof Mesa. This section of Exhibits and pathways goes along the edge of the zoo, from the top to the bottom. At the top there is the Fantastic polar bear exhibit, polar bear plunge. There are some aviaries her too with Cabot's tragopans, diving ducks (with underwater viewing) and the only Chinese monal pheasant outside of China. The zoo has bred the Chinese monal, but they now have just the male, and he will probably stay on his own for the rest of his life.
Working down the Horn and Hoof mesa, there are Chacoan peccaries, Red forest Duiker, Bactrian Wapiti, Barbary red deer and Giant forest hog. The exhibits here have a sand/dirt floor with some hard standing near the back of the exhibits. The exhibits here look nice, but they are all roughly the same, and there is no particular exhibit in this area that stands out as being exceptional. Other species kept on the mesa are Speke's, Soermerring's, Curvier's and Goitered Gazelles, Gerenuks, Lesser Kudu, Masai giraffe, Addax, red river hogs and Greyvy's zebra. Also along Horn and Hoof Mesa there are small aviaries for magnificent and Superb birds of paradise. The latter breeds exceptionally well at the zoo and the captive population has flourished thanks to the breeding by both the zoo and the park.
At the end of horn and hoof mesa, there is an area themed to look like an African Kopje. There are Klipspringers, African
pygmy falcon, Rock Hyraxes, Black eagles and Meerkats. The species here are al in separate exhibits, but they look like they're joined together by the large rocks which dominate the area.
After the Kopje, there are some koala and tree kangaroos. San Diego has had lots of success with it's Koalas and is loaning them to zoos around the world so that they can continue with the breeding. The tree kangaroos have also done well, but not as noticeably as the koalas. Just after the Koalas is an opportunity to get on the zoo's bus. There may be a wait, so while you're there, you can look down on the birds in the aviary next to you. There are a small group of kagu and some rare south american birds from the cotinga family. Previously there have been umbrella birds and Capuchin birds housed here, but now the zoo keeps fruit-crows and **** of the rocks.
The Bus tour at the zoo gives you a tour of the whole area, with a commentary from the driver. You can see most of the larger species from this bus, and it is probably best to get the bus first thing, so you get a better feel for the zoo and you know what's where and what species to expect to be out.
The San Diego zoo has had great success with it's lories and lorikeets. There are some species shown here that are so rare and beautiful that they are put in small state of the art aviaries, rather than the large free flight like Owen's rainforest or the Scripps's. There are many other birds that have been given this treatment, and they are kept in the wings of Australasia exhibit. This is the part of the zoo where the rarest species are kept. The Hornbill collection here is fantastic with many species being represented. The list of rare birds kept in these exhibits includes Mount Apo lorikeets, Talud red and Blue lory, blue eared lory, Edward's fig parrot, collared lory, Blyth's tragopan, Malay crestless fireback, Mountain peacock pheasant, Raggiana birds of paradise, Horned parakeet, Micronesian kingfisher and pesquet's parrot. All of the above species have been bred at the zoo, so they must be doing something right. Particularly remarkable is the Micronesian kingfisher of which there are none in the wild. The whole of the world's population is maintained within a few American zoos.
Next to the wings of Australasia exhibit is the gorilla exhibit, Gorilla tropics. This exhibit is huge, but makes you feel as if you are standing in the Congo. The group here has been quite successful and many youngster's have been reared. The exhibit itself is full of lush tropical plants and a fantastic water feature. The 'river' runs right through the centre of the gorilla's habitat and the animals may sit for hours underneath the cooling spray of the waterfall. It is a perfect photo opportunity.
The bonobos at San diego have a similar, yet smaller, version of the gorilla exhibit. The group has had more success than the gorillas and births are relatively frequent. The way to view these animals is through a glass window. Next to this window is a smaller one behind which there are some small African birds like whydah, quelea and tinkerbirds.
Staying with the african theme, we move onto Ituri forest, the zoo's second african habitat. The main attraction here is the hippos, and in particular the underwater viewing. Even if you are having trouble seeing the hippos from ground level, you'll be able to see them underwater. Seemingly in the same exhibit as the hippos are a pair of okapis. The zoo regularly breeds the species and has sent many of the young to other zoos in America. Other species on exhibit here are congo peafowl, spot necked otter, Allen's swamp monkey, great blue turaco and debrazza's guenons.
Big cats at the zoo are shown in many exhibits. The first of which is Tiger river,a wonderful exhibit for a pair of Malayan tigers. There are also Malayan tapirs here in a fabulous enclosure with a large pool. There are, yet again, rare birds here. the large Asian waterbird aviary houses two species that are exceptionally rare in captivity, storm's and milky storks. The zoo, and it's sister, the wild animal park, both got pairs of Storm's storks from Zoo Negara a few years ago. The zoo, has not bred any, but the wild animal park has bred quite a few, but many have been males. The zoo has had a lot of Success with milky storl and chicks are born yearly.
The lions at San diego zoo are probably kept in the worst lion exhibit in the U.S It is a barren concrete exhibit and is one of the few low points of this otherwise fabulous zoo. The lions live in the zoo's bear canyon. There are bears here, in the form of Spectacled and Brown. They have better exhibits than the lion's but still, they could be made better. There is also a pair of European otter housed here.
The rest of the zoo's big cats are kept on the Dog and Cat Canyon which runs down the centre of the zoo. There are North Chinese leopards, Lynx and Striped hyena, but also hornbills, Warthog, Japanese serow and chinese goral. This part of the zoo has exhibits which are adequate, but could be made better.
Just before you enter Dog and Cat canyon, near the top, there is the zoo's most prized possession. It's breeding group of Giant pandas. The zoo has regular success with these animals and they are here on a long term loan with China. Any young born here, must be sent back to China, to continue the breeding programme.
From the Giant Pandas, there is a very steep path to the Sun bears. The zoo was the first U.S zoo to breed the species and the exhibit is very well suited to them. There are lots of enrichment opportunities around the area, and there are plants, to make it look naturalistic. In neighbouring exhibits are Lion tailed macaques and binturong. The zoo also used to keep Douc langurs here, but they've been moved off show.
The zoo has many reptiles in it's collection, but they are based around the bottom corner of the zoo. The biggest species are the Gharial and Galapagos tortoise. In the reptile house there are Komodo dragons, Fiji island banded iguanas and numberous species of other rare reptiles.The zoo has had most succes with it's Caribbean rock iguanas, of which many young have been reintroduced into the wild.
Other amazing species kept at the zoo are Sumatran orang-utans, Siamangs, Baird's tapir, Kiwi, red tailed black cockatoo, Queen of bavaria conure, Yellow backed duiker, Lowland anoa Pygmy hippo and Clouded leopard.
This zoo is one of the best in the world in My opinion, and is an essential visit for any zoofan!
Rare species:
Kagu
Southern Hairy nosed wombat
Malayan Tiger
Storm's Stork
Milky Stork
Gharial
Great Blue turaco
Congo peafowl
African openbill
Black casqued hornbill
Bonobo
Tahitian blue lory
Talud Red and Blue lory
Collared lory
Micronsian kingfisher
Pesquet's parrot
Horned parakeet
Long tailed hornbill
South Sulawesi hornbill
Sulwesi wrinkled hornbill
Superb Bird of paradise
Raggiana Bird of Paradise
Magnificent bird of paradise
Glossy mantled manucode
Bulwer's pheasant
Blyth's tragopan
Comb crested jacana
Sun bear
Douc Langur
Giant Panda
Brown kiwi
Baird's tapir
Giant forest hog
Visayan warty pig
Bearded pig
Bush pig
Chacoan peccary
Giant eland
Sichuan takin
Fiji banded iguana
Kenya horned viper
Galapagos tortoise
For birders this zoo houses many species that you'd have to spend years trekking the vast mountain slopes of Papua new guinea to ever see in the wild. Some species are Pesquet's parrot, Glossy mantled manucode and magnificent Bird of paradise. At the San diego zoo, there are are three big walk-in aviaries, Owen's rainforest, Parker and Scripps.
The Owen's Rainforest Aviary houses birds from South east Asia and the Malay Archipelago. Some of the notable species are Bulwer's pheasants (the only pair outside of Asia), Thick billed ground dove, Mount goliath lorikeets, Helmeted Friar bird, comb billed Jacana, Raggiana bird of Paradise and Dollarbird. This aviary also has a pool at the top where there are many species of fish, including archer fish. There are also Kingfishers in this aviary which can feed on the fish in this pool.
The parker aviary is smaller than the Owen's rainforest, and one of the most important species in here is the Sulawesi Wrinkled hornbill. This species has the most fantastic facial skin and a wonderful cherry red casque. It is one of the most beautiful species of hornbill, and in this large naturalistic setting in can only be described as magical.
The Scripp's aviary is an on an African theme and there are many species in here that, in usual San Diego zoo style, are exceptionally rare in zoos, or were until the zoo bred some offspring to expand the captive population. Some examples are the African openbill and the Madagascan crested Ibis. Some species are not kept free flight in here, because they are so rare in zoos, or may endanger the other birds in the aviary. These birds are the Black casqued hornbill and Purple crested turaco.
But San Diego zoo isn't just about birds, there are many mammals kept here that most other zoos would love to be able to display. There are the only herd of Bush pigs in America, the only breeding group of sun bears in the U.S and the first breeding group of sichuan takin outside China.
The majority of the zoo's hoofstock are kept in an area called horn and Hoof Mesa. This section of Exhibits and pathways goes along the edge of the zoo, from the top to the bottom. At the top there is the Fantastic polar bear exhibit, polar bear plunge. There are some aviaries her too with Cabot's tragopans, diving ducks (with underwater viewing) and the only Chinese monal pheasant outside of China. The zoo has bred the Chinese monal, but they now have just the male, and he will probably stay on his own for the rest of his life.
Working down the Horn and Hoof mesa, there are Chacoan peccaries, Red forest Duiker, Bactrian Wapiti, Barbary red deer and Giant forest hog. The exhibits here have a sand/dirt floor with some hard standing near the back of the exhibits. The exhibits here look nice, but they are all roughly the same, and there is no particular exhibit in this area that stands out as being exceptional. Other species kept on the mesa are Speke's, Soermerring's, Curvier's and Goitered Gazelles, Gerenuks, Lesser Kudu, Masai giraffe, Addax, red river hogs and Greyvy's zebra. Also along Horn and Hoof Mesa there are small aviaries for magnificent and Superb birds of paradise. The latter breeds exceptionally well at the zoo and the captive population has flourished thanks to the breeding by both the zoo and the park.
At the end of horn and hoof mesa, there is an area themed to look like an African Kopje. There are Klipspringers, African
pygmy falcon, Rock Hyraxes, Black eagles and Meerkats. The species here are al in separate exhibits, but they look like they're joined together by the large rocks which dominate the area.
After the Kopje, there are some koala and tree kangaroos. San Diego has had lots of success with it's Koalas and is loaning them to zoos around the world so that they can continue with the breeding. The tree kangaroos have also done well, but not as noticeably as the koalas. Just after the Koalas is an opportunity to get on the zoo's bus. There may be a wait, so while you're there, you can look down on the birds in the aviary next to you. There are a small group of kagu and some rare south american birds from the cotinga family. Previously there have been umbrella birds and Capuchin birds housed here, but now the zoo keeps fruit-crows and **** of the rocks.
The Bus tour at the zoo gives you a tour of the whole area, with a commentary from the driver. You can see most of the larger species from this bus, and it is probably best to get the bus first thing, so you get a better feel for the zoo and you know what's where and what species to expect to be out.
The San Diego zoo has had great success with it's lories and lorikeets. There are some species shown here that are so rare and beautiful that they are put in small state of the art aviaries, rather than the large free flight like Owen's rainforest or the Scripps's. There are many other birds that have been given this treatment, and they are kept in the wings of Australasia exhibit. This is the part of the zoo where the rarest species are kept. The Hornbill collection here is fantastic with many species being represented. The list of rare birds kept in these exhibits includes Mount Apo lorikeets, Talud red and Blue lory, blue eared lory, Edward's fig parrot, collared lory, Blyth's tragopan, Malay crestless fireback, Mountain peacock pheasant, Raggiana birds of paradise, Horned parakeet, Micronesian kingfisher and pesquet's parrot. All of the above species have been bred at the zoo, so they must be doing something right. Particularly remarkable is the Micronesian kingfisher of which there are none in the wild. The whole of the world's population is maintained within a few American zoos.
Next to the wings of Australasia exhibit is the gorilla exhibit, Gorilla tropics. This exhibit is huge, but makes you feel as if you are standing in the Congo. The group here has been quite successful and many youngster's have been reared. The exhibit itself is full of lush tropical plants and a fantastic water feature. The 'river' runs right through the centre of the gorilla's habitat and the animals may sit for hours underneath the cooling spray of the waterfall. It is a perfect photo opportunity.
The bonobos at San diego have a similar, yet smaller, version of the gorilla exhibit. The group has had more success than the gorillas and births are relatively frequent. The way to view these animals is through a glass window. Next to this window is a smaller one behind which there are some small African birds like whydah, quelea and tinkerbirds.
Staying with the african theme, we move onto Ituri forest, the zoo's second african habitat. The main attraction here is the hippos, and in particular the underwater viewing. Even if you are having trouble seeing the hippos from ground level, you'll be able to see them underwater. Seemingly in the same exhibit as the hippos are a pair of okapis. The zoo regularly breeds the species and has sent many of the young to other zoos in America. Other species on exhibit here are congo peafowl, spot necked otter, Allen's swamp monkey, great blue turaco and debrazza's guenons.
Big cats at the zoo are shown in many exhibits. The first of which is Tiger river,a wonderful exhibit for a pair of Malayan tigers. There are also Malayan tapirs here in a fabulous enclosure with a large pool. There are, yet again, rare birds here. the large Asian waterbird aviary houses two species that are exceptionally rare in captivity, storm's and milky storks. The zoo, and it's sister, the wild animal park, both got pairs of Storm's storks from Zoo Negara a few years ago. The zoo, has not bred any, but the wild animal park has bred quite a few, but many have been males. The zoo has had a lot of Success with milky storl and chicks are born yearly.
The lions at San diego zoo are probably kept in the worst lion exhibit in the U.S It is a barren concrete exhibit and is one of the few low points of this otherwise fabulous zoo. The lions live in the zoo's bear canyon. There are bears here, in the form of Spectacled and Brown. They have better exhibits than the lion's but still, they could be made better. There is also a pair of European otter housed here.
The rest of the zoo's big cats are kept on the Dog and Cat Canyon which runs down the centre of the zoo. There are North Chinese leopards, Lynx and Striped hyena, but also hornbills, Warthog, Japanese serow and chinese goral. This part of the zoo has exhibits which are adequate, but could be made better.
Just before you enter Dog and Cat canyon, near the top, there is the zoo's most prized possession. It's breeding group of Giant pandas. The zoo has regular success with these animals and they are here on a long term loan with China. Any young born here, must be sent back to China, to continue the breeding programme.
From the Giant Pandas, there is a very steep path to the Sun bears. The zoo was the first U.S zoo to breed the species and the exhibit is very well suited to them. There are lots of enrichment opportunities around the area, and there are plants, to make it look naturalistic. In neighbouring exhibits are Lion tailed macaques and binturong. The zoo also used to keep Douc langurs here, but they've been moved off show.
The zoo has many reptiles in it's collection, but they are based around the bottom corner of the zoo. The biggest species are the Gharial and Galapagos tortoise. In the reptile house there are Komodo dragons, Fiji island banded iguanas and numberous species of other rare reptiles.The zoo has had most succes with it's Caribbean rock iguanas, of which many young have been reintroduced into the wild.
Other amazing species kept at the zoo are Sumatran orang-utans, Siamangs, Baird's tapir, Kiwi, red tailed black cockatoo, Queen of bavaria conure, Yellow backed duiker, Lowland anoa Pygmy hippo and Clouded leopard.
This zoo is one of the best in the world in My opinion, and is an essential visit for any zoofan!
Rare species:
Kagu
Southern Hairy nosed wombat
Malayan Tiger
Storm's Stork
Milky Stork
Gharial
Great Blue turaco
Congo peafowl
African openbill
Black casqued hornbill
Bonobo
Tahitian blue lory
Talud Red and Blue lory
Collared lory
Micronsian kingfisher
Pesquet's parrot
Horned parakeet
Long tailed hornbill
South Sulawesi hornbill
Sulwesi wrinkled hornbill
Superb Bird of paradise
Raggiana Bird of Paradise
Magnificent bird of paradise
Glossy mantled manucode
Bulwer's pheasant
Blyth's tragopan
Comb crested jacana
Sun bear
Douc Langur
Giant Panda
Brown kiwi
Baird's tapir
Giant forest hog
Visayan warty pig
Bearded pig
Bush pig
Chacoan peccary
Giant eland
Sichuan takin
Fiji banded iguana
Kenya horned viper
Galapagos tortoise
