dinosaur50
Well-Known Member
I know but Experience Migration is not the same why not add on to bird house keep it same and add Experience Migration on so make it bigger
Smithsonian National Zoo Smithsonian National Zoo News 2016
- Thread starter TZFan
- Start date
Probably cost more money.
dinosaur50
Well-Known Member
it can be done save the money do it
The zoo is 100% committed to the new exhibit.
Also how would they save money?
- Building from scratch is generally cheaper then repairing so I don't know how much it would cost.
- Bigger building, so the utilities and maintenance cost would probably be higher.
- The zoo would be able to keep all the exotic species so the collection would go up (not that that's a bad ting). The higher the collection the more animals the zoo would have to feed and take care of.
That's assuming the zoo would keep the current building the same and wouldn't want to renovate that.
I'm somewhat confused by the renovation of the Bird House into Experience Migration... are they just going to ship out all of the exotic birds and replace them with common ones that migrate? I get the educational aspect of it, but from a conservation and diversity standpoint it seems like a poor utilization of space. Also to what extent does the current Bird House actually need renovations?
The movement of billions of birds crisscrossing the globe prompts the question: how is it possible that they complete such marathon migrations? By 2020, the Smithsonian National Zoo’s historic 1928 Bird House will transform into Experience Migration, a first-of-its-kind attraction that immerses visitors in the annual journeys of western hemisphere birds. Visitors will be able to step into naturalistic exhibits representing habitats of critical importance in the annual life cycles of migratory birds, including the Delaware Bay Aviary, Prairie Pothole Aviary, and a Bird Friendly Coffee Farm Aviary. At the Tracking Station, visitors will have the opportunity to help Zoo researchers who catch wild birds flying through the Zoo, measure and tag them, and track them afterward to better understand their migration patterns. Learn about world-renowned pioneering research led by scientists at the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center.
What the website says.
They're not just replacing the birds. They're completely gutting the building and creating multiple aviaries (the names of which you can see above) telling different stories about migration.
Only the inside is changing. The outside exhibits and aviary are still pretty much gonna be the same.
The current bird house isn't bad, it just could be much better.
What the website says.
They're not just replacing the birds. They're completely gutting the building and creating multiple aviaries (the names of which you can see above) telling different stories about migration.
Only the inside is changing. The outside exhibits and aviary are still pretty much gonna be the same.
The current bird house isn't bad, it just could be much better.
@Andrew_NZP : Thank you for the clarifications, but none of that information changes my confusion and uncertainty about the point of this. If there's nothing wrong or outdated about the current bird house, why are they spending $20m to totally scrap it and replace it with something different? And won't it still displace much rarer and exotic birds with more common and familiar birds? It seems like an odd choice in collection planning to me, although I would be open to hearing other opinions.
dinosaur50
Well-Known Member
i hope your right
dinosaur50
Well-Known Member
@Coelacanth18 i hope it does still displace much rarer and exotic birds with more common and familiar birds myself be nice to know.
dinosaur50
Well-Known Member
@Andrew_NZP I understand but I hope they keep rarer and exotic birds still too
The Bird Friendly Coffee Farm (concept art posted above by @Andrew_NZP) will have approximately 40 species, and I assume most will be exotic as coffee is primarily farmed in tropical regions. Most of the zoo's collection has already been sent to other facilities; it would not make sense to continue to care for all of the species while their habitats are reconstructed and they are not on public display. That said, some species have already been acquired for the new exhibit. I noted species earlier in the thread, as they arrived and went on exhibit at the zoo, if you would like to sift through the old posts.
dinosaur50
Well-Known Member
nice
Should also note that when I said the outside exhibits are aviary aren't changing by much (the aviary is or was being renovated slightly), I meant that. The rheas, flamingos, kori bustards, cranes and all other species kept outside are staying.
I don't remember what the situation with cassowary is. I know the one they have (had?) is being sent away for breeding. I don't remember if the keeper I talked to said they had a deal in place to bring in another one or not. @jayjds2 was with me so he might remember.
I don't remember what the situation with cassowary is. I know the one they have (had?) is being sent away for breeding. I don't remember if the keeper I talked to said they had a deal in place to bring in another one or not. @jayjds2 was with me so he might remember.
dinosaur50
Well-Known Member
yes but still it not the same at all
According to a volunteer I spoke with, the flamingo habitat (which also has two species of duck) will be minorly renovated. I imagine the big row where all the cranes are might go under a species shift- right now, it is dominated by blue cranes. However, that's just my speculation.
I posted incorrect info earlier on this thread. The zoo had two female cassowaries, and while I am sure one has left, I don't know the status of the other. The one that was/is at the zoo most recently will be going to San Antonio. They will probably bring the species back sometime after Experience Migration opens, but nothing is confirmed and I imagine it depends on availability, which for cassowaries is very low right now, in the US.
dinosaur50
Well-Known Member
I will miss old one all I don't think it should just be about Migration. yes put some Migration stuff in but keep a lot of the same stuff to like the world of birds at Bronx zoo
dinosaur50
Well-Known Member
it has both in it
I hope they bring back some of the crane species kept at SCBI like white-naped and red crowned.
Well sadly it's a bit too late to change their minds.
dinosaur50
Well-Known Member
who knows