This is a sentiment that I can agree with, as looking at full species lists for the two zoos there really is no comparison.
PBC may be responsible, but STL is not. The primary species listed which STL can make a serious claim for involvement with are golden white-eye and white-throated ground dove. Saipan white eyes are kept by four institutions, and bred by two, one of which is Sedgwick, rather than STL, which does not keep the species. The programs for Tinian monarch and rufous fantail were practically dead ends from their starts, with extremely high mortality rates and the only reason the former still persists in American zoos is because of Memphis. I am unsure if the latter is still present in captivity at all, but if it is, it is not at STL.
Are you? That didn’t stop you from voting for SDZ in terms of species
For the visitors, maybe... but not necessarily for the penguins. The large visitor path obstructs the total space the penguins would have otherwise, and as a result they only have thin strips of land and water on either side of the path as opposed to the large area they would otherwise have if the visitor path were off to the side. Furthermore, the amount of visitors clearly puts undue stress on the penguins and having been to Saint Louis many, many times I’ve almost always seen visitors harassing the birds. Despite this constant issue I rarely see zoo staff present to intervene and with just one species infrequently breeding in the exhibit the unfortunate effects of this are clear. I do not disagree that it is a one-of-a-kind visitor experience, but I do not think it is justified to be one of America’s top bird exhibits.
Even for people who aren’t bird fans, quetzals turn heads. Put them in their largest exhibit in an American zoo (and the most lushly planted one too!) and zoo nerds will flock to it.
The fact that the bird house is from the 1930s doesn’t excuse the fact that most of the exhibits are sterile, with bland backgrounds, devoid of plant life. The 1904 aviary maybe be old and pretty, but that doesn’t excuse its relative emptiness. The fact that the outdoor aviaries are in a Bird Garden doesn’t excuse the fact that the ones for vultures and eagles are so small that they’re no more capable of flight than the penguins and pinioned waterfowl elsewhere in the zoo.
The lack of plant life makes it easier to view the birds. I don't know how this affects individual species from a privacy perspective, but the House has always been very quiet when I've been inside (it doesn't seem to attract as many visitors as the Reptile and Primate Houses) so that hopefully reduces potential stress.
And Hooded Merganser.
How can you tell who has voted?
