Berlin Zoo Bird House species

There follows a list of the species that were on show in the new Bird House in early July, on an aviary-by-aviary basis. Five months down the line, things may have changed, a little. This opening inventory was broad, but possibly lacking in real star species. I would be surprised if, once the house had settled down a bit more such stars did not appear.

African Room
1. Decken’s hornbill Tockus deckeni
White-headed buffalo weaver Dinemelli dinemelli
Wattled starling Creatophora cinerea
Tambourine dove Turtur tympanistria
Spotted thick-knee Burhinus capensis
2. Grey-headed social weaver Pseudonigrita arnaudi
Namaqua dove Oena capensis
3. Purple roller Coracias naevius
4. Bearded barbet Lybius dubius
5. Hoopoe Upupa epops
Northern carmine bee-eater Merops nubicus
Blacksmith plover Vanellus armatus
6. Copper sunbird Nectarinia cuprea
Yellow-eyed canary Serinus mozambicus
7. Amethyst starling Cinnyricinclus leucogaster
Taveta golden weaver Ploceus castaneiceps
Harlequin quail Corturnix delegorguei
8. Silvery-cheeked hornbill Ceratogymna brevis
Australia Room
1. Tawny frogmouth Podargus strigoides
2. Kookaburra Dacelo noveguineae
3. Blue-faced honey-eater Entomyzon cyanotis
Wonga pigeon Leucosarcia melanoleuca
4. Long-tailed finch Poephilia acuticauda
Asian blue quail Coturnix chinensis
5. Crested pigeon Ocyphaps lophotes
Star finch Bathilda ruficauda
6. Turquoise parrot Neophema pulchella
Emerald dove Chalcophaps indica
Asian blue quail Coturnix chinensis
7. Blue-winged kookaburra Dacelo leachii
8. Masked finch Poephilia personata
Black-throated finch Poephilia cincta
9. White-eared catbird Ailuroedus buccoides
10. Kea Nestor notabilis
Asian Room
1. Oriental pied hornbill Anthracoceros albirostris
Crested wood-partridge Rollulus roulroul
2. Goldie’s lorikeet Psitteuteles goldiei
Pink-necked green pigeon Treron vernans
3. Brahminy starling Temenuchus pagodarum
Greater yellownape Picus flavinucha
Crested wood-partridge Rollulus roulroul
4. Fairy bluebird Irena puella
Black-naped fruit dove Ptilinopus melanospila
5. Java sparrow Pada oryzivora
Three-coloured parrot finch Erythrua tricolor
Orange-bellied fruit dove Ptilinopus iozonus
Luzon bleeding-heart pigeon Gallicolumba luzonica
6. Chinese bulbul Pycnonotus sinesis
Cinnamon ground dove Gallicolumba rufigula
7. White-eared bulbul Pycnonotus leucotis
Mindano bleeding-heart pigeon Gallicolumba criniger
8. Blue-faced parrotfinch Erythrura trichroa
Orange-fronted fruit dove Ptilinopus aurantiifrons
9. Tarictic hornbill Penelopides panini
South America and Parrots Room
1. Scarlet-headed blackbird Amblyramphus holosericeus
Mountain parakeet Psilopsiagon aurifrons
Blue-grey tanager Thraupis episcopus
Sunbittern Eurypyga helias
2. Crested quail-dove Geotrygon versicolor
Plain-breasted ground-dove Columbina minuta
Sunbittern Eurypyga helias
3. Blue and yellow tanager Thraupis bonariensis
4. Blue-grey tanager Thraupis episcopus
Ruddy ground-dove Columbina talpacoti
Cuban grassquit Tiaris canora
5. Blue-grey tanager Thraupis episcopus
Scarlet-headed blackbird Amblyramphus holosericeus
6. Common cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis
7. Black and white seedeater Sporophila luctuosa
Saffron finch Sicalis flaveola
8. Black-necked aracari Pteroglossus aracari
9. Collared aracari Pteroglossus torquatus
10. Rainbow lorikeet Trichoglossus haematodus
Eclectus parrot Eclectus roratus
11. Columbian green military macaw Ara m. militaris
12. Illiger’s macaw Ara maracana
13. Red-tailed black cockatoo Calyptorhynchus banksii
14. Hyacinth macaw Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus
15. Citron-crested cockatoo Cacatua sulphurea citronocristata
16. Palm cockatoo Probosciger aterrimus
17. Goffin’s cockatoo Cacatua goffini
18. Major Mitchell’s cockatoo Cacatua leadbeateri
19. White cockatoo Cacatua alba
20. Mexican green military macaw Ara militaris mexicana
Asian Walk-through
Asian glossy starling Aplonis panayensis
Red-billed leiothrix Leiothrix lutea
Pheasant pigeon Otidiphaps nobilis
Sulawesi ground-dove Gallicolumba tristigmata
Crested wood partridge Rollulus roulroul
Fairy bluebird Irena puella
Bali starling Leucopser rothschildi
African Walk-through
Golden-breasted starling Cosmopsarus regius
Red-fronted barbet Tricholaema diademata
Long-toed lapwing Vanellus crassirpstris
Violet turaco Musophaga violacea
Emerald starling Coccycolius iris
African yellow white-eye Zosterops senegalensis
Speckled mousebird Colius striatus
White-browed coucal Centropus superciliosus
Lemon-breasted canary Serinus citrinipectus
Blue-capped cordon bleu Uraeginthus cyanocephalus
Australian Walk-through
Channel-billed cuckoo Scytrops novaehollandiae
Budgerigar Melopsittacus undulatus
Masked lapwing Vanellus miles
Gouldian finch Cloebia gouldiae
Zebra finch Poephilia guttata
Wonga pigeon Leucosarcia melanoleuca

Africa: 28 species
Asia: 24 species
Australia: 20 species
America & parrots: 28 species
Total: 100 species

 

At the end of September, when I visited the Berlin Zoo new Birdhouse species composition was virtually the same. In the first part of the African Room in Tockus deckeni aviary was no Tambourine dove Turtur tympanistria. I'm interested particularly about Tarictic hornbills Penelopides panini from Berlin Zoo Birdhouse. What subspecies represents a pair of birds? Penelopides panini panini or maybe Penelopides manillae subniger. I know that birds came to Berlin in 2012 from Frankfurt Zoo.
I'm also missing in this Birdhouse a few more stars. I remember in 2009 when I was first time there were a few more interesting, rare pigeons and for example Woodland Kingfisher Halcyon senegalensis.

 

Just wondering, how do you judge the potential 'star' value among birds suitable for a bird house (e.g. cranes, most ducks and raptors are out)? Rarity in captivity, rarity in the wild, appearance, a combination, or something else?
The reason I'm asking is that the list includes several species that arguably belong in the star category based on judgement by:
- 'Normal' zoo visitors: The big macaws, cockatoos, kea, silvery-cheeked hornbill and kookaburra.
- Appearance: Parrots, fruit-doves, golden-breasted and amethyst starlings, carmine bee-eater, bearded barbet, parrotfinches, etc.
- Rarity in the wild: Some of the cockatoos and macaws, and Bali mynah.
- Rare in captivity. I've used the arbitrary border of four or less European zoos with the species, incl. Berlin: Copper sunbird (4 European zoos, incl. Berlin), northern pied hornbill (3), greater yellownape (3), orange-bellied fruit-dove (3), Chinese bulbul (4), orange-fronted fruit-dove (4), plain-breasted ground-dove (only in Berlin), black-and-white seedeater (2), pale-mandibled aracari (only in Berlin; on label they follow the 'old' taxonomy where a race of collared aracari), red-fronted barbet (4), long-toed lapwing (2), lemon-breasted seedeater (only in Berlin) and channel-billed cuckoo (2).

I guess at least some zoochatters would call the trumpet manucode a 'star' species, but I left with the impression that it was more suitable for the adjacent Pheasantry where it currently resides.

When I visited about 1½ month ago the only addition I remember was hooded parrot. I had been in Walsrode 2 days before, and therefore didn't spent much time in Berlin's bird house; I may have missed something.

 

I would welcome birds of paradise, bowerbirds, cock-of-the-rocks or hummingbirds. Sadly, none of them (except bowerbirds) was in Berlin zoo for a long time.

And frankly, budgerigars and zebra finches are a bit too low for Berlin.

 

thanks Jurek7, but my main question was why people think something qualifies as a 'star' bird, not which birds. From the species groups you provide, I guess you mainly base it on 'uniqueness' and rarity in captivity? If so, it is still unclear to me why pale-mandibled aracari, channel-billed cuckoo and greater yellownape, arguably the 'top birds' in the house, don't score as highly.

White-eared catbird is a species of bowerbird, and the trumpet manucode, although kept in the Pheasantry rather than the bird house (see my earlier comment), is a bird-of-paradise. Both cock-of-the-rock and hummingbird are at the Tierpark. In the present form, the zoo bird house doesn't really have exhibits that are suitable for either. Cock-of-the-rock, hummingbirds and bird-of-paradise are CITES listed, i.e. very difficult to import, and surplus captive bred are virtually nonexistent. (except for amazilia hummingbird, but that species is arguably too common to have a 'wow-factor' for hardcore zoo visitors.)
Though I suspect new interesting things may turn up, I doubt it'll be from those groups. We'll see.

Budgerigars and zebra finches (+Gouldian finch, crested wood-partridge, Asian blue quail, etc) are the usual "filler" species you'll find everywhere. In Walsrode they even have walk-through budgie exhibit! Considering that they're kept in an exhibit in Berlin that also has channel-billed cuckoo, it is probably a good idea to limit small birds to 'low' value species

 

According to a Zootierliste entry, Zoo Berlin received 0,0,4 Brown-hooded kingfisher ( Halcyon albiventris) last year. Can anyone confirm this?

(I'm assuming they'll be kept in the Bird House)

 

Also bare-faced go-away birds and long-tailed fiscal shrikes . Anyone have a new list?

 

Is it possible to have the 'new list' pasted onto this thread?

 

I think under-used Australian hall in the Bird House would be a great place to make enclosure for Tierpark's echidnas. They could even breed with sufficient space.