Hornbills at Avifauna » Avifauna Birdpark

Hornbills at Avifauna
24-12-2007

I found this picture showing the wrinkled hornbills at Avifauna, and how they put together breeding pairs. They mix some males and females together, and so they can choose their own pairs.

Hornbill MeetingDsc06465 pictures from wildlife photos on webshots

24-12-2007

Avifauna uses that system for a lot of hornbill species. In this pic are only young animals, so i'm not sure its part of the "choice-rooms". I thought it was mainly done with adult birds that are kept in cages next to eachother. When birds seem to like eachother they can be introduced.
The birds come from zoos all over the place. when a pair is formed they are send back to a zoo to try and begin breeding.

I believe Avifauna also applies this system for tukans. And in planckendael (belgium) they do the same with vultures.

24-12-2007

That must be what they are doing with Copenhagen Zoo's javan rhinoceros hornbills. Cant' wait to get that species back to the zoo We should have a new breeding couple ready within the next two years.

__________________
I am Toddy, the zoo-enthusiast from Denmark!
Different zoos visited: 77
Favourite animals: Aardvarks and manatees.
Website: www.zoos.dk

24-12-2007

This is a small part of that choice-system visible for the public. Most of it is actually behind the scenes. As you can see, very very simple cages.

The breeding pairs of hornbills are almost all in these kind of enclosures:

(there are a couple of exceptions, like the rufous and mindoro which are in the phillipine greenhouse).

24-12-2007

because avifauna is not so well known i'll post some more pics of the park.


the entrance

Past the entrance there is a long lane with on your right ostriches and marabu stork etc. and on your left there is the enclosure for demoiselle cranes:

the cranes

After that you'll see a lot of standard enclosures that look like this:

In these live; darwin rhea, black stork, chiliflamingo, and a lot of species of ducks and ibisses.

At the end there is the enclosure for emu and wallabies:

24-12-2007

Can you perhaps give us a small description of Avifauna? And a map of the park, if you have it? Their website is not very informative

Edit: Whoops! Wrote that one minute too fast

__________________
I am Toddy, the zoo-enthusiast from Denmark!
Different zoos visited: 77
Favourite animals: Aardvarks and manatees.
Website: www.zoos.dk

24-12-2007

still the emus

Then the hornbill-enclosures follow which i already posted above.
and after that the casuaries:

Very simple enclosures. But they are afraid to change something as the animals are now breeding very well (every year at least 2 chicks). And casuaries seem to be very sensitive animals so they are not changing anything just yet.

These pens are located around a big lake for pelicans:


Around this lake are also the old enclosures for ostriches, emus etc.

Most have moved away so now most inhabitants are young emus waiting for transfers to other zoos, some storks, etc.
This whole area around the lake is supposed to change in the comming year. It will become a swampexhibit with a huge free flight aviary etc.

24-12-2007

patience, patience, i'm not that fast with my pics

After the lake you return to the hornbills and emus. And you arrive at an australian section:

Kookabura and bushturkey (? hope that is correct english)

24-12-2007

and the star-attraction; the lorikeet-house:

You can walk between the rainbowlorikeets and feed them nectar. Avifauna was actually the first zoo (in europe at least) to do this, and lots of parks have copied it since.



Then there is the pinguinenclosure:

Untill last year they had a breedingcolony of jackasspenguin, but they changed to humboldts.

On the backside of the penguins, in a corner of the park is a lane of pheasants:

(it's not just pheasants. also doves, some smaller hornbills, starlings, and even a secretarybird)

24-12-2007

Next to the penguins are the worst looking enclosures of the park:

old cages for parrots and such

This is also along side a second large pond. This one is rectangular and it is used for the birdshows. Avifauna has the best bird show i have seen so far. A lot of species and a lot of educational value. It is one of the major attractions in the park. Always very crowded so be there in time...

On the edge of the park next to the pheasants is a greenhouse called "de martinushal"



This is the greenhouse where most of the tropical birds of the park are housed. Some bigger species in seperate enclosures, but there are also 2 large free flight avaries.

24-12-2007

the last section of the greenhouse is themed like the philippines. Avifauna also supports some research and conservation projects on the philippines itself.

Most birds are free flying, except for these rufous hornbills and an enclosure for the mindoro hornbills.

outside again there is this house:

with a wide variety of species like tukans, southern hornbills, plovers,....

this is also close to the hornbill mate-choice-cages.

And some enclosures for parakeets:


A small pond for african flamingos:

they are probably moving to the new swamp area in the future.

24-12-2007

At the exit of the martinushal are also some enclosures for predatory birds.

for owls


sort of a mountain with enclosures for hawks, vultures, kites etc.


one of those up close


very close to that is the house with hummingbirds.

24-12-2007

Next to that are some larger aviaries

This used to be for south american birds but most have moved to a new cuban aviary which was completed last year. (it is very nice with the largest group of cuban flamingo in europe. But i only seem to have pics from during the construction..)
Now there is a group of about 30 vultures in this aviary. Those were caugth by italian customs about a year ago. 25 gyps africanus and 5 Trigonoceps occipitalis.

Next to that one is exactely the same aviary but for 1 pair of breeding steller eagles:


And behind the hummingbirds is a smaller version for north american eagles:

24-12-2007

Thanks very much. More pictures of the tropical house would be appreciated.

Aren't the hornbills in the tropical philippine house rufous and visayan tarictic hornbill?
Chester sent 2.2 visayan tarictic hornbills about three months ago.

24-12-2007

I've just seen your fotopic with the tarictic hornbills. They are the mindanao tarictic hornbills (penelopides affinis)