A look at the Melbourne Zoo masterplan » Melbourne Zoo

25-03-2008

Is it later yet. . . . . ? Sounds pretty good

25-03-2008

I thought of two other things. There is an aviary at the end of the asia trails with the interative centre next to it that i am yet to see a bird in so all the rice paddy birds can go there. And do sun bears live in the mountains because they could move into the bear pit if it is little planted and prettied up. I don't actually mind that cage because it has two glass viewing windows and a view from the top of a hill but it's only let down is that the bears are way toobig for it.

26-03-2008

you should email that to the zoo.

26-03-2008

PAT - the giraffe exhibit would actually be bigger since it would now extend towards the tortoises.

also, i agree, that particular asian aviary is so poorly landscaped, i don't think i have ever seen a bird in there either. in fact i don't think anyone has. maybe a fishing cat could go there? (not that it would be much more exciting!) as admittedly the rice paddy aviary is excellent and it would be a shame to move the birds out.

and lastly, next time you visit the zoo, take a second look at the bear exhibit. its a perfect example of "zoo stinginess" - that when designers make the error of thinking that features such as viewing glass make a lick of difference to the bears and cut them short on space. its tiny, lacks a lot of natural surfaces and the bears have few views outside the exhibit. it need not be demolished, just extended up towards the coatis. i'de say it needs to be at least five times bigger.

sunbears unfortunately, do not live in high altitude conferous/deciduous forest.....(but giant pandas do)

26-03-2008

The two bird aviaries that are part of the elephants exhibit are just about empty. They could be used for the tree shrews. I really like your ideas Patrick. It makes a lot of sense, wouldn't cost the zoo a lot and provide a complete refreshment for the neglected areas. Now how do we get you on to the development board of the zoo.

03-04-2008

I've seen heaps of birds in that aviary. I've seen the green pea fowl displaying to a peahen (free roaming) on the other side of the wire. I've seen the nutty lady amherst pheasant chasing his females (they're all too quick for him).

However, recently it has been empty.....there's a 'rodent' problem and it seems 'the last resort' is being used. In order effect 'the last resort' the inhabitants of this aviary have been temporarily removed.

....hopefully they'll be back soon.

03-04-2008

Back when the elephant exhibit opened they had heaps of birds in both aviaries. Ranging from finches to pheasants.

03-04-2008

the birds are still in there, its just extremely lush- it's great when i went throgh palm aivary the other day, i had to mve tree brach out of way to move through (not a ohs risk type move) but an immersive walk through jungle move, was awesome!

04-04-2008

palm aviary? take your taronga talk elsewhere zooboy! this is a melbourne thread and we are talking about melbourne's aviaries.....

zookiah, the rice paddy aviary is great and always has birds in it. the second glass-fronted aviary, just after the tigers, is often half empty or has birds in it that are different to those signposted. fortunately there are usually always a pair of colourful pheasants in there.

the lory aviary in trail of the elephants is small and nobody ever looks at the birds, but that their problem. there are lory in there in full view.

however, the large aviary with the (so-called) green peafowl sucks.

so maybe 30% of the time, i can see the peafowl. but good luck seeing anything else. its really poorly planted and landscaped with too many tall trees and shrubs, especially at the front of the avairy, and few proper open spaces. i stand there for a couple of minutes every time i visit and i never see a thing - and i not a bad spotter...

04-04-2008

But is there anthing other than the peafowl and maybe a pheasant? It used t have a lot more. doves and finches for starters.

04-04-2008

apparently there are still white-bibbed ground doves and a few parrots and stuff...

melbourne has unfortunately failed to breed and maintain many asian birds in the last few years. gone form the asian aviaries are...

siamese fireback pheasants
nicobar pigeons
luzon bleeding heart doves
red-whiskered bulbul

which is a shame....

04-04-2008

there is a small feral population of red whiskered bulbuls where i live. if you want patrick, you can come and trap some and take them back to melbourne, but you have to take some indian mynas and starlings as part of the deal.

04-04-2008

but boof, i already have indian mynah's and starlings. and before you ask, yes i'm fine for sparrows, blackbirds and turtle doves too..

they released red-whiskered bulbuls in melbourne too. there are still some alive around south yarra, but they're pretty rare i think.

they release red-vented bulbuls also but they died out and none survived in aviculture. but i'll hold you to the bulbul's if i ever get an aviary...

04-04-2008

I wonder what the law says about capturing introduced birds for captivity. It is obviously illegal for any native species but ferals?

04-04-2008

Its very legal, alot of the bird shops get lots of European Goldfinches in, and there someone in NSW selling Wild Caught Bul BUls