Réserve Africaine de Sigean - Giant african walkthrough aviary - Not necessary to go to Africa

Wouldn't the alligator pose a threat to the birds?

@KevinB No that's why they are there. The two reptiles are old. You must know that before this aviary was build there was an outdoor enclosure for the gators.The zoo choose to keep them in instead of taking new nile crocodiles with more danger for the birds.

@Antoine So the old alligators must be too slow and/or too small - and perhaps too well fed also - to be a danger to the birds?

I continue to find it a very weird mix. And not something that I would like to see more zoos trying.

@KevinB I spoke with a senior bird keeper about this and he told me that all was ok. I suppose that if something was wrong they would have removed the gators as the aviary is opened for 4/5 years now.
In La Ferme des Crocodiles in Pierrelatte they release a few birds species in the tropical house for few years too and it seems to be ok too so why not more in zoo. Of course, it could depend of what type of crocodiles and birds and how large the exhibit is.

@Antoine I have also seen birds with crocodilians before, for example there are or were at some point weavers and/or starlings, and possibly other birds I cannot right now remember, in the hippo/crocodile house at Safaripark Beekse Bergen in the Netherlands and in the crocodile river at the Rotterdam Zoo. But I've always only seen small birds that large crocodilians would likely not consider prey, not large wetland type birds like ducks, ibis and storks. Those I think could be consider prey, and I personally would prefer to not see them mixed with crocodilians, unless the specific situation does allow.

In any case, thank you for the information. And also thank you for sharing the pictures from Sigean, I enjoyed them.

@KevinB I think there are free flying birds in Bronx Zoo's Jungle World which would be able to access the gharial space. IIRC there are other zoos that have a bird & gharial/false gharial mix, too, but I can't recall where. I suppose the slender snouts help!