This zoo focuses entirely around birds from around the world. A wide variety of species would be displayed and guests would learn about the variety in biology and behavior. Some sections of the zoo would be based around geography, while others would be based around the type of bird. Guests not only learn not only about birds, but also other scientific concepts like genetics, evolution, the food chain, and environment. Tropical Birds is an area displaying birds that can be found in tropical areas around the world. Conservation is a major theme of this area. It will talk about how rainforests are threatened, why they’re important, and why the birds are important. It will be split into a few smaller sections. The Amazon part has the harpy eagle, hoatzin, scarlet ibis, scarlet macaw. Oceania has the cassowary, Victorian crowned pigeon, satin bowerbird, great spotted kiwi, hooded pitohui, Wilson’s bird of paradise, greater bird of paradise, sulfur-crested cockatoo, superb lyrebird, and raggiana bird of paradise. South Asia has the rufous-collared kingfisher, black winged lory, great myna, knobbed hornbill, Indian peafowl, pied myna, java sparrow, and Sulawesi hawk-eagle. The Auditorium will be used to host a variety of events. Mostly it will be used for our two daily shows: Birds of the World, and Birds and People. During these shows, keepers will bring out different birds and talk about them to the audience. Birds of the World features all sorts of birds from different taxonomic groups and different parts of the world. The specific birds used in the show will change every day to encourage guests to see the show each time they visit. Birds and People will discuss how people throughout time and all over the world have used birds. Most of the birds used in this show would be falcons and hawks, pigeons, parrots, and chickens. In both shows, birds may also be trained to do some things to demonstrate their abilities, like talking parrots or the silent-flying owls. In addition to shows, the auditorium also hosts lectures and film showings. The auditorium is connected to a museum-style exhibit that, like the show, is titled Birds and People. Here, guests get an more detailed look at how different cultures around the worlds have used birds. From pets to food to working animals, and how birds are represented in various cultures and religions, both ancient and modern. Urban Birds will display species commonly found in urban areas around the world. Species include the quaker parrot, barn swallow, peregrine falcons, American robin, common myna, silvereyes, great tit, great kiskadee, and rock pigeon. Here, guests learn about how birds adapt to urban settings, and they’re encouraged to see wildlife as something they don’t need to go halfway across the world to see. Guests can also learn about how to make their homes more hospitable to birds. North America is another location based area. Like with Urban Birds, I want to teach guests that wildlife isn’t some exotic, faraway thing. Animals here include the common loon, American kestrel, great horned owl, turkey vulture, Steller’s jay, green jay, trumpeter swan, resplendent quetzal, Canadian geese, great blue heron, whooping crane, eastern bluebird, magnificent frigatebird, prairie chicken, spoonbill, brown pelican, Atlantic puffin, black swift, laughing gull, Carolina chickadee, Clark’s grebe, common raven, and of course, the bald eagle! Hummingbird Gardens is a large, garden-looking aviary featuring hummingbird species from around the world. Species include ruby-throated hummingbird, Anna’s hummingbird, Costa’s hummingbird, black-billed streamertail, and green violetear. Raptor Junction shows guests a variety of birds of prey. Species include the snowy owl, common kestrel, barn owl, black kite, osprey, red-tailed hawk, Egyptian vulture, Indian vulture, northern crested caracara, common buzzard, Steller’s sea eagle, (this Steller guy has a lot of animals named after him, amiright?) Philippine eagle, gyrfalcon, and Hawaiian hawk. There will also be a Middle East area, because you know what, middle eastern wildlife doesn’t get a whole lot of attention. Birds here include the golden eagle, sooty gull, Iraq babbler, little owl, lesser spotted eagle, cyprus warbler, hooded crow, pied kingfisher, common kingfisher, wood warbler, Syrian woodpecker, and saker falcon. Next to a restaurant where guests can stop to eat, there’s also a large pond where guests can view various species of waterfowl. Guests can also purchase food to feed the birds. Birds of Africa is the final location themed area. Adaptation is a primary theme of this area. Guests learn about how birds have diversified to live a variety of lifestyles and and occupy different ecological niches and environments. Species here include the secretary bird, magpie shrike, ostrich, African penguin, weaverbird, black heron, shoebill, greater kestrel, tawny eagle, crested guineafowl, black crowned crane, greater flamingo, red-billed hornbill, Egyptian plover, amethyst starling, emerald starling, Hildebrant’s starling, and kelp gull. The penguins have an artificial beach and underwater viewing area. The Memorial Garden is a garden guests can walk through and view memorial plaques and statues for bird species that have recently gone extinct due to human activity. Memorials include the Carolina parrot, dodo, ivory-billed hummingbird, passenger pigeon, ivory billed woodpecker, labrador duck, great auk, New Zealand quail, huia, laughing eagle, and more. Near the end, there is a display about which birds are most endangered. However, it will end on a hopeful note, with a display featuring birds that almost went extinct but were saved thanks to better conservation practices and captive breeding and such. Parrot Plaza would, of course, feature a variety of parrot species. Species would include African gray parrot, hyacinth macaw, blue and gold macaw, military macaw, palm cockatoo, galah, Major Mitchell’s cockatoo, sun conure, green-cheeked conure, and more. Guests could enter the lorikeet aviary (primarily rainbow lorikeets, but other species would be there as well) to feed the birds. They would mostly be rainbow lorikeets, but compatible species may be included as well. Guests would learn about how parrots are in the wild, with a little information on their status as pets. Parakeet Corner would have several aviaries with budgies, including a large one aviary that guests can enter so they may interact with the birds. In Parakeet Corner, guests can learn about color mutations, breeding, and genetics. Right next to this is Cockatiel Corner, which has a similar display on genetics and an interaction area. This area would also function as something of a parrot sanctuary where surrendered and abandoned pets are kept. The zoo would adopt out some of these birds to suitable homes. Because cockatiels and budgies are so cheap, a lot of people impulse buy them or give them to kids who shouldn’t be taking care of pets on their own, and it would be nice to have an area where people know they could surrender animals they don’t care about instead of neglecting or abandoning them. Plus, when people want a pet bird, they don’t always realize that rescue is an option. People who want to adopt through the zoo would have to take a care course and prove they’re up to the responsibility. The zoo would have an active bird rescue and rehabilitation center. This area would normally be closed to the public, but guests may visit during certain tours and programs. Conservation breeding may be done with endangered species. The zoo would also go to different venues (such as schools, fairs, and carnivals) to do educational shows with live birds.
