Maleos, Geladas, and Spray Toads, Oh My! Mid-April Trip Thread

Thanks for starting this thread and it seems as if 2017 will feature quite a number of travel-related threads on ZooChat. In your review of Cincinnati Zoo you used the word "adequate" 2-3 times and the word "small" at least 5 or more times in your description of the zoo's exhibits. Looking down the list, from the Reptile House to Night Hunters to Elephant Reserve to the Children's Zoo and basically most of the zoo....there simply aren't that many stand-out exhibits in Cincinnati. I remember the Insect House, Jungle Trails and Manatee Springs as being truly noteworthy from my 2008 visit but I suppose that the zoo will always be a fairly compact establishment. I'm sure that you'll enjoy Columbus much more in your next review.

 

Shame to see that the Guianan Tayra and Siberian Lynx seem to have left the zoo (or at least aren't on-exhibit). While I enjoyed Night Hunters on my 2013 visit, along with snowleopard I was really only truly impressed by the Insect House, Manatee Springs, and most of Jungle Trails (the indoor enclosures largely leave a lot of be desired). Many elephant exhibits may be small but I've always found Cincy's to be the worst I've seen. I can't even imagine how disappointing Wildlife Canyon must be without the rhinos...

It's a shame Newport Aquarium isn't what it used to be. I quite loved it when I visited.

The aviary with the Keas is a walk-through and holds a number of lorikeets in the summer months and Kea in the winter months (when I visited anyhow).

~Thylo

 

The former tayra exhibit is now home to large-spotted genets. I would rather see the genets, though I got a pretty bad look. I believe the lynx passed away. I enjoy Night Hunters, and species changes have helped make it a bit better. It's certainly better than when they kept a snow leopard in there, and not even in the largest exhibit, either. Manatee Springs pales in comparison to Columbus's Manatee Coast, but is probably the second best manatee exhibit I've seen. I wrote little about Jungle Trails because nearly all animals were inside. Wildlife Canyon was quite disappointing- I didn't even see the takin calf, which wasn't outside yet in the morning and I didn't have time to go back to in the afternoon. Newport definitely was a let-down, I loved it a lot previously. It wasn't bad, but not terrific.

 

"Moved to another facility"

 

Day Two: Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
It had been six and a half years since I'd been here, far too long of a wait! Since my previous visit, Heart of Africa had opened (though was unfortunately mostly closed until May today) and parts of North America have been renovated. I did pick a good day to visit, as today was when several animals went outside for the first time since being taken off-exhibit for the winter. Similar to Cincinnati, I'll go in order that I visited when reviewing this zoo. Columbus has a unique atmosphere, somewhat like a theme park. The wide, open spaces and easy-listening music in some central plazas help give off this feeling, and of course both Jungle Jack's Landing and Zoombezi Bay are adjacent, so rides are seen on the horizon. I enjoy this atmosphere. Furthermore, exhibits are heavily themed, which unlike some members of this site I do not mind. However, the themeing has to be consistent and relatively high-quality for it to be worth it, in my mind, for the zoo. Columbus succeeds in this.
Congo Expedition:
One of few zoo exhibits based solely on the Congo. It was fairly comprehensive, though limited to mammals and birds. The exhibit is entered through a boardwalk, and the first animals seen are an active group of black-and-white colobus monkey. The exhibit is nice, with many shade and climbing options and a good-sized troop. Next is an aviary that only regained its inhabitants today, a flock of six African gray parrots. Ordinarily a Lady Ross' Turaco shares with them. The following aviary was empty for the season, but three various windows allowed me to see into the indoor holding areas for the birds. I saw a good number of species, but unfortunately did not see African golden oriole, a rarity which I had been hoping for. After additional viewing points for both aviaries and the colobus monkeys, a mid-sized exhibit for another rarity is reached: African leopard! Very few subsist in American zoos any longer, but Columbus has an elderly female and just acquired two seven month old cubs (unfortunately not on exhibit today).

Next is indoor viewing for leopard (where the cubs would have been) and mandrill, both a bit small but probably true to most if not all indoor exhibits. There are decent climbing opportunities in both. The following exhibit is famous, for multiple reasons. It is where the late Colo the gorilla lived until her passing, the first gorilla to be born in captivity. This cage is unique and Howletts style. The gorillas have climbing opportunities and terrestrial space, while most American zoos fail to give few if any climbing apparatuses. Following a path around the exhibit, indoor holding for gorillas is reached, the "Congo Research Station." Afterwards, the magnificent bonobo exhibit is reached. Tall climbing posts and a good area to roam on the ground characterize this exhibit, and it is fun to see the apes interact in it. Farther on is a decent red river hog exhibit, and finally another row of bonobo exhibits, with (somewhat strangely), playground installments such as slides and a variation of monkey bars. Despite the oddity and lack of immersion in an otherwise immersive complex, the bonobos love the exhibit and were very active. The outdoor exhibit for mandrills is reached next, and is spacious but could use more climbing opportunities. It was previously home to drills, which I would have preferred to see. Three yards for okapi are spacious but should be shaded more. The latter is shared with the rare black duiker, though I unfortunately did not see it. One more view of the tauntingly empty aviary completes the experience.
Australia and the Islands:
I am fairly certain this exhibit reopened just today, as much of it (the Asian Islands portion) is blotted out on the map. The Islands are a few exhibits. First, a strange house/island combo that rotates between white-handed gibbons and siamangs (one in each part). The island is fine, but the house is always shaded and it is hard to see into. Komodo dragons have an indoor and an outdoor portion, but today the individual was indoors. Nothing stood out about this exhibit. A "waterfowl lake" is in truth home to only two species, black swans and painted storks (not yet out for the season), but several visiting wild species could be found. Asian small-clawed otters run through a decently sized exhibit. The final exhibit is strange and terraced, home to orangutans (temporarily closed).
The Australian portion of this complex is much more fulfilling. The best part is Bob and Evelyn's Roadhouse. When first entering, it appears to be just that, a roadhouse. Food appears to be stocked but on closer inspection is a prop. Three exhibits line the wall, for small reptiles and invertebrates. The exhibit soon transforms into a nocturnal house for primarily Australian animals. The first exhibit is home to a pair of tawny frogmouths, and normally has kiwi but today they were not signed or seen. Across the way is a good-sized exhibit for southern hairy-nosed wombat, which was active enough. Two small terrariums for geckos flank the path, and another exhibit for tawny frogmouth is found, this time sharing with brush-tailed bettong. On the previous side of the path is binturong, in an adequate exhibit. A tree kangaroo exhibit is not as nice as it could be. A large (when compared to others for the species) exhibit is home to pygmy slow lorises, including an adorable baby. One final nocturnal exhibit is for feathertail glider. The final room is an aviary, home to 65 birds of about 20 species. Some, like Goldie's lorikeet, hooded pitta, and straw-necked ibis are uncommon, though some common species like golden pheasant, roul roul partridge, and pied imperial pigeon are more common. It is a good conclusion to a good building.

The following exhibit is a bit down the way, and is an indoor/outdoor exhibit combination for koala and (unseen) brush-tailed bettong. Both are rather generic, and the koalas were of course sleeping. A walkthrough for kangaroos (all red except one eastern grey) is also generic, but certainly acceptable.
Shores and Aquarium:
This complex has three parts. The best is without a doubt Manatee Coast, which is the best manatee exhibit I've ever seen. Themeing, habitat, and species exhibited are superb at emulating the Florida coast, and I saw several species which I saw in the wild earlier this year. The long, swerving path offers many vantages of the six (!) manatees exhibited there and the many fish. What I appreciate is that this exhibit has a much vaster species list than that of Cincinnati, including saltwater fish (particularly cownose and southern stingrays), a hawksbill sea turtle, and many waterfowl species.

Discovery Reef is the name of the aquarium building, which is too small to warrant the zoo's name of "Columbus Zoo and Aquarium." It focuses primarily on reef fish, and one large tank exhibits most of the building's species.
The Reptile Building is the last main part of Shores. It is divided into sections based on biome- desert, rainforest, etc. and is generally high quality with some rare species. My favorite to see was Macklot's python:

Outside, three exhibits remain in the complex. Humboldt penguins border the Reptile Building with cramped space. American alligators are in a decently sized exhibit that is still closed for the winter. A final, average exhibit has American flamingos and Hawaiian goose. A decent complex, highlighted by Manatee Coast.
Asia Quest:
My favorite exhibit in the zoo, Asia Quest begins with a dubiously themed archway that quickly transitions to high-quality exhibits. On the left are two red-crowned cranes and two tufted deer, in a gently sloped exhibit with a waterfall. On the right, a deer I've been wanting to see for years: a Siberian musk deer! The exhibit is sized adequately for one lone deer.

The last exhibit outdoors before entering a building is for silvery langur. It is high quality, though no langur exhibit will ever compete with that of the Los Angeles Zoo (which was of course intended for something else). A building is entered, and a unique presentation for tigers is encountered. There are busts of each subspecies, and those extinct are broken. It is an effective statement. After meandering through other thematic elements, indoor and outdoor exhibits for sloth bear are viewed. If I recall correctly, they were designed for giant panda, but for a long time held sun bear. I wish it still held sun bear, which it is more suited to than sloth. The exhibit is fantastic nonetheless. Two reptile exhibits are next: water monitor and Burmese python. Further on is a bat exhibit, with Malayan flying fox and lesser golden-mantled flying fox. The latter was very hard to find, but in fact very close to the visitor viewing area. Unfortunately, they were quite hard to photograph. Other inhabitants of the exhibit supposedly are chukar, bamboo mountain partridge, and magpie goose, but the only non-bats I saw were nicobar pigeon and roul roul.

Two indoor exhibits for silvery langur complete the building. Outside is an exhibit for Asian elephants, and visitors may visit their indoor holding as well. Towards the front of the complex is an additional elephant exhibit, as well as one for black rhinoceros. They aren't special, but not bad either, though like most exhibits the elephant exhibits could stand to be larger. Next is an exhibit for red panda, which was perched in a somewhat precarious position in a tree. An exhibit advertised as a "pheasant aviary" was next, but the only species of pheasant was a golden pheasant. Other birds were black-throated laughingthrush, azure-winged magpie, Derbyan parakeet, magpie goose, and northern shoveler, as well as a Reeves' muntjac. Another building has viewing for a Turkmenian markhor exhibit, netted over and bare, like any wild goat exhibit. Pallas' cat have secluded exhibit, yet still managed to vanish within. The last exhibits in the complex are for Amur tiger, and I saw one in the larger and first exhibit, while the older exhibit was closed. Asia Quest is fantastic, the quality of all the exhibits is superb.
North America:
This exhibit for American wildlife is on a sloping hillside, steep at some points. First is a large Mexican grey wolf exhibit, though I only saw one individual. A pond is home to a pair of trumpeter swan, while the sprawling hillside across the path is for pronghorn and American bison. A nearby barn takes care of the generic farm-themed kids section, and pony rides are offered near a black-tailed prairie dog exhibit at the top of the hill. A large exhibit is home to Alaskan moose, and a smaller exhibit to another isolated individual. The best bobcat exhibit I've ever seen is extremely large for two cats. An adjoining black bear exhibit has two playful individuals, but has tree collars on every tree which degrades the quality, aesthetically and otherwise. Reindeer are in a boring exhibit in the center of the path. Northern river otters have an exhibit that is large enough but could use more water. A large cougar exhibit is across the path, but lacks climbing opportunities for the large American cats. A rarely exhibited species, wolverines, have a small exhibit that is enclosed and rock-based. The aviary of this section is centered on migratory songbirds, and exhibits many species, as well as some waterfowl and wading birds. Final exhibits of this portion of the zoo include one for North American beaver, and a few wetland exhibits.
Polar Frontier is an offshoot of North American, with just three exhibits, but superbly themed buildings and educational areas add to the experience. An absolutely massive exhibit, featuring multiple types of terrain and a large pool is for polar bears. It will certainly be great when the most recent cubs go on exhibit. A similarly massive and superior quality exhibit is for Alaskan brown bears. A much, much smaller exhibit adjacent to a building has arctic fox. This entire area is of fantastic quality and the two bear exhibits are the best of their kind that I've seen.
Heart of Africa:
Though only lions were supposed to be visible today, I saw animals in three exhibits. First, a dromedary camel exhibit (too small) was empty. Eight lions live together in their exhibit, with a simulated plane crash in which people can enter the plane and be near the animals. This looks out on a massive but empty savanna. The water hole exhibit is visible from where the path is blocked off, and today had a pair of warthog. It is mostly a grassy area, with a small water feature and a Jeep. Additionally, the cheetah exhibit was in view but I couldn't see enough to leave a fair description. I could not see the vervet monkey exhibit, unfortunately. The area was themed well.

The Columbus Zoo is among the best in the country, certainly within the top 10, if not the top 5. I will hopefully visit again this summer and see the African golden oriole, as well as the leopard cubs. Missing this zoo when nearby would be a grave mistake.

*It seems I forgot to mention Wolf Woods at Cincinnati, but like most of the zoo nothing stands out.

 

I suppose they passed away?

 

Thanks for the review of my home zoo, jayjds2. Always nice to see the opinion of those who are even greater zoo buffs than myself of the institution with which I am most familiar (though probably both more and less critical of its strengths and weaknesses). Just a few things I thought I'd add...

You mention the lack of shade in the okapi exhibits in Congo expedition - I expect that would be less of a concern in a month or two, as the exhibits are quite shady when the trees' full foliage is in. I haven't seen the leopard cubs yet, but will hopefully get to see them soon.

I'm glad the musk deer is out on exhibit again (after only being on exhibit briefly last year, it was sadly taken off exhibit due to problems with the white-naped crane which shared the exhibit). Are the cranes currently off exhibit then?

The current sloth bear exhibit has only been home to sun bears in previous years. While sun bears were originally supposed to be a part of the Islands exhibit, they became a part of Asia Quest from its beginning - Columbus has never had giant pandas save for a brief time during the ubiquitous panda loan period when two were on exhibit in a substandard temporary exhibit located in the back portion (which has changed so much that I'm not sure exactly where its footprint was - definitely in the Congo Forest/Islands area, but much of that section has changed so much and so often that I'm not sure exactly where it was). As to the last surviving sun bear (I believe there has been only one in the recent past, as there had not been more than one on exhibit in both indoor and outdoor exhibits in at least a year), it was quite elderly and I would not be surprised if it had passed away.

Sorry the polar bear cubs weren't out yet, and especially sorry that you missed the full experience of Heart of Africa - it's really a fantastic exhibit (though not without a few problems, notably the underwhelming cheetah and dromedary exhibits). If/when you make your way back this summer, let me know if you'd like to meet up... I often find myself at the zoo once a week or so in the warmer weather and always love to meet fellow zoo-chatters.

 

If memory serves, the old Leopard at Columbus is a Central African Leopard, P. p. shortridgei, depending on your taxonomy. Are these new cubs the same or are they P. p. pardus (sensu lato)?

~Thylo

 

I don't believe the signage goes any further than species, though now that I read your post, I seem to remember at some point hearing/reading the shortridgei name. Most recent leopard taxonomies I've seen recognize only P. p. pardus for all African populations of the leopard; for this reason, I would be rather surprised if the new cubs are identified as anything else (and I wonder if the Zoo would still recognize the older female as shortridgei). If I find a knowledgeable keeper in the area, I'll ask.

Does anyone know where the new leopard cubs came from?

 

I believe that the lumping of all African Leopards into one subspecies was done without properly testing populations from all over Africa, though, so is likely to be incorrect. Above all else I'd be pretty surprised to hear that the Zanzibar Leopard wasn't actually a separate subspecies.

~Thylo

 

Hi, sorry it's taken me so long to respond to this post- today was busy, despite the lack of a zoo visit, and I didn't have time to type up a detailed response.

I agree about the shade, and was being overly critical for no apparent reason. The third okapi yard was especially nice. The white-named cranes were off exhibit, and while I would have liked to see them, I enjoyed seeing the deer much more. The zoo explicitly said the bears were transferred, so if they are deceased that's a bit backwards in the communications department. I'll see if I can take you up on your offer, and message you about the matter in the future if I can visit again.

As for the leopard discussion, I know fairly little about all cat taxonomy, so I'll stay out of it. I will, however, email or message the zoo and ask about the origin of the cubs. I do find it a bit odd that African leopards were all lumped into one subspecies while Asians are split into several, as they have a large range in Africa too.

 

Day Three:
A relatively uneventful day, as far as zoo visits go. I did see a few budgerigars and a fish tank, as well as one kudu in the form of @Kudu21

 

I'd heard the same thing about the testing of Africans, and I'm fairly certain that we haven't heard the last word on leopard subspecies yet. Of course, the whole debate may be merely semantics as it depends on what one taxonomist considers a subspecies. As far as zoo populations go, given the uncertainty and the limited population of African leopards (at least in U.S. zoos), breaking the African population down further may not make much sense in terms of captive management.

 

It was a pleasure to have the chance to meet and chat with you for a bit! I am just sorry that it couldn't have been at a zoo! It has also been a pleasure to read your thoughts on the two zoos I am most familiar with.. It's always nice to hear of others' experiences at and thoughts of them I look forward to reading about the rest of your trip!

 

Just as a preamble- this is the last zoo that I'll be doing an exhibit-by-exhibit review in this thread, as I honestly won't have time in New York. If people want more than I write, I will oblige, but for those wanted the full thing, there are several great reviews on this site. I may write in-depth reviews and post them as separate threads later. I also sense waning interest in this thread- reading these long reviews can get redundant.
Day Four: Oglebay's Good Zoo
Based on this zoo's mountainous location in the middle-of-nowhere West Virginia (then again, where in West Virginia isn't the middle of nowhere ), the low number of ZooChatters that have visited this facility does not surprise me. The closest major city is Wheeling, if you can call that major. Honestly, I saw perhaps 5 other visitors in the zoo and am surprised it's still open (and opened a new exhibit last year). The zoo doesn't really follow a particular exhibit structure, so as usual I'll just talk about exhibits in the order I went to them.

The zoo is entered through the main building, which also has a number of exhibits. Admission is paid at the gift shop, which I imagine can cause quite the back-up on busy days. After descending a set of stairs (or taking the elevator) the indoor exhibits are reached. A meerkat exhibit is adequately sized, while oddly the substrate is a sort of rock bed. This is actually the only animal exhibit I had full access to- the rest of the building, which I understand has amphibians and reptiles, was under renovation. An exhibit of model trains was also open. From the outside, one exhibit from the portion being renovated was visible- a long wall exhibit with golden lion tamarins, a scarlet macaw, and a tortoise.

From this point, the zoo is essentially one big circle. I took the clockwise path. This led me to the barn area first. An outdoor yard encircling a tree was home to a turkey vulture that is missing the better part of its left wing. Three smallish outdoor yards (for which the substrate was asphalt, the same as the path and parking lot) were home to generic farm animals, like llama and miniature donkey. An indoor aviary has one barn owl. Nothing here really stands out as good or bad. Across the path is a larger goat yard, again nothing special.

The next exhibit is one with an interesting species: Central Chinese gorals, alongside red pandas, a pair of each. The exhibit is a good size for the pandas, with climbing structures, trees, etc. but this makes it a tad small for the gorals. It was interesting to get a good look at this species for the first time, though due to the rain (persistent throughout the day) none of my photos turned out as nice as I would have liked.

Next is the Wetlands exhibit, with three individual animal exhibits. A boardwalk crosses a pond, and effectively divides it into two parts while a fence makes a third. On the right side is a pair of white-naped cranes: beautiful birds, but not quite mature and very muddy. Unfortunately, my camera wouldn't even really focus on them. The largest part was a true "lake" portion, with black swan:

The third and final area in Wetlands is a nice exhibit for a juvenile bald eagle rescued from Washington state. It is expansive enough and contains enough accessible height for this bird that can't fly.

On the way to the next exhibit for a semi-large animal, two cages are encountered: one for ring-tailed lemur, and one for mongoose lemur. They could be a bit bigger but aren't bad. The large exhibit found next is for cheetah. There isn't any foliage or such for it to lay in, and a small "rock" provides an elevated platform for the cat to lie down on. While not the prettiest, the exhibit is fine for the cat.

Australia is the next area of the zoo, with two parts: Australian Adventure and Lorikeet Landing. Australian Adventure is a kangaroo walkthrough, decently sized on a gentle hillside. Lorikeet Landing is another feed-the-lorikeets type deal, but I actually did this one (it was very enjoyable and bumped up the time I spent at the zoo considerably). The aviary contains a few rainbow lorikeets and one victoria crowned pigeon.

The next area is African paddock split into two, with the zoo's train running through. Only the close side of this spacious paddock is occupied currently, by Grévy's zebra. The other side formerly contained ostrich.

A bit of rockwork entrenches the next two exhibits. First seen is a North American river otter exhibit with underwater viewing. It should be a bit larger but is acceptable. This exhibit is separated by a moat from a grotto of spectacled/Andean bear. As always, the grotto is inappropriate for the bear. No climbing opportunities for this arboreal species is truly a shame, as is the small size and concrete flooring. A pool takes up a large amount of the already small space. This unfortunate exhibit was not up-to-par with the rest of the zoo. One last exhibit is in the adjoining veterinary center, and looks like a house cat's accommodations in a kennel but is for serval. It should definitely be larger.

I'm not sure I would call the Good Zoo good. It wasn't bad, but an average facility with one truly bad exhibit and none that stood out. I wouldn't go out of my way for a return visit.

Tomorrow I head to New York!

 

Day Five: Staten Island Zoo
My first zoo in the state of New York, as well as my 99th zoo overall. The Staten Island Zoo is just 8 acres, but contains a large collection, most of which is contained in a central building. While the aquarium portion is now undergoing extensive renovation, the other three wings (African, Tropical Forest, and Reptile) are still open and bustling. Outdoor exhibits sparsely populate the rest of the zoo, with the most popular being the children's zoo.

Other sections are a vague Australian area (one emu/kangaroo exhibit and one cassowary exhibit), an animal nursery (only home today to a pair of tawny frogmouths), and a few others. Several birds of prey aviaries are home to animals such as turkey vulture, great-horned owl, bald eagle, North American porcupine, and one off-exhibit (I believe normally home to palm nut vultures, a shame to miss).
The three wings of the main building are where most time is spent. The African wing has several exhibits- some mammal and bird mixes, other single-species exhibits such as one for Cairo spiny mouse. The lemur exhibits were active, especially with two ring-tailed babies. The best part was the nocturnal portion, a hollowed-out false tree for Mohol bushbaby, of which I saw a pair. They were active and I even walked away with a pretty good (for a nocturnal exhibit) shot:

The Reptile Wing was at places cramped and at others, fantastic. Terrarium after terrarium, mostly containing snakes (especially rattlesnakes) lined the wall. Three of the four cobra species in the building (Egyptian, Samar, and forest) are reasonably rare, so of course I got no good photos of any of the three. Some of the exhibits (especially python and those for crocodilians) were poor quality (concrete slabs and water) when compared to the mostly lush exhibits of the rest of the building. The rattlesnakes were the most interesting, several species of which I'd never seen or heard of, such as the Uracoan rattlesnake:

I enjoyed the Amur leopard habitat, the newest exhibit at the zoo. It is large and has a diverse range of ground cover, and climbing opportunities (whether on rocks or trees) that were plenty for the big cats. The zoo has just received a female, so perhaps cubs will soon be seen here.
The outside exhibits are all kind of bland. Chain-link is used, mostly, except in the Children's Zoo, where it is usually just a low fence. There are several pheasant species displayed, leading to a few very colorful exhibits. However, most exhibits were just dusty, drab paddocks.
All in all, the Staten Island Zoo was above-average for a city park zoo. Its main building has a strong species list, between reptiles, mammals, and birds. The Tropical Forest Wing focuses on tropical forests worldwide, with good sections about Asia and South America, particularly. Though most outdoor exhibits are bland, they are adequate for their inhabitants. The strong point for outdoor exhibits is definitely the Amur leopard habitat, and most indoor exhibits are great. I would probably visit again if I returned to New York, but this zoo wouldn't be a priority.

 

Unfortunately, I'm getting back to my hotel late tonight (close to midnight) so all you're gonna get from me is my thoughts about the New York City public transportation: namely, the subway and walking the streets, as well as a sightseeing update.

The subway here is a strange, strange beast indeed. That being said, it is efficient, if you know what you're doing. Which I kind of do. From what I can tell, there are express trains and local trains: express trains skip minor stations, only going to major stops, while local trains go to them all. This makes for faster combinations of trains than my local D.C. Metro. This is the largest subway (metro, train, whatever) for public transport in the world. There are so many combinations of trains to take, and they run with numbers or letters as name rather than colors. The lettered trains are most of the alphabet, while numbered trains have names anywhere from 1 to 7. So if you can keep track of the name of your train, express/local (keeping in mind the stop you need), and the direction you need, it all begins to make sense. I've managed so far to get everywhere without missing a train or stop, or getting on the wrong train. It's not a true subway, nearly half of it is above ground. There are some interesting advertisements, from breast augmentation to marijuana therapy. Still, I like the system better than the one I'm used to. It charges a flat rate, rather than a fare based on distance traveled, and it is very cheap, if crowded. There have been some interesting people, too. A duo of drum players brought their own stools onto the car, and gave us a nice rhythm. One man, proclaiming himself as the "angel of God" (in English, Spanish, and Italian) didn't really seem to know what to do after he said that. Only one homeless person has actively begged for money so far.

The streets in this city are much nicer than I expected them to be, based on stereotypes and such. I haven't been pickpocketed yet. No ominous person has walked up and been weird. I suspect most of the people are tourists, same as me, but I don't really have any proof behind that. The accents of the New Yorkers are funny, though I suppose mine is to them.

Tourism: yesterday (Staten Island Zoo day), we rode the Staten Island Ferry. We didn't do anything else on Staten Island, and just made a big circle and got back on the same ferry we started on. It offered a good view of the Statue of Liberty, which I'll be going to tomorrow. Later, we walked the Brooklyn Bridge. Nothing much to comment on there, other than it's a big bridge. Tonight, we went up to the 86th floor of the Empire State Building. It was a nice view. While in line, we found angel of God again. He was an interesting man.

That's all for now, I suppose, as I'm still on the subway back. I'll leave off with a teaser of my Bronx post: I saw the Guanay cormorant, but not necessarily on exhibit...

 

Was the giant gorilla on exhibit?

 

Unfortunately, it was off-show today. Several signs indicated its presence but it was nowhere to be found. The gift shop had memorabilia for it, but I didn't want to support a place so poor at displaying its feature species.

 

I've just decided that I'll do this in sections, as Bronx is too big a zoo to cover in any other way. No promises on frequency of posts, though.

So, as anticipated, I will need the second day for Bronx. I got through World of Birds, Bison, Sea Bird Aviary, Aquatic Bird House, Birds of Prey, Madagascar!, Children's Zoo*, Zoo Center, Pheasantry, Congo Gorilla Forest, Mouse House, Butterfly Garden, World of Reptiles, Baboon Reserve, Bears, Himalayan Highlands, and Northern Ponds, as well as the deer exhibit of Tiger Mountain.

*only the barnyard area was open, annoyingly.

Wow, this is a big zoo. And a nice one. There are a lot of birds.

TLDR of this section: I like birds and Bronx has a lot of them.
World of Birds was the first exhibit I went to (besides bison, which are boring, though genetically pure). The second and third exhibits have two very rare birds in captivity (one in the wild as well). The first has maleo, as well as Mauritius pink pigeon, Bali mynah, and Sulawesi forest turtle (unseen). This exhibit taught me I am terrible at taking photos of maleos. Unfortunate, but I went in something like four times and will go again Saturday to try. The next exhibit has a very friendly grey-winged trumpeter, but what's more interesting is the Montezuma oropendola. It's very colorful, much more then other oropendola species I've seen.

There's then a very nice exhibit for elegant crested tinamou/guira cuckoo, good at representing their shrubland habitat. The next exhibit had Cuban amazons, and I don't think I took a single photo of them as I was focused on a terrestrial (or so I thought) inhabitant: Chinese bamboo partridge. It was just scuttling back and forth on the ground, very quickly, and the heavy foliage didn't make it easier to get a photo. Then, on my third round of trying to get a photo of it, it all of a sudden decided to fly up to a branch for a good shot (considering the lighting conditions and such).

Next were bird of paradise exhibits: two for Raggiana and two for lesser. The males of each were in full breeding plumage, very beautiful indeed. It was the first time I had seen one in this way, and it is obvious how they get their name.

The second, third, and fourth of these exhibits each had other birds. With the male Raggiana bird of paradise was a pair of Palawan peacock pheasants. At one point, the male was perched in a perfect spot for a photo, facing the right way, and everything. I was turning my camera on and starting to focus when two little kids decided to aggravate it, and it flew at the window. I don't like most little kids. The lesser birds of paradise each shared with a Chinese bamboo partridge. These weren't so inclined as to fly up to a spot where I could see them well.
The next few exhibits in the building were larger, open exhibits. Nothing was too special until the last exhibit on the left: Europe. European animals are quite rare in American zoos, and the birds even more so, so in this aviary of hoopoe, western capercaillie, song thrush, smew, and azure winged magpie, the first three were all lifers for me. There was also a metallic starling, that clearly got there from a previous exhibit (which had several of the same species). I guess these things are bound to happen when there's no barrier. Anyways, I've had a kind of irrational desire to see a hoopoe for years, and now, I finally have.

The capercaillies were bigger than I expected. Unfortunately, the on-exhibit male stood behind a rock the whole time so all I have are bad headshots. The other exhibit, across the path, is a small aviary with species such as violaceous euphonia and blue dacnis. There is also a goliath bird-eating tarantula exhibit. It was a great building.
But wait, there's more! An entire second floor! After ascending a ramp, the building is entered once more, into an African aviary. By far, the most impressive bird is a white-crested (or long-tailed) hornbill.

There were also bearded barbets, starlings, woodhoopoes, and a Congo peafowl (not seen), among other things. The next room was a very large walk-through rainforest room. It was so large, in fact, I had a tough time spotting even the blue-billed curassows, by far the largest inhabitants. Of course, when I found that there were three passerines for the challenge, I just about gave up. I did manage to find one, though. The following room had two rarities, which were also two of my favorite birds: plate-billed mountain toucan and Andean cock-of-the-rock. It was very large, and the toucan was sitting nicely for a photo.

Another large room had three exhibits. One had a pair of oriental pied hornbill. The next was a sort of South American exhibit. Blue-headed macaw, blue-crowned motmot, troupial (not seen), and perhaps one other bird share it. The third had great blue turaco and black-capped social weaver, as well as an unsigned Congo peafowl. There is next an exhibit for kea, followed by toco toucan. Finally, a chick nursery houses two scarlet macaw chicks and one lesser bird of paradise chick. Finches can be seen in the background. After you exit the building, a few yards are seen, but the only inhabitant is a white-naped crane.

Sorry that was a bit long. I really like birds, and I wanted to show off some of my better photos. I could probably live in that building. I might've missed a few exhibits in that review. It's a big building.

Next was the Aquatic Bird House, and its accompanying aviaries. I first went to the Sea Bird Colony aviary. This was another wow moment. The aviary is huge, and it actually made me fairly interested in its inhabitants. Seabirds usually don't excite me, and I'm not sure why, but that was not the case here. There's something rather enchanting about having a talk with someone when (probably) well over 100 Inca terms are circling and flying throughout the same space. Also notable was the accurate mix of species: Peruvian pelican (the only individuals in the US), ruddy-headed goose, Magellanic penguin, and inca tern. There is, of course, one bird missing from this commentary: the beloved guanay cormorant.

He is quite an old bird. He arrived at Bronx as an adult in 1989. As an adult, he lived 28 years, and there's no telling how old he was when he arrived. The only number I've seen online for cormorant longevity is 25 years. This guy is notable because he is the only guanay cormorant in captivity outside their native range. At his old age, he has developed cataracts in both eyes. Having lived in Bronx for so long, he still knows the exhibit by feel. However, he can't avoid pelicans. When the Peruvian pelicans were added to the exhibit, he was almost accidentally drowned. As such, there is now a rotation schedule: sring and summer, pelicans; fall and winter, cormorant. I did ask a higher-ranking staff member and got to see him.

I wasn't so lucky with the lesser adjutant storks, as a red-crowned crane is still in their fantastic aviary for the season. It's quite a large and intricate setup, so there's good reason the storks aren't out yet.

The Aquatic Bird House is a unique design idea, and I haven't heard of any other zoos with such exhibits. There are several waterfowl species displayed throughout, naturally. One good exhibit has an accurate mixing of anhinga, snowy egret, brown pelican, scarlet ibis, etc. and does well in terms of how realistic the exhibit is. There is a kiwi, which isn't aquatic (but can swim), and is barely a bird, in the building. The highlight for most would be the Storm's stork (near the normal entrance). I did not see the black skimmer mixed with the little blue penguins, and will try again tomorrow.

Birds of Prey is a chain of aviaries, each with various raptors in them. Species such as Andean condor, great horned owl, and cinerous vulture are displayed. Nothing sticks out here, but the snowy owls were pretty.

Overall, the bird section at the Bronx Zoo is fantastic. I could spend all day there, and probably will spend a good portion of tomorrow there. I've switched Central Park and Bronx, so I waste less time on transport tomorrow.