Walk Through Aviaries With Large Waders

I was thinking about it the other day and since the walk through monkey enclosure thread popped up, I thought I'd make this one. I know that in most zoos and aviaries they can have small to medium sized birds, but what about the giant ones like these? Would they cause a problem? I left out cranes because of their well known aggression during the breeding season.

1. Dalmatian Pelican
2. Great White Pelican
3. Goliath Heron
4. Jabiru Stork
5. Saddle-Billed Stork
6. Black-Necked Stork
7. Marabou Stork
8. Adjutant Storks
9. Kori Bustard
10. Secretary Bird

 

Several zoos have walk through enclosures with pelicans for example Zoo Parc Overloon. The pelicans here ( Dalmatians ) are quite tame and can even be toutched ( see photos Asian Walk-through at Overloon 14/05/09 | ZooChat and Dalmatic pelican and me | ZooChat ).
Also marabous are kept in walk though enclosures at several zoos like at Rotterdam Zoo.
Even cranes can be found at walk through enclosures at several zoos.

 

Zoo Miami's "Wings of Asia" walk-through aviary has White Stork, Sarus Crane, and Painted Stork in its massive collection.

 

At Australia Zoo there is a pair of free range Jabiru, however they are almost always in the wetland walk-through enclosure (along with Cale Barren Geese, Bruce the Brolga as well as various wild Ibis, pelicans cormorants and water dragons).

 

That is perhaps my favorite aviary of all time!!!! When encountering the Sarus Cranes there, it feels like visiting a family member's house and catching up with them! The Painted Storks there always try to hide on top of the temple out of public view. They only come down to the ground in the late afternoon and evening. I saw one come down, a juvenile who must've "broken the rules" set by the rest of the flock.

 

So it's like St. James Park in London with their flock of Great White Pelicans.

 

Melbourne's Great Flight Aviary has had both brolgas and black-necked storks in recent years, though I don't think they were there at the same time.

It also has a cassowary at times, though it can't access the visitor boardwalk.

 

The huge walkthrough aviary of Walsrode Weltvogelpark had (possibly still has?) a kori bustard which seemed very harmless, if still curious whenever mealworms were involved.

I could've sworn I've seen or heard about a walkthrough aviary with secretary birds as well. Maybe the very same aviary at Walsrode? (Though they weren't there when I visited)

I once read a list published by EAZA of animals that weren't suitable for walkthrough aviaries or other forms of direct contact with guests. I'm pretty sure marabou storks, goliath herons and most cranes except for crowned-cranes were on that list. And yet, since there are walkthrough exhibits with marabous and red-crowned cranes, it might be a matter of the individual bird's personality, some of them being too dangerous and others being docile enough.

They aren't waders, but two other huge birds that sometimes pop up in walkthrough exhibits are rheas and emus. My experience with rheas is that they seem quite gentle, though I still wouldn't want to piss them off given their huge legs and claws.

I have heard that emus can be more risky. Whenever I've seen them in walkthrough exhibits, they kept their distance, but I've encountered aggressive emus behind a fence (especially males with chicks) that I wouldn't want to put in a walkthrough...

 

You are right, in the walk-through aviary at Walsrode both Secretary birds and Kori busards were kept and in matter of fact, the world first breeding of the secretary bird took place in this aviary !

 

The walk-through aviary at the NEW Zoo (my home zoo), has an American White Pelican.

 

Did you have anything to do with it?

 

No not with the first breeding but later we bred it again and at that time I was able to raise one of the chicks by hand ( see E.T hand-raised secretary bird | ZooChat and secretarybird | ZooChat ).

 

Did you see the Jabiru close up? How tall are they? I saw the Saddle Billed Storks (the Jabiru's close cousin) in the Ituri Forest aviary at Lowry Park Zoo in 2012 before they got moved and the male who was right against the netting was tall enough to look me straight in the eye. He must've been nearly 6 feet!

 

The male black necked stork at the San Antonio zoo stands about 5.5 feet tall with his neck extended.

 

A walk-through aviary at Dierenrijk Europe contains great white pelicans and goliath herons among other smaller species: Walkthrough Aviary at Dierenrijk, 31/05/12 | ZooChat

Pages 26-27 of this document show the designing of a walk-through aviary at Amersfoort Zoo for Dalmatian pelicans and both marabou and yellow-billed storks together with vultures, ibis, hamerkops and mandarin ducks: http://www.eaza.net/assets/Uploads/Zooquaria/ZQIssues/Zooquaria-89-LR.pdf

 

Birdworld has a coastal walk through exhibit called 'Seashore Walk' which includes African Spoonbills, Waldrapps and Hamerkops amongst other birds.

Whilst they aren't massive, birds like the spoonbill are still quite large so I thought I'd mention them.

 

Bristol has a walk through exhibit with Flamingos as well as smaller birds like Pied Avocet and Marbled Teal and Little Egret, but the visitors path is well above the area where the birds are so it is more of a viewing platform, although when there are few visitors some of the egrets and Turtle doves fly up to the pathway.

 

They pair were both about 1.3 metres. I have seen them close up on about 50 occasions. There eyes are amazing with the females being bright yellow and the males being a deep amber.

 

That was an awesome article! Thanks.

 

Here's a video of the Amersfoort aviary. It's so cool!