The Ultimate, Essential Bird Meta-Wishlist (Habitat AND Aviary)

TheDuckKnight

TheDuckKnight
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Let's prove these crooked people (whose are zoos are total disasters) wrong! I am doing many GREAT and UNBELIEVABLE things to fix the bird issues. Believe me. It is going to be a HUGE, tremendous roster of birds. Wow, Very nice. It'll be so good we are going to rename the Planet Bird. Very great game.

So, here it is, the reason we're here - Weekly community poll - Which is kind of duck most appealing?

I was watching various places, and I saw the MALLARD. THE GREAT MALLARD. He did Atop the Fourth Pond. And he talked about the famous DLC DRAMA, right! And he said the new DLC will be out when its out. And we like that. It will be out when its out. But great work ethic. The Wood Duck was there. The Great Wood Duck.

Mallard.jpeg
 
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synthetase

synthetase
TheDuckKnight said:
Texted Deleted

Let's prove these crooked people (whose are zoos are total disasters) wrong! I am doing many GREAT and UNBELIEVABLE things to fix the bird issues. Believe me. It is going to be a HUGE, tremendous roster of birds. Wow, Very nice. It'll be so good we are going to rename the Planet Bird. Very great game.

So, here it is, the reason we're here - Weekly community poll - Which is kind of duck most appealing?

I was watching various places, and I saw the MALLARD. THE GREAT MALLARD. He did Atop the Fourth Pond. And he talked about the famous DLC DRAMA, right! And he said the new DLC will be out when its out. And we like that. It will be out when its out. But great work ethic. The Wood Duck was there. The Great Wood Duck.

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I'd have to agree with you on the Mallard. Its iconic with a pretty decent range!
 
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bkfireshark

bkfireshark
While I'm not the biggest duck lover myself, they are still gorgeous animals and should def have some rep in our game. More birds! More waterfowl! I'd say my top 5 ducks are:

1. Mandarin Duck
2. Harlequin Duck
3. Scaly-Sided Merganser
4. Smew
5. Wood Duck
 

SuzieSky

SuzieSky
TheDuckKnight said:
Some VERY nasty people on this forum - who are total lightweights and doing very badly in the polls, believe me - said ducks lack appeal. Sad!

Let's prove these crooked people (whose are zoos are total disasters) wrong! I am doing many GREAT and UNBELIEVABLE things to fix the bird issues. Believe me. It is going to be a HUGE, tremendous roster of birds. Wow, Very nice. It'll be so good we are going to rename the Planet Bird. Very great game.

So, here it is, the reason we're here - Weekly community poll - Which is kind of duck most appealing?

I was watching various places, and I saw the MALLARD. THE GREAT MALLARD. He did Atop the Fourth Pond. And he talked about the famous DLC DRAMA, right! And he said the new DLC will be out when its out. And we like that. It will be out when its out. But great work ethic. The Wood Duck was there. The Great Wood Duck.
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My top 5 ducks:
  1. Mandarin Duck (the duck people want): This duck is famous for its striking colors and high presence in zoos. This ornamental bird from East Asia is the most popular on the wishlists, and I'm not confused about why. They are very beautiful birds and a staple species.
  2. Mallard Duck (the duck people expect, for better or worse): This is probably the first duck most people think of and the wild ancestor of most domestic ducks, giving them a second use in barnyard sections. They are very common in Europe, East Asia, and North America, the three regions with the most players. They could share habitats with swans, beavers, and chickens. They also frequently invade zoos, so they are a great 'ambiance' pick for zoos in the Northern Hemisphere. While they are a bit mundane, mallards would be extremely useful.
  3. White-Faced Whistling Duck (the duck people will eventually need): The pink trio: American flamingo, roseate spoonbill, and scarlet ibis are 3 of the 4 most wishlist-popular, habitat birds native South America. This duck would be a great companion for whichever one(s) are hopefully included as well as other in-game animals like the capybara, anteater, and capuchin. It also ranges in Africa, where it could share space with the in-game greater flamingo, African ungulates, and some small mammals. Hopefully, we will also get the highly-requested grey crowned crane and great white pelican to go with it there. Between its roles as a small habitat filler, an indoor mixed wetlands bird, and decoration for larger habitats, the WFWD would be a very useful addition to PZ.
  4. North American Wood Duck (my favorite duck): A close relative of the Mandarin, the wood duck is also similar in the vibrancy of its coloration and zoo presence. The females of this species are also rather pretty. I love them, but they aren't as famous or wishlist-popular as the Mandarin. The other 3 are probably more important.
  5. Muscovy Duck (funny, domestic duck): This one could be a good friend to barnyard animals and South American birds. The red knobs on their faces are distinctive, and they are another ancestor species of other domestic ducks. They'd be pretty good, too.
Honorable Mentions:
  • Hooded Mergansers, Common Loon, Ruddy, and Harlequin Ducks: I like several of these local ducks and the loon, which isn't a duck but has a neat call. I doubt we'll see them in the game, but mods would be nice.

I think the oft-discussed first 3 and perhaps the black swan have a high general appeal. I concede that ducks (especially the mallard) are a bit mundane, but the audience likely includes a fair amount of zoo nerds, modders, animal lovers, local wildlife fanatics, realism (or at least close) builders/collectors, gardeners/landscapers, and builders.
  • For the animal nerds: Ducks are basic, and birds need more rep
  • For the modders: any duck that quacks and goose that honks would be good
  • For the animal lovers: Mandarin ducks are pretty, mallards and wfwd can be friends to several other popular in-game animals
  • For the local wildlife fanatics: mallards, wfwd, and black swans would cover every relevant continent
  • For the realism builders/animal collectors: ducks are super common in zoos, especially the first four species
  • For the gardeners/landscapers: duck ponds are cool
  • For the builders: indoor wetlands habitats are cool
  • For everybody else: Mandarins are pretty, and black swans are famous from the ballet.
To conclude, ducks would be a great addition to Planet Zoo. Frontier, please give us ducks!
 

TheDuckKnight

TheDuckKnight
We're about a week away from the next Frontier Unlocked stream and everyone is wondering what news there'll be.
On another side of the Forums, a new, spicy 🌶️HOT TAKES🌶️ thread is sweeping the nation!

So let's give it a try here - weekly community poll - what are your BIRD hot takes?

BUT HANG ON, you can only have hot takes about the birds IN-GAME. So none of "bird xyz not being in the African Domestic Goat Pack is a DISGRACE!" or "they should have put in this bird of instead of yada yada"

No speculation, no woe is me, IN-GAME takes only.

I got a few...
  1. Coming off my youthful days of Zoo Tycoon (and as much as I miss the Happy Feet babies), swapping the Emperor Penguin for the King is a VERY good call.
  2. Despite being pooping machines and not exactly thrilling, the peacocks are truly beautiful and might be my favorite base game animals.
  3. Oceania is the one region which I feel has genuinely great bird representation, and (excluding the possibility of flighted birds) I wouldn't mind if the current four - emu, kiwi, cassowary, little blue - remain the final roster of the region.
  4. The Sussex chicken, in particular the red rooster color morph, is my favorite animal in the game. Not bird. Not 2024 animal. He is unironically my GOAT.
How about YOU?

bird fam planet zoo small 2024.png
 

Mr-Hyrax 2

Mr-Hyrax 2
TheDuckKnight said:
We're about a week away from the next Frontier Unlocked stream and everyone is wondering what news there'll be.
On another side of the Forums, a new, spicy 🌶️HOT TAKES🌶️ thread is sweeping the nation!

So let's give it a try here - weekly community poll - what are your BIRD hot takes?

BUT HANG ON, you can only have hot takes about the birds IN-GAME. So none of "bird xyz not being in the African Domestic Goat Pack is a DISGRACE!" or "they should have put in this bird of instead of yada yada"

No speculation, no woe is me, IN-GAME takes only.

I got a few...
  1. Coming off my youthful days of Zoo Tycoon (and as much as I miss the Happy Feet babies), swapping the Emperor Penguin for the King is a VERY good call.
  2. Despite being pooping machines and not exactly thrilling, the peacocks are truly beautiful and might be my favorite base game animals.
  3. Oceania is the one region which I feel has genuinely great bird representation, and (excluding the possibility of flighted birds) I wouldn't mind if the current four - emu, kiwi, cassowary, little blue - remain the final roster of the region.
  4. The Sussex chicken, in particular the red rooster color morph, is my favorite animal in the game. Not bird. Not 2024 animal. He is unironically my GOAT.
How about YOU?

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Here is one, I personally feel the blue Penguin was great pick for Planet Zoo, don't get me wrong there are better options but honestly I feel the amount of controversy surrounding it was unjust, also I like the Cassowary more than the swan.
 

synthetase

synthetase
TheDuckKnight said:
  1. Coming off my youthful days of Zoo Tycoon (and as much as I miss the Happy Feet babies), swapping the Emperor Penguin for the King is a VERY good call.
  2. Despite being pooping machines and not exactly thrilling, the peacocks are truly beautiful and might be my favorite base game animals.
  3. Oceania is the one region which I feel has genuinely great bird representation, and (excluding the possibility of flighted birds) I wouldn't mind if the current four - emu, kiwi, cassowary, little blue - remain the final roster of the region.
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Agreed with all the above.
Cassowary is the coolest bird addition to the game so far! I'm so grateful we have the Crane!
 

NachoB

NachoB
BIRDIE HOT TAKES:

1. Peafowls are some of the best animals from the base game and their quality still stand the test of time.
2. All three penguins species are necessary and we still need one more (rockhopper)
3. Emu should've been in Australia pack and Cassowary in Tropical DLC instead of the AWM. That would have left a spot open in Grasslands for either rhea or secretary.
4. The swan is the best and most important animal we got in the Eurasia pack and it is probably one of the most important animals we got period.
5. Even though i love them and was very excited when they were revealed, the red crowned crane weren't the best pick for a bird in the wetlands pack.
 

bird-watcher-91

B
TheDuckKnight said:
We're about a week away from the next Frontier Unlocked stream and everyone is wondering what news there'll be.
On another side of the Forums, a new, spicy 🌶️HOT TAKES🌶️ thread is sweeping the nation!

So let's give it a try here - weekly community poll - what are your BIRD hot takes?

BUT HANG ON, you can only have hot takes about the birds IN-GAME. So none of "bird xyz not being in the African Domestic Goat Pack is a DISGRACE!" or "they should have put in this bird of instead of yada yada"

No speculation, no woe is me, IN-GAME takes only.

I got a few...
  1. Coming off my youthful days of Zoo Tycoon (and as much as I miss the Happy Feet babies), swapping the Emperor Penguin for the King is a VERY good call.
  2. Despite being pooping machines and not exactly thrilling, the peacocks are truly beautiful and might be my favorite base game animals.
  3. Oceania is the one region which I feel has genuinely great bird representation, and (excluding the possibility of flighted birds) I wouldn't mind if the current four - emu, kiwi, cassowary, little blue - remain the final roster of the region.
  4. The Sussex chicken, in particular the red rooster color morph, is my favorite animal in the game. Not bird. Not 2024 animal. He is unironically my GOAT.
How about YOU?

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As a PS5 console player, my opinion on all the birds isn’t fully formed. Here’s what I do think of the birds currently in game:

- The greater flamingo NEEDS A COMPLETE OVERHAUL. I’ve been up close and personal with greater flamingos and they need to start from the drawing board. It’s a blessing and a curse they didn’t use the American flamingo since they need to improve on how feathers move and how to make a tucked wing look natural. I love flamingos, and they messed them up.

- The ostrich is probably my favorite base game bird. It’s a staple in any African exhibit and the common ostrich’s range has flexibility to be mixed with many of the African biomes and hoofstock. However, Frontier needs to update the range map. It’s been known for decades that the ostriches the inhabit eastern Djibouti, Somalia, eastern and southern Ethiopia, and the eastern half of Kenya are a distinct species - the Somali ostrich (Struthio molybdophanes).

- Other than some texturing issues, so far LOVE both the southern cassowary and emu. The red-crowned crane I’ve used once and I love their design. The fact they improved on the feather quality and feather appearance lets me know they’re improving the quality.

- I haven’t tried or seen any of penguins yet. While I have some ideas for habitats, I need to build the confidence to create their exhibits well.
 

NachoB

NachoB
NachoB said:
4. The swan is the best and most important animal we got in the Eurasia pack and it is probably one of the most important animals we got period.
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zom03 said:
My only bird hot take (which is admittedly a fairly big one) is that I'm not a fan of the mute swan's inclusion. It's just kinda boring to me, I'm never compelled to add it to my own zoos, and a duck would have been a better waterfowl addition.
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There are two types of people. Lmao
 

bird-watcher-91

B
zom03 said:
My only bird hot take (which is admittedly a fairly big one) is that I'm not a fan of the mute swan's inclusion. It's just kinda boring to me, I'm never compelled to add it to my own zoos, and a duck would have been a better waterfowl addition.
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I’m with you there. I get that it’s THE swan species the general public thinks of when they hear the word swan, another waterfowl species like the mallard would’ve been a better choice due to its adaptability in multiple biomes and species enrichment. In the context of the Eurasian Animal Pack, this would’ve been the perfect opportunity to introduce the Mandarin duck.

Will I incorporate the mute swan when the Eurasian Animal Pack is released for console? Yes. I’ll only use it for mixed species exhibits featuring Eurasian exhibits.
 
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Marvinb

Marvinb
NachoB said:
There are two types of people. Lmao
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I mean honestly i think both a kinda true at the same time.
Yeah the swan isnt the most exciting animal on its own as its more of an ambient animal than anything else ( although its kinda nice to have that aswell).
But its still arguably the most valuable addition in a very long time, arguably ever, for providing us with a warerfowl rig.
And not only one, but pretty much two at once, the adult for swans and geese and the juvenile for ducks
 
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