Bustards - A really lovely group of birds, at least one of which I would hope could be included. While I have never seen one to my knowledge (although my local zoo did keep at least one until I was six years old), the
kori bustard is my favourite option. A really stunning bird that would add a lot to African sections, able to live in mixed paddocks, walk-through enclosures, free-roaming in zoo grounds and also big and impressive enough to be able to be their own standalone display. I have seen the
great bustard before in captivity, and they would be a close second place.
Cukoos - Although not the prettiest bird, the
Guira cukoo could be worth adding. The
crested coua is another good choice, a Madagascan species that is especially common in American zoos. My other two options are mostly ground-dwelling birds - perhaps the most-needed species of cukoo is the
greater roadrunner, native to the American desert. Very similar in form and behaviour, but from the jungles of Indochina and no longer kept in captivity (although it was kept and bred in the past) is the
coral-billed ground cukoo. In short, the roadrunner is necessary, with the other three being nice to have.
Turacos - I think two species of turaco are needed, and fortunately there are two really good options that differ strongly from each other and are widespread in captivity. The
white-cheeked turaco is probably the most commonly-kept species in zoos, but has a fairly limited wild range from the mountain forests of Ethiopia. By contrast, the
great blue turaco is rather more difficult to keep and breed and is subsequently rarer (most common in North American zoos), but is a much larger bird that occupies most of the Central and West African tropical rainforest.
Trogons - I struggle to say that trogons are absolutely necessary, although there are three that would be nice to have. The only species I have seen in captivity is the
collared trogon from South America, and they are becoming increasingly common in European zoos. A couple of places also have the
Cuban trogon, which would add a lovely Caribbean representative to the game. Finally, the
resplendent quetzal is now being kept and bred successfully in zoos in Central America (I believe the Dallas World Aquarium had them until fairly recently) and they are such an important bird in Central American culture I would consider including them as well.
Piciformes - One of my favourite groups of birds, so obviously I think there are going to be a fair few essential species here. Firstly, the toucans. For me personally, the archetypal toucan is the
white-throated toucan - it combines the black-and-white plumage with a multicoloured beak (maybe I consider it archetypal because a lot of the Dorling Kindersley books I had as a child used pictures of this species to represent the toucans). I would also love the
toco toucan, the
keel-billed toucan and the
green aracari, all of which add a little something extra. For woodpeckers, I would struggle to say that they are essential, but I would absolutely adore the
yellow-fronted woodpecker, which is a highly sociable South American rainforest species that has been kept and bred fairly often in captivity in the past. Finally, as an additional bird to go alongside the turacos in an African jungle display I would pick the
bearded barbet, which again seems to be fairly widespread in zoos. If push came to shove, I would choose just the white-throated toucan and bearded barbet.
Coraciiformes - Lots more potential options here. The most obvious essential species is the
laughing kookaburra, probably among the most recognisable and widely-kept of Australia's birds. The other kingfisher I would consider important is the
Guam kingfisher, for its conservation history as an extinct in the wild species that is now being reintroduced from zoo-bred stock. For the bee-eaters, I would choose the
European bee-eater, which is the most widely-kept species here in European zoos and has a very wide natural range in the wild. The
lilac-breasted roller is another commonly-kept species in captivity, this time from the plains of Africa and I think is one of the most charismatic of Africa's birds, so should definitely get some consideration. To add another South American rainforest species, I would choose the
Amazonian motmot (it is likely that most of the unidentified blue-crowned motmots in captivity are of this species) - they are not that uncommonly kept and should warrant a spot. Finally, although not at all essential, courtesy of not being kept in captivity any more, I would love to see the
pitta-like ground-roller, a beautifully coloured ground-living bird from Madagascar. This species has been kept and bred successfully, with the last individual in captivity dying last year at Zurich Zoo. Personally, I would say the kookaburra and roller are essential, with the others being very nice to have in addition.
Columbimorphs - Pigeons and doves are a surprisingly big group of birds, with some beautiful species - I would personally hope for at least four or five at least. The most important, in my opinion, is the
Victoria crowned pigeon. Big, beautiful and able to work in all sorts of different displays, they are probably a top ten bird species for me personally. Mainland Australia would be represented by the rather pretty
crested pigeon, which seems to be pretty common in captivity. For Southeast Asia, I would choose the
pink-headed fruit-dove - I saw one recently at London Zoo for the first time, and they are stunning. I would choose the
European turtle dove to represent Africa and western Eurasia; together with the bee-eater and maybe a few other species, you could make a lovely aviary for intercontinental migratory birds in either a European or African zone. Finally, the Endangered
blue-headed quail-dove is a species that has really taken off in popularity in European zoos in recent years (which is surprising, as they are almost flightless and certainly fly less than the crowned pigeons do); these would be my choice for a Caribbean island bird species.
Cukoo-roller - While it has been kept until fairly recently (Walsrode in Germany had them until 2021), I don't think this species is at all necessary.
