So with all the speculation about an upcoming Aviary themed DLC, I thought it would be fun to think about we'd all want from such a thing. Here's what comes to my mind.
Cryodrakon
View attachment 385641
Rhamphorhynchus
View attachment 385642
Hatzegopteryx
View attachment 385643
Ludodactylus
View attachment 385644
Pterodaustro
View attachment 385645
Nyctosaurus
View attachment 385646
To be honest, I think it would be nice if they added medium sized aviary enclosures, similar to what Prehistoric Kingdom has, to house the smaller species, like Archaeopteryx or Microraptor, instead of having to house them in extremely large aviaries designed to hold pterosaurs. Something like these perhaps.
If I could only pick four species I would pick:
1:
Caelestiventus, A pterosaur species from the late Triassic period found in Saints & Sinners Quarry of northeastern Utah in United States. It's name means heavenly winds. It is important because it is the sole example of a desert-dwelling non-pterodactyloid pterosaur and is 65 million years older than other known desert-dwelling pterosaurs. Caelestiventus is one of the largest known Triassic pterosaurs, with a wingspan of at least 1.5 meters (4.9 ft) and a skull 17.8 cm (7.0 in) long.
2:
Changyuraptor, It is known from a single fossil specimen representing the species Changyuraptor yangi, which was discovered from Early Cretaceous deposits in Liaoning Province, China. It was approximately 1.2 meters (3.9 feet) long and estimated to weigh 4 kilograms (8.8 lbs.), roughly the size of a turkey. At the time of its discovery, C. yangi was the largest four-winged dinosaur known and among the largest Mesozoic flying paravians. It is believed to capable of gliding or flight, but this is being debated.
or
Sinornithosaurus: a genus of feathered dromaeosaurid dinosaur from the early Cretaceous Period of the Yixian Formation in what is now China. It grew to be around 1.2 meters (3.9 feet) long and weighing 3–5 kilograms (6.6–11.0 lbs.). It was the fifth non–avian feathered dinosaur genus discovered by 1999. Specimens of Sinornithosaurus have preserved impressions of feathers both covering the entirety of the body and forming the wings. These feathers were indistinguishable in form from those found on birds from the same geological deposits. At one point, some researchers suspected it of being venomous, but this has been disproven. It is believed to haven capable of gliding short distances between trees.
3:
Archaeopteryx, A genus of avian dinosaurs. It is believed to be capable of flying or gliding, but this is still being debated. It could reach up to 0.5 meters (1.8 feet) in body length and 0.7 meters (2.4 feet) in wingspan, with an estimated mass of 0.5 to 1 kilogram (1.1 to 2.2 lbs.).The name derives from the ancient Greek ἀρχαῖος (archaīos), meaning "ancient", and πτέρυξ (ptéryx), meaning "feather" or "wing". It is sometimes referred to by its German name, "Urvogel", which means Primeval Bird.
4:
Yi qi, A genus of scansoriopterygid dinosaurs from the Late Jurassic of China. It is known from a single fossil specimen of an adult individual found in Middle or Late Jurassic Tiaojishan Formation of Hebei, China, approximately 159 million years ago. It was a small, possibly tree-dwelling (arboreal) animal. Like other scansoriopterygids, Yi possessed an unusual, elongated third finger, that appears to have helped to support a membranous gliding plane made of skin. The wings of Yi qi were also supported by a long, bony strut attached to the wrist. This modified wrist bone and membrane-based plane is unique among all known dinosaurs, and might have resulted in wings similar in appearance to those of bats. Researchers believe it was capable of gliding and given it could only glide limited distances, it likely preferred to live in forests.
or
Mirarce, A genus of enantornithe bird from the Late Cretaceous of Utah. It was similar in size to modern turkeys. It is the most complete enantiornithine found in North America. The generic name is made up of the Latin mirus; beautiful, "for an impressive level of preservation and morphological details," with the addition of the name of Arke ( Ἄρκη \ Arkē ), the winged messenger of the Titans of Greek mythology - "for evidence pointing to an improved vehicle of this kind." The species name eatoni given in honor of Jeffrey Eaton in recognition of the decades of scientific work done on the Kaiparowits formation and the study of its fossil specimens.
