Choose 12 aviary birds and 7 ground birds

We talk about aviaries all the time, and I'm not sure if there's a thread just like this or not... well I guess some peoples' wishes change overtime anyway.

If Frontier does ever implement aviaries, I highly doubt they'd only make like.. a pack of 4/5 birds for them. Making a whole new enclosure system just for a few animals seems a waste of resources. But even on the very lucky chance they actually do this, it might still be overly optimistic to think they'll be... amazingly represented. But let's go with 12!

And with ground birds, I find it unlikely for some reason that they'd include a 4/5-animal DLC of only ground birds. (I dunno, that's just me.) I have a feeling we might only get them in DLC with other animals (like the cassowary was) and these will probably never exceed one bird max. Let's assume we'll get 7 or 8 at best.

(I'd love hummingbirds as place-down effects, like the smoke and running water. Even ducks and swans could be like that too, and just placed on the surface of ponds. But there's a chance Frontier will never do this. I'd also love bats, especially giant fruit bats, but to keep it simple lets stick with birds!)

My choices are:

  1. Macaw
  2. Toucan
  3. Bald Eagle
  4. Philippine Eagle
  5. Harpy Eagle
  6. Kookabura
  7. Rhinoceros Hornbill
  8. Andean Condor
  9. Bearded Vulture
  10. Turaco
  11. Snowy Owl
  12. Second owl species

  1. Kiwi Bird
  2. Humboldt Penguin
  3. Scarlet Ibis
  4. Red Crowned Crane
  5. Shoebill or Spoonbill
  6. Secretary Bird or Grey Crowned Crane
  7. Pelican or Swan species
  8. King Penguin

I think everything here technically exists in zoos? Let me know if I'm mistaken!

What species would you choose?
 
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Edit: I wanted to change "7" to "8" ground birds but whatever, lol do what you want! 😅 Also feel free to go with 12 species that vary from each other. (For instance, maybe Frontier would copy-paste different colours of macaw for easy species additions, so if you want you could just list "macaw" in that case without specifying.)
 
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You don’t have to ask me twice :cool:


Aviary Expansion:

12 aviary birds:
-Scarlet Macaw
-Blue Crowned Pigeon
-Crested Cokatoo
-Indian Hornbill
-Toucan Toco
-Scarlett ibis
-Roseate spoonbill
-Kookabura
-Great Blue turaco
-Greater Bird of Paradise
-Stellar’s Sea eagle
-Snowy owl

8 ground birds (sorry but couldn’t fit in 7 😋):
-Jabiru
-Ocellated turkey
-Argus
-Great Bustard
-Shoebill
-African ground hornbill
-Crown crested crane
-Secretary bird
 
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Just love them. One of my favorite of storks.
1603542853176.jpeg
 
I'm always confused about macaws and parrots, I don't really know the difference. Also some birds fly, but spend so much time on the ground that I don't know where to place them. Therefore I might have to modify my list if I made a mistake. Anyway, I tried to get a balance for different continents and biomas, but I ended up adding an extra animal for each category. it's difficult to narrow the list :eek:

Flying:
  1. Bald eagle
  2. Snowy owl
  3. Toco toucan
  4. Scarlet macaw
  5. Blue and yellow macaw
  6. Andean condor
  7. Golden eagle
  8. Eurasian eagle owl
  9. Cockatoo
  10. Peregrine falcon
  11. African vulture
  12. Great white pelican
  13. Common raven
Ground:
  1. Emu
  2. Kiwi
  3. Secretary bird
  4. African ground hornbill
  5. African marabou
  6. Red crowned crane
  7. Roadrunner
  8. White stork
  9. White swan (I don't like the idea of having this a special effect, that could work for fish, but not for swans)
 
  1. Hyacinth Macaw
  2. Keel-Billed Toucan
  3. Bald Eagle
  4. Scarlet Macaw
  5. Andean Condor
  6. Rainbow Lorikeet
  7. Victoria Crowned pigeon
  8. Rhinoceros Hornbill
  9. Griffon Vulture
  10. Snowy Owl or Band-Bellied Owl
  11. Sage Grouse
  12. Frigatebirds

  1. Australian Brushturkey or Wild Turkey
  2. North Island Brown Kiwi
  3. Shoebill
  4. Grey Crowned Crane
  5. Secretary Bird
  6. Bulwer's Pheasant
  7. Golden Pheasant
  8. Australian Pelican or Dalmatian Pelican

Forgot a very nice looking ground bird, which I used in another birds list.
Maybe some species aren't being kept in zoos - didn't check on that one.

I think waterfowl could've been a category on it's own, btw :D
 
This was quite difficult but I had a go... I cheated a bit with the ground birds though

Aviary birds
  1. Scarlet macaw
  2. Toco toucan
  3. Snowy owl
  4. Steller's sea eagle
  5. Great hornbill
  6. Laughing kookaburra
  7. Griffon vulture
  8. Kea
  9. Sulphur-crested cockatoo
  10. Lady Amherst's pheasant
  11. Temminck's tragopan
  12. Andean condor
Ground birds - land
  1. Emu
  2. Red-crowned crane
  3. Grey crowned crane
  4. European stork
  5. Brown kiwi
  6. Greater rhea
  7. Brolga
Ground birds - water
  1. Humboldt penguin
  2. Little blue penguin
  3. Australian pelican
  4. Red-breasted goose
  5. Mandarin duck
  6. Black swan
  7. Whooper swan
  8. Mallard
 
I'd have a hard time even naming 19 birds :D At least not 19 birds I would typically associated with being kept captive in a zoo. I know swans and ducks live there, but in my mind this is just wildlife that settled there. So allow me to break the rules and just let me name the birds I care to have in a zoo:

Snow owl
Great grey owl
Griffon Volture
Black Crowned Crane
Scarlet Macaw
Fischers Lovebird
Budgerigar
Humboldt Penguin
King Penguin
Mute swan
Any form of duck
Any kind of eagle
Northern Goshawk
Common buzzard

Yay, at least I found some birds I know and like ;) Lets be honest, besides from penguins the only birds I really, really enjoy watching are those naughty wild sparrows, constantly stealing other animals food.
 
Great thread. While birds are mostly not towards the top of my list there's so many I'd like to eventually see. The ones with a * are the ones I consider essential regardless of what kind of avian content we get.

Aviary:
Bald Eagle*
Toco Toucan*
Scarlet Macaw
Hyacinth Macaw
Kingfisher
Rhinoceros hornbill*
Kingfisher
Osprey
Snowy Owl
Barn Owl
Great Blue Heron - I think it could work as an aviary bird though I know it's technically more a wading bird - replace with a cockatoo if it would be considered ground bird, not to replace any of the ground birds below.
Harpy Eagle


Ground: - too had to go for 8 instead of 7 and make it an even 20 birds.
Scarlet Ibis
Secretary Bird
Roadrunner
Marabou Stork*
Rockhopper Penguin
King Penguin*
Australian Pelican (more water than land based)
Shoebill Stork
 
okay this is fun!
aviary birds:
1. Kingfisher
2. Greater Bird of paradise
3. Toco toucan
4. Rhinoceros Hornbill
5. yellow crested Cockatoo
6. scarlet macaw
7.blue and gold macaw
8. military macaw
9. Javan Hawk Eagle
10. Philippines sea Eagle
11. Peregrine Falcon
12. Golden Eagle

Ground birds:
1. Scarlet Ibis
2. the red crowned crane
3.secretary bird
4. Shoebill
5. spoonbill
6. Storks
7. Kakapo
 
Here are my choices, in no particular order

Aviary Only Birds
  • Rainbow lorikeet (AUS)
  • Rose-ringed parakeet (AF and AS)
  • Fischer's lovebird (AF)
  • Scarlet Macaw (SA)
  • Great green macaw (SA)
  • Spix's Macaw (SA. This would be our first ever Extinct in Wild classified animal)
  • Black palm cockatoo (AUS)
  • Kookaburra (AUS)
  • Galah (AUS)
  • Great hornbill (AS)
  • Steller's sea eagle (AS)
  • Andean condor (SA)

Aviary or Habitat Birds
  • Fairy penguin (AUS)
  • Galapagos penguin (SA)
  • Scarlet ibis (SA and NA)
  • Roseate spoonbill (SA and NA)
  • Ocellated turkey (SA and NA)
  • Kori bustard (AF)
  • Kakapo (AUS)
  • Emperor Penguin (ANT)
 
Aviary birds. I like to try and nominate animals from all regions. One larger predatory/scavenger bird and one colorful bird.
  1. Bald eagle
  2. California condor
  3. Andean condor
  4. Toucan
  5. Secretary birds
  6. African grey parrot
  7. Golden eagle
  8. Cormorants
  9. Any birds of paradise
  10. Snowy owl
  11. Kookaburra
  12. Osprey
I really can’t think of any Indian or Asian exclusive birds for aviaries
Ground birds

  1. Sandhill crane
  2. Rhea
  3. Shoebill
  4. Red-crowned crane
  5. Golden pheasant
  6. Emu
  7. Penguins (any)
 
I cheated, but these birds would make my zoo look absolutely stunning!

"Flightless Birds"
1.Kiwi (Oceania)
2.Emu (Oceania)
3.Rhea (South America)
4.Grey Crowned Crane (Africa)
5.Secretary Bird (Africa)
6.Cape Penguin (Africa)
7.Great Blue Heron (North America)
8.Wild Turkey (North America)
9.Greater Roadrunner (North America)
10.Japanese Crane (Asia)


Aviary Birds
1.Bald Eagle (North America)
2.Snowy Owl (North America)
3.Scarlet Ibis (North America)
4.Macaw(s) (South America)
5.Toco Toucan (South America)
6.Golden Eagle (Europe)
7.Eurasian Eagle Owl (Europe)
8.Great Hornbill (Asia)
9.Cockatoos (Oceania)
10.Crowned Pigeon (Oceania)


I'm so excited for the upcoming DLC. Here's hoping it's not another soundtrack!
 
For aviaries... Birds of Paradise, Hornbills, hummingbirds and fruitdoves. Several species of these would be the dream!

For habitats

Java peafowl
Congo peafowl
Temmincks tragopan
Agami heron
Kiwi
Palawan peacock pheasant
 
Ground
1 Secretary Bird
2 Crowned Crane
3 Scarlet Ibis
4 Golden Pheasant
5 Shoebill
6 Ground Hornbill
7 Kiwi
8 (slight cheating) Victoria Crowned Pigeon

Aviary
1 Hyacinth Macaw
2 Palm Cockatoo
3 African Grey Parrot
4 Toco Toucan
5 Laughing Kookaburra
6 Raggiana Bird of Paradise
7 Great Indian Hornbill
8 Bald Eagle
9 Andean Condor
10 Harpy Eagle
11 Peregrine Falcon
12 Snowy Owl
 
Of the twelve flying birds, I have chosen five species that would need free-flying but the other seven are species that, although they are kept in aviaries, would not look out of place spending most of their time on the ground. I have also tried to choose species from six continents:

1. Ruppell's griffon vulture (Africa): Desert, Grassland - Critically Endangered
2. African sacred ibis (Africa, Asia): Aquatic, Grassland, Temperate, Tropical - Least Concern
3. Wrinkled hornbill (Asia): Tropical - Endangered
4. Mindanao bleeding heart dove (Asia): Tropical - Vulnerable
5. Hyacinth macaw (South America): Grassland, Tropical - Vulnerable
6. Scarlet ibis (South America): Aquatic, Grassland, Tropical - Least Concern
7. Bald eagle (North America): Aquatic, Desert, Grassland, Taiga, Temperate - Least Concern
8. Greater roadrunner (North America): Desert - Least Concern
9. Black woodpecker (Asia, Europe): Taiga, Temperate - Least Concern
10. Atlantic puffin (Europe, North America): Aquatic, Temperate, Tundra - Vulnerable
11. Flame bowerbird (Oceania): Tropical - Least Concern
12. Superb lyrebird (Oceania): Temperate - Least Concern

Of the larger ground-based birds, I feel like I had to choose eight species, as there are enough good options to warrant it. Again, I have tried to choose birds from multiple continents:
1. Grey crowned crane (Africa): Aquatic, Grassland - Endangered
2. Southern ground hornbill (Africa): Grassland - Vulnerable
3. Painted stork (Asia) - Aquatic, Grassland, Tropical - Near Threatened
4. Ocellated turkey (South America): Temperate, Tropical - Near Threatened
5. Grey winged trumpeter (South America): Tropical - Near Threatened
6. Great blue heron (North America): Aquatic, Grassland, Taiga, Temperate - Least Concern
7. Dalmatian pelican (Asia, Europe): Aquatic, Grassland, Temperate - Near Threatened
8. Australian bustard (Oceania): Desert, Grassland - Least Concern
 
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Ground Birds
  • Grey crowned crane (endangered) / Sarus crane (vulnerable)
  • Black-faced spoonbill (endangered) / Roseate spoonbill
  • Helmeted guineafowl
  • Marabou stork
  • Shoebill (vulnerable)
  • Dalmatian pelican
  • Duck sp / Swan sp

Aviary Birds
  • Toco toucan
  • Hyacinth macaw
  • Blue-and-yellow macaw / Scarlet macaw / Blue-throated macaw (crically endangered)
  • Major Mitchell's cockatoo / White cockatoo (endangered)
  • Harpy eagle
  • Snowy owl (vulnerable) / Eurasian eagle-owl
  • Laughing kookaburra
  • Andean condor / California condor (critically endangered)
  • Vulture sp
  • Cantabrian capercaillie (critically endangered)
  • Peregrine falcon / Common krestel
  • Pink-necked green pigeon

This is the Pink-necked green pigeon

Paloma arco iris.jpg
 
I guess for me it would be;

  • Blue-and-yellow macaw.
  • Suphur-crested cockatoo.
  • African grey parrot.
  • Egyptian vulture.
  • Eurasian eagle owl.
  • Steller's sea eagle.
  • Toco toucan.
  • Laughing kookaburra.
  • Great blue turaco.
  • Waldrapp ibis.
  • Little red flying fox (not a bird, obviously, but a crepuscular bat).
  • ???

I tried to focus on some of the more 'iconic' species, so filling out twelve is actually quite difficult while also keeping it balanced. Three common zoo parrots, three birds-of-prey, four 'other', one bat, and one ???.

For groundbirds my top picks are;
  • North Island brown kiwi.
  • Himalayan monal.
  • Emu.
  • Red-crowned crane.
  • Grey crowned crane.
  • Golden pheasant.
  • Victoria crowned pigeon.
  • Great white pelican.
 
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