Lessons learned in a walk through aviary with feeding by the public B. Carlyle-Askew Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle Washington, USA Woodland Park Zoo opened the Willawong Station, a walk through aviary with a feeding opportunity, in 2005. It housed male/female combinations of Budgerigars, Cockatiels, Bourke’s Parrots, Eastern Rosellas , and Princess Parrots. Currently, we have 49.13 Budgerigars, 17.10.8 Cockatiels, 1.3 Bourke’s Parrots, 4.0 Eastern Rosellas , and 1.1 Princess Parrots. It provides a great guest experience that is interactive, fun, and popular with both children and adults. Since its’ inception, we have learned many things. Our goal is to pass this information along to help others have a successful aviary. The Willawong Station consists of an exhibit, a holding area, and a medical ward for birds needing daily care. Several styles of nest boxes have been provided in both the exhibit and holding. The birds are removed once every one to two years for exhibit maintenance and replanting. Initially we used a seed mix that consisted of eight types of seed with pellets. In 2007, the diet was reviewed by a nutritionist. As a result, we implemented a process to change the ratio of seed to pellets and decrease the overall amount fed. In addition, the birds were introduced to millet glued to sticks while in quarantine. Initially, visitors paid $1 for entry and one seed stick. In 2007, we changed to free admission and now seed sticks are available for $1. Feeding opportunities for visitors are available daily in the summer but only on weekends and holidays during the school year. For identification, each bird has a band that is checked twice every time a bird is in hand. We have encountered health issues arising from multiple factors; injuries from aggression or visitor interaction, flock diseases, nutrition related diseases, and reproductive problems. As the population ages, increasing numbers of malignant tumors are being diagnosed. In 2008, we designated a weekly appointment for birds that needed to be seen by Animal Health staff. We have seen requests for information on list serves and received requests from individuals regarding opening a walk through aviary with public feeding at their institutions. We would like share some of the information we have learned to help facilitate their experience.
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