ARCHITECTURE Remodelled birdhouse at the San Francisco Zoo RONALD T. REUTHER Director, San Francisco Zoological Gardens, San Francisco, Califrnia, USA San Francisco's old birdhouse, built in 1939, was redesigned to accommodate tropical birds in a controlled environment. Inaugurated in Decem- ber 1971, this new walk-through aviary measur- ing 27 x 20 x 12 m is one of the largest in the world. Two waterfalls provide a beautiful backdrop of sight and sound for approximately 50 species of birds amongst tropical vegetation. The water flows into a pond which runs the length of the building; small islands serve as refuges. Periodic tropical rain showers are controlled by a timing device. The birds have access to all parts of the aviary; skylights and perching sites are hidden among the plants. The temperature ranges between 15.6 and 2ooc. Feeding and smoking is prohibited in the building. The $IOS,OOO project was financed jointly by the San Francisco Zoological Society, the Merrill Trust Fund and the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department. The exhibit was designed by Corlett and Spackman Archi- tects. Manuscript submitted 22 May 1972 A mixed exhibit of Cape hyrax and Superb starling Procavia capensis Sprco superbus BRUCE R. W OLHUTER Education Co-ordinator, Cheyenne Mountain Zoological Park, Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo has recently designed a mixed exhibit containing a breeding colony of I : 4 Cape hyrax Procavia capensis and a group of five Superb starlings Spreo superbus. So far no interaction has been noted between the birds and the hyrax. The starlings are ideally suited for the exhibit; they are colourful, easily kept and provide an opportunity to place indi- genous species in the same cage. When more than one adult d hyrax was left in the colony it attacked and eventually killed the other. Two juvenile 88 born in the colony had to be removed for their own safety when they were six months old. Possible interaction at feeding time was eliminated by placing food and water dishes on the floor for the hyrax and higher up for the starlings. The exhibit contains a tree for the birds, a nestbox out of reach of the hyrax, a Q formed fibreglass boulder, and a den for thc hyrax (a carrying crate which can be reached through an opening in the exhibit wall). The hyrax will hide in this den when chased by a keeper which greatly facilitates capture. The only problem encountered so far is that the hyrax frequently break the smaller branches off the tree while climbing. Another aspect which has proved quite successful is the use of high-tension vertical wire 12 mm apart instead of glass which requires frequent cleaning and would pose a tremendous reflection problem in this instance. The use of tension wire enhances the appearance of the extubit and so far has presented no difficulties. Manuscript submitted 12 May 1972

A mixed exhibit of Cape hyrax Procavia capensis and Superb starling Sprco superbus

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Page 1: A mixed exhibit of Cape hyrax Procavia capensis and Superb starling Sprco superbus

A R C H I T E C T U R E

Remodelled birdhouse at the San Francisco Zoo R O N A L D T. REUTHER Director, San Francisco Zoological Gardens, San Francisco, Cal i frnia, USA

San Francisco's old birdhouse, built in 1939, was redesigned to accommodate tropical birds in a controlled environment. Inaugurated in Decem- ber 1971, this new walk-through aviary measur- ing 27 x 20 x 12 m is one of the largest in the world.

Two waterfalls provide a beautiful backdrop of sight and sound for approximately 50 species of birds amongst tropical vegetation. The water flows into a pond which runs the length of the building; small islands serve as refuges. Periodic tropical rain showers are controlled by a timing device. The birds have access to all parts of the

aviary; skylights and perching sites are hidden among the plants. The temperature ranges between 15.6 and 2ooc. Feeding and smoking is prohibited in the building.

The $IOS,OOO project was financed jointly by the San Francisco Zoological Society, the Merrill Trust Fund and the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department. The exhibit was designed by Corlett and Spackman Archi- tects.

Manuscript submitted 22 May 1972

A mixed exhibit of Cape hyrax

and Superb starling Procavia capensis

Sprco superbus

BRUCE R. W OLHUTER Education Co-ordinator, Cheyenne Mountain Zoological Park, Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA

The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo has recently designed a mixed exhibit containing a breeding colony of I : 4 Cape hyrax Procavia capensis and a group of five Superb starlings Spreo superbus. So far no interaction has been noted between the birds and the hyrax. The starlings are ideally suited for the exhibit; they are colourful, easily kept and provide an opportunity to place indi- genous species in the same cage.

When more than one adult d hyrax was left in the colony it attacked and eventually killed the other. Two juvenile 88 born in the colony had to be removed for their own safety when they were six months old. Possible interaction at feeding time was eliminated by placing food and water dishes on the floor for the hyrax and higher up for the starlings. The exhibit contains a tree for the birds, a nestbox out of reach of the hyrax, a Q

formed fibreglass boulder, and a den for thc hyrax (a carrying crate which can be reached through an opening in the exhibit wall). The hyrax will hide in this den when chased by a keeper which greatly facilitates capture. The only problem encountered so far is that the hyrax frequently break the smaller branches off the tree while climbing.

Another aspect which has proved quite successful is the use of high-tension vertical wire 12 mm apart instead of glass which requires frequent cleaning and would pose a tremendous reflection problem in this instance. The use of tension wire enhances the appearance of the extubit and so far has presented no difficulties.

Manuscript submitted 12 May 1972