Lear’s Macaws at the Prague ZOO will be exhibited in a new bird house

ZOOs and birdparks

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The foundation stone of a new exotic bird house was ceremonially uncovered in the Prague ZOO. It will be opened in 2016 and we will find there the rarest parrot species bred in this ZOO, including exceptional Lear’s Macaw which are now placed behind the scenes. The building of a new bird house will be named after a breeder of exotic birds Stanislav Rákos who dedicated his property in value of 10 millions CZK (=360 000 euro) to Prague ZOO explicitly for this purpose in the last will. These resources will cover one third of the whole investment. Seven millions will come from EU grant.

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photo: Lear’s Macaw, (c) Zoo Prague

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„By coincidence, when we start planning of this bird house I met Mr. Rákos who decided to support our intention financially. We are deeply grateful for his generosity,“ explains Miroslav Bobek the director of Prague ZOO. At the place where the new pavilion will grow old aviaries stand now. Lories and several macaw species have been kept there. Those will be replaced by two bigger outside aviaries and many inside aviaries with parrots and other birds comming from the Zealand, New Guinea, Philippines, South and Central America.

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Pesquet‘s Parrot is already kept in the ZOO

„The new building will house about 30 bird species,“ says the zoological deputy Jaroslav Šimek, „the list includes the Palm Cockatoo (Probosciger aterrimus), Yellow-billed Amazon (Amazona collaria), Black-billed Amazon (Amazona agilis) and Lear’s Macaw (Anodorhynchus leari). ZOO Prague is the only ZOO in continental Europe which keeps them.“ We can see this species on Tenerife in Loro Parque, too. Lear’s macaw is bred by one private breeder in Switzerland and ACTP (Association for the Conservation of Threatened Parrots) from Berlin wants to get them in the near future. This organization is successfully breeding the extinct Spix’s Macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii).

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Pesquet’s Parrot represents another species which we are going to see in a new bird house. Photo: (c) Greg Hume. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

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Besides Lear’s macaw which Prague ZOO got from confiscation in 2010, we will see in Rákosův pavilon bigger and more popular Hyacinth Macaws (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) – again confiscated birds. Moreover, one rare white cockatoo species will be added to this collection. Most probably Moluccan Cockatoo (Cacatua moluccensis) but we can’t exclude Red-vented Cockatoo (Cacatua haematuropygia) as well. This species is bred in ZOO Pilsen. Prague ZOO has already announced before that Keas should occupy the new outside aviary of this facility. Pesquet’s Parrots will be exhibited as well and they are already prepared behind the scene. Those ZOO got from a private breeder Čestmír Drozdek who was the first with successful breeding of this species in the Czech Republic.

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The Palm Cockato is bred in ZOO Prague for several years. Photo: © Doug Janson, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

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Lear’s macaw on exhibit in 2017

The construction of Rákosův pavilon is a little bit delayed . Originally, it should start the last year and finish this year. Finally, we will have the first chance to visit this facility two years later according to the plan. Similarly there is a shift in another presented project – Amazonia house which will grow up on the base of an old elephant pavilion. Preparatory activies joined with this project were planned to start at these days and construction for years 2015-2017. After destructive floods in June 2013 the ZOO had to reassess original security plans and postponed that indefinitely.

Fortunately, Rákosův pavilon is not threatened by floods as it’s situated in the upper part of the ZOO. What is more it’s already in part of conception for years 2013-2017 approved by municipal government which is the founder of Prague ZOO. „Works start now by stabilization of slope where the building will be embedded,“ presents ZOO in the press release.

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Title photos: (c) Prague ZOO

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