Abstract
The Dallas World Aquanum,
no longer just a place to see fish, is celebrating the first
anniversary of a permanent South American rainforest exhibit. The privately owned aquarium allows visitors a glimpse of the flora and fauna from places that many may never see in person, such as Lord Howe Island, Banggai Island, and Venezuela. The aquarium contains several large exhibits of marine life from around the world, including a walk-through tunnel and an outdoor penguin exhibit. TI1e seven-story tall rainforest begins at tree top level and winds down under the river.
Rainforest animals include Red I !owler Monkeys, Jaguars, Orinoco Crocodiles, toucans, curassows, and many more. A thirty-foot waterfall, pan of the free-flight aviary, cascades into the 200,000 gallon freshwater tank. Live vegetation includes more than five hundred species of plants, including thirty-foot tall palm trees, lianas, and hromeliads. Each part of the rainforest is uniquely enjoyed by the birds - bathing at the top of the waterfall, playing with flowers, displaying nesting behavior in the palm trees, and drinking from the bromeliads. Toucans are the most numerous birds at the facility, with most of them living together in the free-flight aviary.
Many toucan experts in the United States were consulted prior to the grouping of the different species. Multispecies toucan exhibits are common in South American zoos, even with the Emerald Toucanet (presumably these will kill all other toucans if placed in a exhibit with them). Even though many people predicted the combining of the various species would not last one month, the birds have now lived together for more than one year.
Territories have been established, with each species usually staying together except when feeding. The Keel-billed and Swainson's Toucans seem to co-exist more closely than do
the other birds. When food is first introduced, it is the smaller birds like the Black-necked and the Green Aracari that eat first - before the larger toucans fly in to eat. Even larger birds such as curassows will wait for the toucans to eat before getting their share.
Nesting is another story. The nesting sites of the Black-necked Aracari are taken over by the Keel-billed, regardless of location. Even though toucans soon abandon the nests when they discover they are too small, the aracari do not retum to their originally owned nest. Nest-stealing does not result in physical confrontation. Toucans merely move into nests they find unattended and the smaller birds never try to regain ownership after they see the nest is filled. Hollowed out palm logs are offered throughout the rainforest but they have, however, been completely
ignored with live palm trees being preferred. This is probably due to all of the live vegetation.
Silver-heaked, Blue-gray, and Palm Tanagers can be heard more readily than seen in the rainforest. Although once you hear them they are easily seen. They eat a variety of fruits, worms, and seeds. They will stay together or close by each other. Although they are the last ones to eat fruit, they will be the first ones to arrive when food is put out in the morning. They will perch with toucans just a foot away and wait their tum. Periodically one of these birds will disappear, but it is a very rare occasion.
Sunbitterns, Roseate Spoonbills, Scarlet, and Buff-necked Ibises have also paired up and are exhibiting breeding behaviors. Sunbittems do a mating dance with a mixture of whistles. The Spoonbills and ibises have their breeding plumage but have not built nests or laid eggs. These birds are usually not near the toucans, probably because they eat different foods and are found lower in the rainforest.