Free-flying birds are one of the headline features of Planet Zoo 2. Birds actually fly across the habitat, land on perches and use nests, so an aviary is as much about vertical space as floor area.
Building the roof
- Draw the habitat barrier with a netting type (wire netting, rope netting) at the grade the species needs. Golden eagles need grade 2 at 1 m.
- Place aviary roof poles inside or along the barrier.
- Use the roof tool on the habitat. Netting is generated between the barrier and the poles.
- Adjust pole positions and heights until the net is taut. Slope zero gives tight lines.
The same tool works for climbing primates such as golden lion tamarins, since anything that climbs needs a roof.
Netting bugs and workarounds
- In a very deep canyon the netting sometimes generated only at the bottom, ignoring poles on the rim. Workaround: drop one pole down into the habitat, apply the roof again (it now catches the rim poles), then lift the pole back up.
- You can swap barrier posts for invisible poles to build a custom metal ring structure while the in-game net still works.
Walk-through or not?
Some birds support walk-through aviaries, others don't. Check the Zoopedia. White-backed vultures don't, but an aquarium glass tunnel can carry guests through a vulture habitat. At each end of the tunnel guests pass through the netting; it isn't perfectly realistic, but it works.
Perches, nests and climbables
- Place perches generously, on rocks, rims, dead trees and even on top of tunnels. Birds of prey love vertical dead trees.
- Don't stack perches directly above one another. Real aviary keepers avoid this for hygiene.
- Place nests on high ledges. Eagles want cup nests; vultures use big vulture nests. Flamingos claim nests and lay eggs that they incubate.
- Many birds want a number of climbable items for thriving (the golden eagle wanted at least three).
The ledge bug
Birds can land on rock ledges even when the traversable heat map doesn't show them as reachable. In one aviary, eagles wouldn't fly to the backstage entrance on their own and had to be placed there manually. If you want birds on a specific ledge, put a perch or nest there.
Golden eagle aviary checklist
- 400 m² of land for one bird, 600 m² for a pair
- Grade 2 netting, 1 m minimum
- 13–30 °C
- Sand and soil, little grass
- A small pond with a pump
- A hidden rock cave away from guests ("Animal cannot vacate high-stress areas" otherwise)
- Perches plus cup nests on ledges, food grade 2 for thriving
Photo mode
Birds are the best subjects for photo mode: freeze a bird mid-landing on a perch and the feather detail is remarkable.
Designing a bird of prey aviary
Real zoos often keep eagles in fairly plain cages, but you can do much better:
- Pick a shape that suits the land. A round aviary built into a hillside, with a stone base that follows the slope, looks far better than a box.
- Build a tall rock wall at the back with shelves and ledges. Eagles in the wild nest on cliffs, so give them a cliff.
- Add a small rock roof over part of the wall so birds can shelter from sun and rain.
- Plant vertical dead trees. Eagles perch on them constantly.
- Add a backstage building with an indoor cage and a ramp out to the aviary, a food prep corner and a keeper entrance through a little stone tunnel.
- Leave a hidden area behind rocks where the bird can get away from guests.
Walk-through aviaries
Some birds let guests walk through their aviary, and flamingos were used in a walk-through aviary at a zoo entrance. Walk-throughs are great for colourful, non-dangerous birds. Even large birds of prey would in reality be too big to see guests as prey, but the game decides per species, so check the Zoopedia.
A vulture canyon in short
Vultures can't share space with guests, but this layout still lets guests feel like they're inside the habitat:
- Carve a deep canyon with the push and flatten tools.
- Run guest paths through tunnels in the rock, with windows looking out over the canyon.
- Cross the canyon with glass aquarium tunnels used as bridges.
- Net the whole thing (see the netting bug fix above).
- Fill it with sand, dead trees, a waterfall and stream (vultures love to bathe), lots of perches, and big nests on the highest ledges.
- Put food trays right in front of a viewing window so guests get front-row seats at feeding time.
More detail on the Build Ideas page.