Visitors are sometimes surprised to see birds flying around in our Butterfly Rainforest exhibit. Species like our adorable canaries are chosen as great roommates since they don’t pose any harm to our butterfly residents. There are also a number of species of finches hopping and swooping around, like star finches, strawberry finches, zebra finches and more!
Look for the cute quail darting around the undergrowth, and keep an eye on the trees or seed stations for the tiny finches and canaries.
There is one in particular that’s an elusive fan favorite. He is a pin-tailed whydah, named for that outrageously long tail males grow during the breeding season. Like most of the birds that live in the exhibit, he eats mostly seeds and does not pose a threat to his butterfly roommates.
If you want to check out this feathered friend, be sure to look up! He likes to hop around higher up in the tree branches. Look for that orange-red beak and that long tail.