BIRDS

There are thousands of places worldwide where you can see captive birds. They include almost all the zoos, as well as scores of bird gardens, parks, country homes, and specialist collections. Between them they hold well over a thousand species and subspecies of birds (in Britain the National Federation of Zoological Gardens lists 1,005 species among its member zoos). Altogether there are probably more than 180,000 individual birds in collections - a fairly substantial number. Less than half of the species breed regularly, which means that many of the remaining five hundred species will probably rely upon wild caught birds to sustain their numbers in captivity. This may be a disheartening statistic, but it conceals the fact that most of the species that do breed, breed well; and things are improving for many of the rest.

Britain's best known bird collections are the various centres of the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust which keep the best and most complete collections of waterfowl in the world. The Trust's centre at Slimbridge in Gloucestershire is the only place on Earth where you can see all six species of flamingo (four breeding well). The Trust also provides essential protected wintering areas for vast numbers of migrating waterfowl in Britain, and their work with endangered species - captive breeding and reintroducing birds into the wild - has been hugely successful, and highly influential.

Other specialist collections include several falconry centres which breed birds of prey. They will usually mount falconry displays for visitors, and several have put their falconry techniques to good effect in reintroduction programmes. A number of bird gardens have large and successful collections of tropical birds. Among the best are the World Pheasant Association collection at Childe Beale near Reading, Bird World at Famhain in Surrey, Harewood Bird Gardens near Leeds, and Paradise Park at Hale in Comwall.

Most zoos keep penguins, but not many zoos keep them well. Like most of the birds in zoos, a substantial degree of commitment is needed to breed penguins. Humboldt's penguins, for example, need sandy burrows to lay their eggs, and a quiet off-show area to rear the chicks. Hand rearing of young chicks is often essential because although wild birds will feed their young fish from their crops, it is difficult in zoos to repeat this. This is because without the long swim and walk back from the sea, the fish does not have long enough to predigest. Where zoos are committed to breeding, they can be very successful. In Britain, Chester Zoo, Penscynor, and Whipsnade hatch about sixty chicks a year between them; but few of the remaining zoos with Humboldt's penguins manage to rear any.

Of the more rarely seen penguins in zoos, nowhere has more success than Edinburgh zoo which annually hatches around thirty gentoos and usually a small clutch of rockhoppers and king penguins. Edinburgh Zoo's new penguin pool, opened in 1992, is probably the best place to see penguins in Europe

BEES

BUTTERFLY

Bicolor Parrot

The giant hatchetfish is found in deep tropical and subtropical waters of all oceans, except the north Pacific. Its length is between 8 and 12 cm. The giant hatchetfish is a deep-bodied species with large eyes that are directed upwards, enabling prey to be silhouetted against the faint light coming from the surface, and a large mouth also directed upwards.

Robot Fish

This one is a robo-carp you can observe at the London Aquarium. It’s a self-guided robot-fish who use artificial intelligence and sensors to avoid obstacles . It’s a 50cm long common carp, swimming with their living counterparts.