Creature Feature: Aviaries
Welcome back to another Creature Feature where we’ll be talking aviaries and the tools that will be at your disposal to create stunning homes for Planet Zoo 2’s new flying birds.
Hayo Zookeepers!
Welcome back to another Creature Feature! This week we’ll be talking aviaries and the tools that will be at your disposal to create stunning homes for Planet Zoo 2’s new flying birds.
A roof over your head
What makes an aviary an aviary – the roof!
Aviaries in Planet Zoo 2 make use of the same habitat construction tools as our terrestrial animals, with one key difference, they require a roof to keep both your guests and your birds safe.
Our goal for aviary roofs was simple – they needed to be quick and familiar.
To create a simple habitat in the original Planet Zoo (and Planet Zoo 2!), all you need to do is build a contained loop of barriers and add a staff gate. Adding a roof in the original Planet Zoo on the other hand was an altogether more complex undertaking, requiring time spent editing scenery, terrain and barriers to get the desired effect.
Now that roofs are a requirement for some of our species, it was important for us to make them as accessible as possible, so absolutely anyone can build them without a significant time investment.
In Planet Zoo 2 to build a roof for a habitat, all you need to do is select a habitat, select “Add Roof” and hey, presto, you have a roof!
With one click, roofs automatically generate from nearby barrier posts to form a cover over the entire habitat, resulting in a habitat with a flat roof spanning over it.
But of course, if you want to customise your aviary, you can!
Pillars can be placed anywhere in the habitat, and the roof will adjust its shape to connect and reflect their placement. Pillar height and rotation can be adjusted as well, as can the material and convexity of the roof itself, in the same way you can customise your habitat’s barriers.
These simple tools provide lots of flexibility so you can really let your creativity soar and create amazing shapes, from tent-like structures to classically domed aviaries.
Creature comforts
Once you have your aviary, it’s time to welcome some flying birds to their new home.
For the most part, birds have very similar requirements to the other animals in Planet Zoo 2, including needs for enrichment items, access to food and water, and a suitable environment.
Flying birds will also need access to nesting sites to breed, lay eggs and raise their young.
Nests can be placed around an aviary for birds to use, with a wide range of options which are suitable for different types of birds and their nesting preferences. This includes options for arboreal birds such as cavity nests and cup nests, as well as for waders or more ground-based species, such as water platforms and mud nests.
Cavity nests even come with a dedicated camera so you can check-in on any eggs or fledglings whenever you want!
Of course, another area where flying birds differ from other species in Planet Zoo 2 is their requirement for appropriate flying space.
Each species of bird has different requirements for how much space they’ll need to comfortably stretch their wings, so it will be crucial that you build aviaries that are suitable for their inhabitants.
Luckily, as with terrestrial species and their habitat space requirement, keeping track of the flying space your birds require is simple. The Zoopedia provides you with each animal’s requirements and your aviaries will also display their Flyable Area through the Info Panel.
Once you’ve welcomed some birds into your habitat, you can also check their welfare to see if you need to add any additional flying space, such as increasing the height of your roof or expanding the habitat.
Birds of a feather
Many birds are social animals that are comfortable living alongside other species of birds and terrestrial animals, which we’ve reflected in Planet Zoo 2 by enabling cohabitation between some species.
Not every bird is the same though, so you’ll have to refer to the Zoopedia when building your aviaries to make sure all the inhabitants are happy with each other’s company.
While some birds can be shy and need plenty of space, others are even gregarious enough to allow guests to walkthrough their aviaries! This can be achieved by simply adding a guest gate and path through their aviary, enabling guests to stroll around and see these amazing birds up close.
New heights
Aviaries bring lots of fantastic new options and verticality for you to explore in Planet Zoo 2, but they come wrapped in a package that will be familiar and accessible for all players, whether you’re new to the series or a returning veteran Zookeeper.
Speaking of letting your creativity soar, we’ll be back soon to take a closer look at all the creative tools coming in Planet Zoo 2 this October.
Planet Zoo 2 is available to pre-order now on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Join the conversation and keep in touch by following our social channels, subscribing to our mailing list (for an exclusive in-game reward) and watching closely for updates on the website.
