When you walk through the lush aviaries of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, you may not realize you are surrounded by superpowers…
Disney’s Animal Kingdom remains a wonder among Disney parks—more than an elaborate zoo, it is in many ways a living museum of art. From the cheerful streets of Harambe Village to the mystifying bustle of Anandapur, the park is a fantastical love letter to the richest corners of our planet and worlds beyond our own.
Few places is this dynamic of living art clearer than in the aviaries of the park’s two nature trails—the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail in Africa and the Maharajah Jungle Trek in Asia. Both offer guests the opportunity to get stunningly close to some of the most beautiful creatures on earth, particularly in their sister bird exhibits. Inside these canopied sanctuaries, explore at a pace of your choosing. Most guests pass through these paradises far too quickly on the way to the next thrill, but bird lovers should slow down and take a seat. Stay long enough, and you might just attract the curiosity of some of the aviaries most fascinating denizens.
The birds of Disney’s Animal Kingdom are all beautiful, but some hold surprising secrets—a few of which, you may only be able to learn from the cast members who spend time with them daily…
NOTE: During the time of this writing, The Gorilla Falls Trail is under partial refurbishment, and the aviary is currently inaccessible. Cast members we spoke to expect this project to take about 6-8 weeks. The Maharajah Jungle Trek is still fully open.
1. The Snowy Headed Robin Chat is a master mimic (Gorilla Falls)
It’s not entirely clear if this little beauty is still present at Africa’s Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail (he was previously noted on the bird watching guide for the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail), but this unassuming fellow holds a surprising set of pipes.
Like many birds, the male Snowy Headed Robin Chat like to sing to attract females. In passing, this song is beautiful but doesn’t necessarily stand out from the dozens of other birds around him.
That is until the little guy starts mimicking every other bird in the aviary.
The male’s song is basically one long copycat freestyle of other birds, with a little bit of his own whistling thrown in for flavor. Observers have caught them mimicking whistles, chirps, and coos from humans as well. This symphony of impressions all takes place extremely fast without breaks, resulting in a captivating melody. While his skill doesn’t necessarily match that of infamous mimickers like the lyrebird, his range is impressive.
Bonus: The aviaries at Disney’s Animal Kingdom are home other skilled mimics—particularly the Golden-Crested Mynah at the Maharajah Jungle Trek. This cousin of the starling is known for mimicking a wide range of sounds in the wild, including human voices. If you spot one, don’t expect it to strike up a conversation—mynahs in captivity don’t often utilize this ability.
2. The Nicobar Pigeon is the closest relative of the Dodo (Maharajah Jungle)
Video: YouTube, @mykingdomforamouse (Jett Farrell-Vega)
The tale of the infamous Dodo bird is a sad example why sometimes we humans can’t have nice things—these large, flightless birds met Dutch sailors on the island of Mauritius without fear and were subsequently hunted to extinction (specifically, a combination of habitat destruction and introduction of new predators sealed the dodos’ doom).
You can’t necessarily meet a dodo at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, but you can meet his closest living relative—the resplendent Nicobar Pigeon.
Ask any cast member who their favorite bird in the Maharajah Jungle Trek is and the answer may be the Nicobar Pigeon. They look like birds begging to be animated and given a charming, bookish personality—perhaps a genteel name like “Cornelius”. They’re friendly, curious, and shamelessly cute. You actually have to watch where you step inside the trail to ensure you don’t accidentally trip over one.
One trait that may surprise you is that Nicobars have something of an iron stomach—they can nosh down the hardest of nuts without hesitation thanks to their powerful gizzards which grind the shells to mush. They prefer to live in flocks and don’t mind humans during the day (though they prefer solitude at night). They also have a curious ability shared with the park’s other pigeons—they can use their beaks like a straw to suck up water straight from the source.
3. The Great Blue Turaco has a pair of really weird toes (Gorilla Falls)
Ever been stuck at a lunch table with that weird friend who can bend their fingers backwards? The Great Blue Turaco is that guy.
Turacos are gorgeous birds that come in a wide variety of colors—at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, you can meet the blue variety. Like the Nicobar Pigeon, the Great Blue Turaco fits right in at Walt Disney World with his vibrant coloring and Elvis-like crest. You would think a bird this fabulous would be a pretty good flyer.
Unfortunately, graceful flying isn’t the Turaco’s game. His round wings make him a bit awkward, only allowing him to glide from branch to branch. Turacos love fruit from high trees like plantains, which could be a problem for a fumbly flyer.
The Turaco has a secret—albeit bizarre—trick to overcome this weakness. One of his outer toes on each side can rotate all the way from the back of his foot to the front to give him a better grip while climbing or landing. It’s easy to miss this feature unless you watch closely, but this unusual adaptation gives the Turaco just enough of an edge to keep a grip on the most twisty branches.
4. Metallic Starlings have mad weaving skills (Maharajah Jungle)
Video: YouTube, @mykingdomforamouse (Jett Farrell-Vega)
Some time back, I wrote a piece for Theme Park Tourist that referenced the aviaries of Disney’s Animal Kingdom—in particular noting how much fun it is to watch the weaver birds at both aviaries. I was admittedly surprised when some readers pointed out that weaver birds are only found at Gorilla Falls—a strange revelation as I thought I had just seen them at the Maharajah Jungle Trek weeks before.
Enter the Metallic Starling.
All weaver birds are stars at nest-building—in the wild, their nests can grow enormous, housing hundreds of birds in one enormous woven home worthy of Pier 1 Imports. You can see White-Headed Buffalo Weavers and Taveta Golden Weavers in action over at the Gorilla Falls trail as an example.
The Metallic Starlings of the Maharajah Jungle Trek, however, give the weavers a run for their money.
Starlings are known for being unusually gregarious and social birds—they have a penchant for building elaborate globular hanging nests out of anything they can find. The Metallic Starlings of Disney’s Animal Kingdom seem to be an unusually mischievous lot. During any given nesting season, you can sit back and watch individuals squabble over nesting materials, even going so far as to steal bits of grass and moss from each other’s nests. Despite operating in flocks of thousands, they don’t necessarily cooperate with each other the same way weaver birds do, and it makes for quite a show.
Speaking of big families…
5. Carmine Bee Eaters have really big, complicated families (Gorilla Falls)
If you think your massive family has issues, meet the Carmine Bee Eater.
Like starlings, Carmine Bee Eaters like their families big. While their flocks don’t reach quite the size of their starling neighbors, they make up for this in tricky family dynamics.
Bee Eater families are made up of a complex dynamic of four generations connected through specific ways—everyone seems to know everyone else by voice alone, and the whole flock participates in watching over chicks. Their family structure is one of the most complex of any bird in existence. Females join the families of their monogamous mates. Bee Eaters are also master hawkers—they catch insects by launching off a perch, grabbing their prey, then landing seamlessly. As their name implies, they are particularly adept at chowing down on bees—after snatching one out of the air, they’ll whack it on a branch then rub the stinger off before dining. For such a flamboyant little fellow, that’s pretty hardcore…
6. The Victoria Crowned Pigeon is huge and raised on bird-milk (Maharajah Jungle)
Video: YouTube, @mykingdomforamouse (Jett Farrell-Vega)
You would think the Victoria Crowned Pigeon would be a difficult bird to miss—after all, it is the largest pigeon on the planet with one heck of a lacy crest.
Ironically, it’s rather easy to overlook these magnificent birds thanks to their surprising ability to camouflage, even in a place as small as the Maharajah Jungle Trek. Their plumage is impressive, but these mega-pigeons hold another unique secret.
Both females and males produce milk to feed their young.
Yup, you read that right. Everything we ever learned about bird and mammal biology is thrown out the window—not that we’ve necessarily gone full platypus. The Victoria Crowned Pigeon doesn’t produce milk through mammary glands but rather can reduce the food in its crop to a mixture strikingly similar to milk to feed their young for the first few days after hatching. Some other pigeons have this ability has well. The only other bird species known to do this are flamingos.
7. The Hamerkop thinks bigger is better (Gorilla Falls)
Amidst the eclectic residents of the Disney’s Animal Kingdom aviaries, the Hamerkop might seem a bit dull at first glance. He doesn’t have particularly bright plumage or a trilling song. Honestly, his only major feature seems to be his schnoz-like beak.
The Hamerkop doesn’t need courting dances or rainbow feathers—for this is a bird that understands that overkill is underrated…
Hamerkops are known for making unusually large nests—as big as 8 feet wide. Keep in mind this is a bird only about 22 inches standing. Nest is perhaps an understatement as Hamerkops basically make the equivalent of a wattle and daub bird apartment for their family, complete with a domed roof and tunnel door, usually nestled in the nook of a lonely tree like an acacia. These hefty structures are so strong, you could stand on one and not damage it (on a side note, don’t do that). In most cases, Hamerkops will reuse their nests annually. Male and female birds work together on the nest in a unique bonding ritual. Mom and dad get to enjoy extra comfy accommodations when their work is complete thanks to insulating layers in the walls. Cozy!
8. The Malay Great Argus is a ladies’ man (Maharajah Jungle)
Video: YouTube, @mykingdomforamouse (Jett Farrell-Vega)
The Maharajah Jungle Trek is currently home to two Malay Great Argus pheasants—and the male is quite the Casanova.
Similar to peacocks, male Great Argus pheasants use their vibrant plumage to draw the attention of lady birds. He likes everything in order, so he’ll meticulously clear his dancing ground ahead of time. The display begins with the usual prancing and feather fluffing you’d expect but takes an interesting turn in two ways. For one thing, the Great Argus pheasant has a… special mating call. His vocalization sounds rather like a cartoon character shouting “WOW-WOW!” to cat-call passing hens (see the video above). This sound can catch you off guard if you happen to be in range—think an airhorn suddenly going off, only that airhorn sounds like a weird kid on Ed, Edd, & Eddy.
Video: YouTube, @Mel Cutler
Things get really interesting when the male gets his female in sights and starts displaying—unlike the peacock, the Great Argus male uses his wings to make his magic. He tilts his wings all the way upside down to form a concave fan with mesmerizing patterns, then waves his long tail and quivers hypnotically, hiding his head. If all goes according to plan, she won’t be able to resist his charms.
Unfortunately, the female Great Argus at Disney’s Animal Kingdom tends to treat loverboy’s flirtations with indifference—while it appears the pair have had chicks before, by and large she walks away from most of their encounters with a shrug. Sorry, buddy!
9. The African Jacana can walk on water (Gorilla Falls)
The African Jacana is a bird of many names. Some of his epithets include the “Lotus Bird”, the “Lily Trotter”, and most unusually, “The Jesus Bird”. While the Jacana can’t raise the dead, he does have a pretty cool trick that earns him his namesake.
In a clever way, this little guy can walk on water.
The Jacana is able to accomplish this feat thanks to his huge… well, feet. His enormous toes stretch out almost three inches from his ankles, and these web-like claws allow him to spread out his weight to walk comfortably on lily-pads and other floating vegetation. It’s not quite true walking on water (the basilisk lizard comes a little closer using high-speed running), but the effect looks close enough to earn this little fellow his namesake.
10. The Vietnam Pheasant is one of the last of his species (Maharajah Jungle)
From time to time, Disney’s Animal Kingdom keep birds in their aviaries that aren’t listed on their bird spotting guides. A chat with a cast member recently led to us learning some pretty amazing facts about this singular bird.
It’s unclear if this shy resident of the Maharajah Jungle Trek is an Edward’s Pheasant or Vietnam Pheasant (these species are so similar that they’re sometimes treated as the same). These unique birds are sometimes called firebacks, and younger visitors to the aviary have said they look like Spider-Man. Despite his tendency to remain unseen, the Vietnam Pheasant holds an extra special place in the aviary since he is one of the last of his species.
The Vietnam War led to a sharp decline in this particular species of pheasant. Some reports indicate there are less than 50 individuals left in the wild. Locations like Disney’s Animal Kingdom are working to see the species preserved, and the Edwards Pheasant has become a favorite at the park to those who can find him. Fortunately, these birds seem to do very well in captivity, so hope remains that the species can make a comeback. If you happen to see him on your next trip, consider yourself very lucky!
Enjoy this article? Keep reading to learn what to expect if you visit Disney’s Animal Kingdom right now for yourself… or take a dive with us into the scariest Disney attractions (that weren’t supposed to be that scary).
