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58-460: The Zoo was founded in 1905, and moved closer to its current location in 1914. The Point Defiance Park Aquarium opened on the waterfront in 1936 as an entity separate from the zoo. By the late 1940s, several Zoo buildings were in disrepair and had to be rebuilt. The 36-year-old animal house was demolished and a new one with sandstone walls and 3/4-inch-thick viewing windows was built in its place. It housed some big cats and white-cheeked gibbons . In

116-445: A kelp forest tank, a cold water invertebrate touch tank, jellyfish globe and kreisels, a schooling fish exhibit, a giant Pacific octopus , and Japanese spider crabs . The Pacific Seas Aquarium was built with the latest green life support system technology and includes a rainwater capture system for use in non potable water supplies. The 1989-era South Pacific Aquarium simulates tropical Pacific environments, with two coral reef tanks,

174-587: A children's zoo expansion, allows people to meet a variety of species including meerkats , ring-tailed lemurs , and black and white ruffed lemurs . Along with two other sections of the Kids' Zone Magical Movement and Contact Junction . Botanical Garden The certified Point Defiance Zoo Botanical Garden displays a collection of a variety of bamboos (over 50 species), massive meadows filled with Lobelia tupa , fragrant perennials to attract pollinators , and many varieties of trees and shrubs planted throughout

232-673: A day on average. It is often seen carrying fish in its bill with the tail hanging out. The snake pipefish is occasionally eaten, but it has poor nutritional value. The amount of these fish is increasing in the common murre's diet. Since 2003, the snake pipefish has increased in numbers in the North-east Atlantic and North Sea and sandeel numbers have declined. The common murre nests in densely packed colonies (known as "loomeries" ), with up to twenty pairs occupying one square metre at peak season. Common murres do not make nests and lay their eggs on bare rock ledges, under rocks, or

290-413: A flight speed of 80 km/h (50 mph). Groups of birds are often seen flying together in a line just above the sea surface. However, a high wing loading of 2 g/cm means that this species is not very agile and take-off is difficult. Common murres become flightless for 45–60 days while moulting their primary feathers. The sound of the wing beats of the murres are often described as similar to

348-413: A helicopter. The common murre is a pursuit-diver that forages for food by swimming underwater using its wings for propulsion. Dives usually last less than one minute, but the bird swims underwater for distances of over 30 m (100 ft) on a regular basis. Diving depths up to 180 m (590 ft) have been recorded and birds can remain underwater for a couple of minutes. The breeding habitat

406-469: A lagoon exhibit, and a touch tank. The lagoon has small fish and eels, while the 250,000-US-gallon (950,000 L) Outer Reef tank has nurse sharks , blacktip reef sharks , a sand tiger shark , and sandbar sharks . In the touch tank are stingrays , epaulette sharks , and whitespotted bamboo sharks . As of 2024, shark dives at the Outer Reef Habitat are open to the public. The habitat

464-476: A local sales tax increase shored up funds for improvements. With over $ 35 million at its disposal, the Zoo built a new animal hospital, an outdoor animal theater, an Asian Forest Sanctuary, much of the Kids' Zone children's zoo, and a renovated entrance. In 2008, an addition to Kids' Zone, Animal Avenue, was opened. The red wolf exhibit was renovated and re-opened in 2010, and a clouded leopard exhibit called Cats of

522-461: A semicircle at one end of the zoo. Muskoxen and reindeer are housed in a large meadow on the outside of the pathway's arc, while a Polar bear and Arctic fox live on the inside of the arc. The polar bear has an eleven-foot-deep pool with above- and underwater viewing. The zoo's last polar bear , Blizzard, died in May 2022 after being diagnosed with liver cancer in 2021. There are two aquariums:

580-401: A time. The provisioning time relates to the distance of the feeding areas from the colony and the numbers of available fish. There is a strong non-linear relationship between fish density and colony attendance during chick-rearing. In areas such as Newfoundland and Labrador, the birds, along with the related thick-billed murre , are referred to as 'turrs' or 'tuirs', and are consumed. The meat

638-432: A white ring around the eye extending back as a white line. This is not a distinct subspecies, but a polymorphism that becomes more common the farther north the birds breed. The chicks are downy with blackish feathers on top and white below. By 12 days old, contour feathers are well developed in areas except for the head. At 15 days, facial feathers show the dark eyestripe against the white throat and cheek. They jump from

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696-521: Is incubated between the adult's feet on a bare rock ledge on a cliff face. Eggs hatch after ~30 days incubation. The chick is born downy and can regulate its body temperature after 10 days. Some 20 days after hatching the chick leaves its nesting ledge and heads for the sea, unable to fly, but gliding for some distance with fluttering wings, accompanied by its male parent. Male guillemots spend more time diving, and dive more deeply than females during this time. Chicks are capable of diving as soon as they hit

754-586: Is available closer by, birds only travel much shorter distances. The common murre mainly eats small schooling forage fish 200 mm (8 in) long or less, such as polar cod , capelin , sand lances , sprats , sandeels , Atlantic cod and Atlantic herring . Capelin and sand lances are favourite food, but what the main prey is at any one time depends much on what is available in quantity. It also eats some molluscs , marine worms , squid , and crustaceans such as amphipods . It consumes 20–32 g ( 11 ⁄ 16 – 1 + 1 ⁄ 8  oz) of food in

812-533: Is common both between mates and between neighbours. Allopreening helps to reduce parasites, and it may also have important social functions. Frequency of allopreening a neighbour correlates well with current breeding success. Allopreening may function as a stress-reducer; ledges with low levels of allopreening show increased levels of fighting and reduced breeding success. Courtship displays including bowing, billing and mutual preening. The male points its head vertically and makes croaking and growling noises to attract

870-439: Is from Ancient Greek ouria , a waterbird mentioned by Athenaeus . The specific epithet aalge is an old Danish word for an auk. The auks are a family of seabirds related to the gulls and terns which contains several genera. The common murre is placed in the guillemot (murre) genus Uria ( Brisson , 1760), which it shares with the thick-billed murre or Brunnich's guillemot, U. lomvia . These species, together with

928-426: Is held lengthways in the adult's bill, with the fish's tail hanging from the end of the beak. The returning adult will form its wings into a 'tent' to protect the chick. The adult points its head downwards and the chick swallows the fish head first. Alloparenting behaviour is frequently observed. Non-breeding and failed breeders show great interest in other chicks, and will attempt to brood or feed them. This activity

986-491: Is home to one of the most populous colonies of nesting common murres on the North American continent. Some birds are permanent residents; northern birds migrate south to open waters near New England , southern California, Japan, Korea and the western Mediterranean . UK populations are generally distributed near their breeding colonies year-round, but have been found to make long-distance migrations as far north as

1044-504: Is islands, rocky shores, cliffs and sea stacks. The population is large, perhaps 7.3 million breeding pairs or 18 million individuals. It had been stable, but in 2016 a massive die-off of the birds in the northeast Pacific was reported. The birds seem emaciated and starving; no etiology has been found. In general, potential threats include excessive hunting (legal in Newfoundland ), pollution and oil spills . Cape Meares, Oregon

1102-476: Is limited. Annual survival probability for birds aged 6–15 is 0.895, and average lifespan is about 20 years. Breeding success increases with age up to age 9–10 to 0.7 fledglings per pair, then declines in the oldest age birds, perhaps indicating reproductive senescence . High densities mean that birds are close contact with neighbouring breeders. Common murres perform appeasement displays more often at high densities and more often than razorbills . Allopreening

1160-458: Is more common as the chicks get older and begin to explore their ledge. There has also been a record of a pair managing to raise two chicks. Adults that have lost chicks or eggs will sometimes bring fish to the nest site and try to feed their imaginary chick. At time of extreme food stress, the social activity of the breeding ledge can break down. On the Isle of May colony in 2007, food availability

1218-498: Is of French origin, first attested by Pierre Belon in 1555, but derived from Old (11th century) French willelm , and matched by English variants willock (attested 1631), willick , will and wilkie , all from forms of the name William , cf. French : Guillaume , but ultimately onomatopoeic from the loud, high-pitched " will , willem " begging calls of the newly fledged young of the common guillemot. The American name murre , also known from England (particularly Cornwall) from

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1276-454: Is the red wolf. Beginning in 1969, the zoo collected wild red wolves and successfully bred them for the first time in 1977. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service had removed the last fourteen wolves from the wild by 1980, and in 1984 the zoo received approval from the AZA to start a Species Survival Plan . By 1987 the number of red wolves in captivity was large enough to release some of them back into

1334-496: The Eastern black crested gibbon ( Nomascus nasutus ) has been deemed "the most-critically endangered ape species in the world". [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Common murre The common murre or common guillemot ( Uria aalge ) is a large auk . It has a circumpolar distribution, occurring in low-Arctic and boreal waters in

1392-513: The clouded leopard . Viewing is provided by a wide glass window along a gravelly stream bed and into a heated den. The twenty-foot high enclosure also allows the cats to climb through the trees. Kazu, an endangered male Malayan tapir , was born on July 12, 2019. Completed in 1982, this exhibit is based on the shoreline of Cape Flattery, Washington and serves as home to harbor seals , California sea lions , sea otters , horned puffins , common murre ,s and tufted puffins in separate pools. In

1450-653: The razorbill , little auk and the extinct great auk make up the tribe Alcini. This arrangement was originally based on analyses of auk morphology and ecology . The official common name for this species is Common Murre according to the IOC World Bird List, Version 11.2. while Common Guillemot is used in the UK, Ireland, and often elsewhere in Europe where English is used as a second language. Five subspecies are now recognised: The spelling guillemot

1508-405: The 17th century, is by contrast, onomatopoeic of the growling call of adult common guillemots. The common murre is 38–46 cm (15–18 in) in length with a 61–73 cm (24–29 in) wingspan. Male and female are indistinguishable in the field and weight ranges between 945 g (2 lb 1 + 1 ⁄ 2  oz) in the south of their range to 1,044 g (2 lb 5 oz) in

1566-678: The 1960s, the Point Defiance Park Aquarium had been incorporated into the Zoo. A new aquarium, now known as the North Pacific Aquarium, was built on Zoo grounds in 1963. The North Pacific Aquarium closed in 2018 with the opening of the Pacific Seas Aquarium. By the end of the decade, a breeding program was begun for red wolves , which had been declared an endangered species in 1967. Turn-of-the-century cages were deteriorating again in

1624-468: The Barents Sea. Common murres rest on the water in the winter and this may have consequences for their metabolism. In the black-legged kittiwake (which shares this winter habit) resting metabolism is 40% higher on water than it is in air. The common murre can venture far from its breeding grounds to forage; distances of 100 km (60 mi) and more are often observed though if sufficient food

1682-681: The Canopy opened on August 27, 2011. The zoo used to house beluga whales . A previous couple of belugas, Millie and Christy, died almost in unison in 2000. Mauyak was sent to Shedd Aquarium in 1997 for breeding, where she gave birth not only to Qannik but also to Miki. In March 2009 one of the two belugas, Qannik, died of a blood infection. Beethoven, Qannik's tankmate, was sent to SeaWorld , San Antonio, on 5 June 2009. Turner (Beethoven's brother) died three years earlier on 7 September 2006 of chronic liver failure, which resulted in Qannik being brought to

1740-641: The North Atlantic and North Pacific . It spends most of its time at sea, only coming to land to breed on rocky cliff shores or islands. Common murres are fast in direct flight but are not very agile. They are highly mobile underwater using their wings to 'fly' through the water column, where they typically dive to depths of 30–60 m (100–195 ft). Depths of up to 180 m (590 ft) have been recorded. Common murres breed in colonies at high densities. Nesting pairs may be in bodily contact with their neighbours. They make no nest; their single egg

1798-509: The Pacific Seas Aquarium and South Pacific Aquarium. They each house species from different parts of the Pacific Ocean. In September 2018, the Pacific Seas Aquarium opened, replacing the North Pacific Aquarium that opened in 1963. The Pacific Seas Aquarium's Baja Bay tank features scalloped hammerheads , spotted eagle rays and green sea turtles . Other highlights in the exhibit include a 10,000-US-gallon (38,000 L) Puget sound tank,

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1856-480: The UK government to introduce the Sea Birds Preservation Act 1869 . This act was designed to reduce the effects of shooting and egg collecting during the breeding season. Current concerns include managing the effect of visitor numbers at wildlife reserves. Common murres have been shown to be sensitive to visitor numbers. When common murres are feeding their young, they return with one fish at

1914-618: The Zoo Horticulturist . Unincorporated exhibits include an artificial tide pool, a Magellanic penguin habitat, a seasonal budgie exhibit and Indian Peafowl which roam freely throughout the Zoo grounds. The zoo also formerly had Camel Rides but when they decided to build the Nature Play Garden, the Dromedary Camels moved back to their owners at a local farm. One focus of the zoo's conservation work

1972-442: The breeding cliffs at 20–21 days old, long before being fully fledged, and are cared for by the male parent at sea. The common murre has a variety of calls, including a soft purring noise, but the main call of the adults, often deafening at large colonies, is a growling "murrrr"; the chicks have a food-begging call, a high-pitched whistle "willee", with considerable carrying power. The common murre flies with fast wing beats and has

2030-547: The breeding colonies in July to August. The plumage of first winter birds is the same as the adult winter plumage. However, their moult into first summer plumage occurs later in the year than in adults. First year birds often remain in winter plumage as late as May, and their first summer plumage usually retains some white feathers around the throat. Some individuals in the North Atlantic, known as "bridled guillemots", have

2088-607: The early 1970s. After a $ 7 million bond measure was passed in 1977, the Zoo opened the Arctic Tundra complex in 1981 and the Rocky Shores area in 1982. With a smaller bond passed in 1986, the South Pacific Aquarium was built and then opened in 1989. The Zoo experienced financial trouble in the 1990s, culminating in the probation of its AZA accreditation in 1999. Another bond, passed in that year, and

2146-543: The egg's shape: Eggs are laid between May and July for the Atlantic populations and March to July for those in the Pacific. The female spends less time ashore during the two weeks before laying. When laying, she assumes a "phoenix-like" posture: her body raised upright on vertical tarsi ; wings half outstretched. The egg emerges point first and laying usually takes 5–10 minutes. The eggs vary in colour and pattern to help

2204-586: The eye, and there are often dark streaks on the flanks. Birds of the subspecies U. a. albionis are dark brown rather than black, most obviously so in colonies in southern Britain . The legs and the bill are dark grey. Occasionally, adults have been seen with yellow-grey legs. In May 2008, an aberrant adult was photographed with a bright yellow bill. The adults moult into breeding plumage in December–February, even starting as early as November in U. a. albionis , and back into winter plumage soon after leaving

2262-408: The females. The species is monogamous , but pairs may split if breeding is unsuccessful. Common murre eggs are large (around 11% of female weight ), and are pointed at one end. The egg's pyriform shape is popularly ascribed the function of allowing the egg to spin on its axis or in an arc when disturbed, however there is no evidence to support this claim. Various hypotheses have arisen to explain

2320-421: The first egg is lost, the female may lay a second egg. This egg is usually lighter than the first, with a lighter yolk. Chicks from second eggs grow quicker than those from first eggs. However this rapid growth comes at a cost, first chicks have larger fat reserves and can withstand temporary shortages of food. Chicks occupy an intermediate position between the precocial chicks of genus Synthliboramphus and

2378-407: The forests of southeast Asia with a waterfall, streams, and plants native to the region such as bamboo. The complex is designed so that species are rotated to different parts of the exhibit each day. Asian Forest Sanctuary includes Sumatran tigers , northern white-cheeked gibbons , siamangs , and an Asian elephant . An expansion called Cats of the Canopy opened on August 27, 2011, and focuses on

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2436-505: The ground. Despite the high density of murre breeding sites, sites may vary greatly in their quality over small spatial scales. Pairs breeding at those sites of highest quality are more likely to be occupied by a breeding pairs at all population sizes, and more likely to successfully fledge a chick. They first breed at four to nine years old, but most individuals recruit into the breeding population at ages six or seven, although birds may disperse (permanently depart their natal colony) if space

2494-691: The grounds. The collection boasts a variety of flora from the Baja Peninsula , the Southern Hemisphere, Alaskan landscape, plants from South Eastern United States, wildflowers , desert garden, Asian Forest Sanctuary, and the Native Northwest. The landscaping was developed in an effort to share how and why animals, plants, and people need to coexist. The Zoo is home to hundreds of varieties of plants from decorative to functional, and also provides botanical garden tours monthly by

2552-481: The middle of the exhibit area is a building for underwater viewing. The exhibit formerly contained beluga whales until they were taken to a zoo in Texas in 2007. It also contains Pacific walruses Balzik and Lakina, half siblings from Aquarium du Quebec, born in 2016. The zoo's previous two walruses Mitik and Pakak were shipped to another zoo where they had females. 1981 saw the opening of this exhibit area, which forms

2610-402: The north. A weight range of 775–1,250 g (1 lb 11 + 1 ⁄ 2  oz – 2 lb 12 oz) has been reported. In breeding plumage, the nominate subspecies U. a. aalge is black on the head, back and wings, and has white underparts. It has a thin dark pointed bill and a small rounded black tail. After the post-breeding moult, the face is white with a dark spur behind

2668-530: The parents recognize them, each egg's pattern being unique. Colours include white, green, blue or brown with spots or speckles in black or lilac. After laying, the female will look at the egg before starting the first incubation shift. Both parents incubate the egg using a single, centrally located brood patch for the 28 to 34 days to hatching in shifts of 1–38 hours. Eggs can be lost due to predation or carelessness. Crows and gulls are opportunist egg thieves. Eggs are also knocked from ledges during fights. If

2726-563: The park called Zoolights. This event is usually held between November and January. There are more than 800,000 lights on display based on holiday and zoo animal themes. Visitors can purchase tickets to walk through the park at night and view the various lights. The exhibits reflect the zoo's theme of ecosystems from the Pacific rim: Southeast Asia, the Pacific Northwest , the tundra, and aquatic environments. This 5 acre (2.0 ha) exhibit complex which opened on July 1, 2004 simulates

2784-614: The semi-precocial chicks of the Atlantic puffin . They are born downy and by 10 days old they are able to regulate their own temperature. Except in times of food shortage there is at least one parent present at all times, and both parents are present 10–30% of the time. Both parents alternate between brooding the chick or foraging for food. Provisioning is usually divided equally between each parent, but unequal provisioning effort can lead to divorce. Common murres are single-prey loaders , this means that they carry one fish at time. The fish

2842-435: The water below. Once the young chick has left the nest, the male is in close attendance for up to two months. The chicks are able to fly roughly two weeks after fledging. Up until then the male feeds and cares for the chick at sea. In its migration south the chick swims about 1,000 km (600 mi). The female remains at the nest site for up to 36 days after the chick has fledged (average 16 days). Major oil spills double

2900-402: The water. The female stays at the nest site for some 14 days after the chick has left. Both male and female common murres moult after breeding and become flightless for 1–2 months. Some populations have short migration distances, instead remaining close to the breeding site year-round. Such populations return to the nest site from autumn onwards. Adult birds balance their energetic budgets during

2958-402: The wild. Reintroduced wolves continue to survive and breed in the wild, and by 2002 the world population was 175 in captivity and about 100 in the wild. One of the biggest threats to the wild population is coyote-wolf hybridization. A 2021 effort to breed endangered Sumatran tigers ended in the death of a six-year-old female tiger who was fatally wounded by her two-year-old potential mate. This

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3016-633: The winter by reducing the time that they spend flying and are able to forage nocturnally. The common murre was formally described and illustrated in 1763 by the Danish bishop Erik Pontoppidan under the binomial name Colymbus aalge . The type locality is Iceland . The species is now placed together with the thick-billed murre in the genus Uria that was described in 1760 by the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson . The genus name

3074-625: The winter mortality of breeding adults but appear to have little effect on birds less than three years old. This loss of breeding birds can be compensated by increased recruitment of 4–6 year olds to breeding colonies. Nesting common murres are prone to two main sources of recreational disturbance: rock-climbing and birdwatching . Sea cliffs are a paradise for climbers as well as birds; a small island like Lundy has over 1000 described climbing routes. To minimise disturbance, some cliffs are subject to seasonal climbing bans. Birdwatching has conflicting effects on common murres. Birdwatchers petitioned

3132-478: The zoo in June 2007, soon after Beethoven had recovered from a severe infection. It's unknown yet if there will be new belugas since Beethoven's departure. None are scheduled to arrive any time in the foreseeable future and Rocky Shores currently (temporarily or permanently) houses harbor seals and California sea lions where belugas used to swim. Since 1988, the zoo has hosted an annual holiday light display within

3190-584: Was a subgenus of Hylobates , with all individuals considered to be one species, H. concolor . Species within Nomascus are characterized by 52 chromosomes. Some species are all-black, some are a lighter beige or peach hue, with a distinct black tuft of crown fur, while others have notable, light-colored cheek “patches”. Nomascus is endemic from southern China ( Yunnan ) to southern Vietnam , and can also be found on Hainan . Every species within this genus are either endangered or critically endangered ;

3248-443: Was an attempt to save the endangered species considering there are roughly only four hundred Sumatran tigers left in the wild. White-cheeked gibbon Nomascus concolor Nomascus nasutus Nomascus hainanus Nomascus leucogenys Nomascus siki Nomascus gabriellae Nomascus annamensis Nomascus is the second-most speciose genus of the gibbon family, Hylobatidae . Originally, this genus

3306-512: Was low. Adults spent more of their time-budget foraging for their chicks and had to leave them unattended at times. Unattended chicks were attacked by breeding neighbour which often led to their deaths. Non-breeding and failed breeders continued to show alloparental care. The chicks will leave the nest after 16 to 30 days (average 20–22 days), and glide down into the sea, slowing their fall by fluttering as they are not yet able to fly. Chicks glide from heights as high as 457 m (1,499 ft) to

3364-452: Was rebuilt in 2009 and opened again in the summer of 2010. The exhibit consists of two separate meadows with a rocky creek, hollow log, and other landscaping. The conservation center is designed to look like an abandoned farm building. A number of animals are present including Nigerian dwarf goats , and Parma Wallabies . There are also colorful play structures and a petting zoo with activities such as goat feeding present. Animal Avenue ,

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