The path leading from the red pandas to the Giant Tortoise House is almost entirely dedicated to birds. Its main attractions—aside from the Rákos’ House of Rare Parrots—are three spacious walk-through aviaries, where visitors can fully immerse themselves in a shared space with the birds.

• The African Rocks aviary is built against a cliff face, making use of this unique natural backdrop, and is primarily designed for the breeding of the critically endangered northern bald ibis, for which the rocky setting provides ideal nesting conditions. Sharing the aviary are other cliff-nesting bird species, along with various waterfowl that inhabit the pond at the base of the rocks.
• The Asian Lagoon aviary, covering an area of 1,000 m² behind the Sichuan house and extending over a pond, is home to birds from Asian wetlands, mangroves and coastal lagoons. Visitors may encounter herons, storks, ibises and spoonbills roaming freely—often right along the visitor path, which they are fond of using.
• The Great Aviary was built in 1972 on the site of the original Janda Aviary (once the largest in Europe) and is even more impressive in scale than its predecessor: 38 metres long, 16 metres deep and 28 metres high. This generous space provides a home for several species of raptors, most notably vultures, which benefit from the ample room to take flight.

Photo: Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo