Planet Zoo 2 birds & aviary animals — all 12 flying species
Free-flying birds are new in Planet Zoo 2, and they are built differently from every other animal: a habitat with a mesh roof instead of an open paddock. This is the complete list of species the game files as flying, plus the two flightless birds that people mistakenly build aviaries for.
Every flying species in Planet Zoo 2
Ordered by size, largest first. Barrier grades are low across the board because the enclosure is defined by the mesh cover above it — but the barrier still has to exist, and it still has to be the right grade.
| Species | Biome | Enclosure | Size (M) | Barrier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wetlands | Aviary | 2.50 m LegSpan | Grade 2 · 1m | |
| Savannah | Aviary | 2.20 m LegSpan | Grade 2 · 1m | |
| DesertSavannah | Aviary | 2.02 m LegSpan | Grade 2 · 1m | |
| TaigaTemperateTundraWetlands | Aviary | 2.02 m LegSpan | Grade 2 · 1m | |
| DesertSavannahTaigaTemperateTundra | Aviary | 1.97 m LegSpan | Grade 2 · 1m | |
| EstuarineTemperateWetlands | Aviary | 1.60 m Height | Grade 1 · 1m | |
| TemperateWetlands | Aviary | 1.30 m LegSpan | Grade 2 · 1m | |
| Rainforest | Aviary | 1.00 m LegSpan | Grade 2 · 1m | |
| SavannahTaigaTemperateWetlands | Aviary | 0.89 m LegSpan | Grade 2 · 1m | |
| RainforestSavannahWetlands | Aviary | 0.56 m Length | Grade 2 · 1m | |
| Rainforest | Aviary | 0.35 m LegSpan | Grade 2 · 1m | |
| Rainforest | Aviary | 0.27 m Length | Grade 1 · 1m |
Data: official Planet Zoo 2 Zoopedia export. The Enclosure column reads Aviary for every species here; that is the game's own label for a flying habitat.
Birds that are not aviary birds
Two birds in the roster are flightless and use an ordinary land habitat. If you build a mesh enclosure for them you have spent money for nothing:
| Species | Biome | Enclosure | Size (M) | Barrier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open SeaSavannah | Habitat | 0.65 m Standing | Grade 2 · 1m | |
| Savannah | Habitat | 2.50 m Height | Grade 2 · 1.25m |
Both are class Aves, so they show up in a “birds” filter, but neither needs a roof. This is the distinction behind most of the confusion about the bird list.
How aviaries are built
Barriers first
Same barrier tool as a land habitat. Grade 1 or Grade 2 is enough for every flying species in the game — " "there is no Grade 4 bird.
Support poles
Poles carry the span. The wider the aviary, the more poles you need, and the poles are part of the enclosure " "rather than scenery.
Dynamic mesh cover
This is the step that makes it an aviary. Frontier's own wording is “dynamic mesh covers”, which " "means the cover flexes over whatever shape you build.
Then check compatibility
Mixed aviaries work when the species share a biome and both fly. Run pairs through the compatibility chart before you place animals.
Aviary species by biome
By biome
By continent
Counted only across the 12 flying species, so the bars do not match the site-wide totals on the animal list page.
Also known as
People search this as planet zoo 2 birds, aviaries, flying birds, bird list, aviary animals and walk-through aviary. All of them land on the same 12 species. For the full roster, see the animal list filtered to aviary species, or filter to class Aves for all 14 birds.
FAQ
How many aviary birds are in Planet Zoo 2?
12 species need a fully flying aviary habitat at launch, out of 14 birds (class Aves) in total. The other two birds — the Common Ostrich and the African Penguin — are flightless and use a normal land habitat.
How do you build an aviary in Planet Zoo 2?
Frontier's own description is specific: aviaries are built from <em>barriers, support poles and dynamic mesh covers</em>. So it is the standard habitat toolchain plus mesh roofing, not a separate aviary building. The mesh covers let the birds fly freely while keeping them in.
Do flying birds need a roof?
Yes. A flying species is validated against a flying habitat, and the only way to close that habitat is a mesh cover. A normal Grade 2 wall with nothing above it will not register as an aviary.
Which birds are actually birds in Planet Zoo 2?
Class Aves has 14 species: African Penguin, Common Ostrich, Eurasian Bittern, Golden Eagle, Great Hornbill, Greater Flamingo, Javan Green Magpie, Long-Eared Owl, Long-Tailed Parakeet, Secretarybird, Shoebill, Toco Toucan, White-Backed Vulture, White-Tailed Sea-Eagle. Of those, 12 fly in an aviary and 2 are flightless.
Can birds be released into Wildlife Reserves?
Frontier says the need for releasing animals into Wildlife Reserves applies across the roster, and the flying birds are part of the roster. The Deluxe Golden Eagle is a flying species, so both your aviary build and the conservation loop use the same animals.
Which aviary bird has the biggest footprint?
The Shoebill at 2.50 m and the Deluxe Golden Eagle at 1.97 m are the largest flying species; most of the aviary roster is 0.3-1.2 m. Barrier grades are modest — Grade 2 for 10 species and Grade 1 for 2 — because the mesh cover, not the fence, is doing the containment.
Related
Aviary birds in the animal list · Aquarium animals · Compatibility chart · Deluxe edition animals · System requirements