ArticleZoo biology
The Greatest Show (Birds) on Earth: Public Presentations and Their Welfare Impacts on Zoo-Housed Birds.
Article in Zoo biology. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Animal-Visitor Interactions in Zoos and Aquariums: A Systematic Review.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Animal interaction programs (AIPs) are a sub-category of animal-visitor interactions (AVIs) and are increasingly prevalent across accredited zoos worldwide. Although AVIs are being increasingly researched, few studies have explored the welfare implications of AIPs, such as the potential animal welfare impacts of public feedings or public presentations. Bird shows and presentations are among the most2021a advertised AIPs within zoological institutions yet suffer from a lack of empirical studies. This study investigated behavioral and physical measures to assess the welfare of several bird species located at Adelaide Zoo. An ethogram was developed to record behaviors across three comparisons: (1) show days versus non-show days, (2) before and after shows, and (3) show birds versus non-show birds. In addition, feather and body condition scores were recorded and compared across show birds and non-show birds. Multiple comparisons were provided in an attempt to avoid limited and context-specific data, which assisted in a more comprehensive and well-rounded welfare assessment. Show birds demonstrated an increase in abnormal behaviors on show days compared to non-show days, which prompted further comparisons to determine why the increased prevalence of abnormal behaviors was occurring on the days a presentation took place. On presentation days, show birds demonstrated more active, social, and abnormal behaviors pre-show but exhibited an increase in grooming, foraging, and a significant reduction in abnormal behaviors post-show, which could suggest a potential anticipatory effect. In addition, show birds had a closer-to-ideal body condition score and demonstrated significantly less inactive and abnormal behavior compared to non-show birds. The results suggested that public bird shows and presentations have a largely minimal or neutral welfare impact, however, there may be a potential enriching aspect of bird shows and presentations.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.