Contrary to what people may think, the Florida Museum of Natural History’s Butterfly Rainforest houses more than just butterflies with over 300 birds, three turtles and 13 Koi fish calling the enclosure home.

And the temporary closure of the museum for a large-scale construction project has some unexpected benefits for these creatures.

Museum staff are taking full advantage of the closure to make long-needed repairs to the exhibit after more than 20 years of operations. With this being the first time the rainforest has not had butterflies for an extended period since its opening, it is the perfect time for a refresh.

Usually, the museum receives periodic shipments of chrysalides from which butterflies emerge after a few days to weeks. When the exhibit closed for construction, museum staff stopped ordering new chrysalides, so the rainforest no longer had any more butterflies once the existing population died.

Since some of the exhibit’s repairs require the removal of the stainless steel mesh screen, staff had to take the birds out of the exhibit so they wouldn’t escape, something that is not a concern for the wing-less turtles and fish.

The species included are scores of flightless Chinese painted quail, a pin-tailed whydah, canaries and nine species of finches.

Visitors love watching the many little birds in the exhibit like these zebra finches. Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace

Adult male star finch. Florida Museum photo by Jeff Gage

There were many flightless Chinese painted quail to round up. Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace

Even though the Museum, and consequentially the rainforest are temporarily closed, staff still care for the birds, turtles and fish living in the exhibit. Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace

Mia Keriazes holding one of the many captured Chinese painted quail. Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace

Simple traps captured a number of birds at first. Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace

Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace.

Gathering the birds

All the birds are not native to the area and could disrupt the natural ecosystem if they got out, not to mention the risks of these small birds getting eaten by predators like hawks, if let out of the protected enclosure.

This was easier said than done as the capture and relocation of the dozen different species of birds is no easy feat in a structure that’s nearly 60 feet tall.

Over the course of six days, using several different methods, employees captured a fitting number of 352 birds and relocated them to a screened in enclosure near UF’s campus owned by the United States Department of Agriculture.

For the first few days, staff members caught as many birds as they could using sparrow traps and bird cages. The traps created a scene right out of a cartoon, with Museum staff huddled on the floor of the rainforest waiting for a signal.

The bird cages were filled with food to attract the unsuspecting birds, and when enough birds fell for the trick and entered the cage, a staff member would pull it closed with a string to drop the door and trap them.

With the last 50 birds eluding these makeshift traps, rainforest staff brought in some experts from the museum’s ornithology collection in the Del-Rio Lab.

Ornithologists at work

The professionals set up nets around the exhibit, which the remaining birds flew into and got caught in a process staff called “surprisingly effective.”

The trap, known as mist-netting, utilizes nearly invisible nets strung between two poles in the flight paths of the birds causing them to fly into them and get safely entangled without harming them.

And, now the rainforest, which is usually brought to life with the hymn of birds chirping and the sight of exotic birds flying from tree to tree, is silent.

Staff and students from our Del-Rio Bird Lab carefully set up mist nets in the exhibit to capture the remaining birds. Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace

A field technique called ‘mist-netting’ utilizes nearly invisible nets strung between two poles in the flight paths of the birds causing them to fly into them and get safely entangled without harming them. Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace

With the last 50 birds eluding these makeshift traps, rainforest staff brought in some experts from the Museum’s ornithology collection in the Del-Rio Lab. Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace

The last 50 birds were finally caught after several days using a simple, but effective technique known as mist netting which safely entangles birds in their flight paths. Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace

The mist-netting process proved to be a very effective solution to the birds that didn’t fall for the more common traps. Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace

Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace

All the birds were safe in the new enclosure just in time for the winter, which can be risky for birds living in the unheated rainforest.

The screened-in enclosure currently housing the birds can be entirely covered by tarps keeping the enclosure relatively warm, unlike the rainforest which can’t be fully covered.

The birds are happy and healthy in their temporary home with Museum staff checking on them every day as they work toward returning them to their improved enclosure as soon as possible.

With all the birds safe in their new temporary homes, the staff could get started with those long-awaited repairs.

Towering palm tree

One of the projects that rainforest staff were particularly excited about was the trimming of several palm trees that were quickly outgrowing the enclosure.

The mature height of the tree is taller than the height of the rainforest itself, so if it wasn’t trimmed it would grow through the roof and damage the exhibit.

The closure of the exhibit to the public allowed the tree to be trimmed down to about nine feet, well within the enclosure’s limits.

Other plants were planted on and around the trees, offering a new sight for returning visitors as these new plants spread and bloom on the tree stump, creating what staff hopes to be an unexpectedly beautiful sight for visitors.

All while allowing enough time for the exhibit to be cleaned up and the structure refurbished, something that would be nearly impossible with visitors constantly walking through!