GameTinkerer

Planet Zoo 2: Secretarybird

Base game · Aviary

Animal facts checked 1 October 2026. Classification and reveal history use our 2026-09-30 roster snapshot. Gameplay requirements are not yet verified.

Yes: Frontier’s Planet Zoo 2 roster places the secretarybird in Habitat – Flying. Its real-world habit of walking does not make it a terrestrial-category animal in this list.

By GameTinkerer · How we check our sources

Does the secretarybird count as a flying animal?

Secretarybird walking through dry grass, showing long legs and black head plumes
The long legs and black crest distinguish the pictured secretarybird. Real-world photo, not an in-game image. Photo: “Secretary bird (Sagittarius serpentarius), Buffalo Springs National Reserve.jpg” by Hobbyfotowiki / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (cropped and resized to 640×360 from the Wikimedia Commons file). CC0 public-domain dedication; photo by Hobbyfotowiki. Reuse and licensing details. All photo credits.

Sagittarius serpentarius is a long-legged African savannah bird of prey. Frontier describes a bird that usually walks but can fly, with paired adults nesting on a tree platform. Its prey includes small mammals and invertebrates as well as snakes.

Edition and official listing

This entry is classified as Base game in our checked official roster; it is not one of the six Deluxe additions.

Official enclosure labels: Aviary. These labels describe categories, not a compatibility verdict.

Recorded Zoopedia date: (opening roster; not necessarily the first announcement). Read the linked official announcement, published 2026-06-23, or compare updates in the reveal timeline.

Compare confirmed roster details

Compare the secretarybird with the shoebill to see why behaviour alone is a poor enclosure filter. Both have the flying label despite spending much of their time at ground or water level; neither label supplies their exact space or social requirements.

DetailSecretarybirdShoebill
Scientific nameSagittarius serpentariusBalaeniceps rex
EditionBase gameBase game
Official enclosure labelsAviaryAviary
Recorded Zoopedia date2026-06-232026-08-13

Check Shoebill in Frontier’s Zoopedia. A shared label is not evidence of compatible welfare settings.

Planning notes for this animal

A grassland-themed layout can contrast a ground-level viewing route with a raised nesting focal point. This is a visual concept, not a prescription for an acacia tree or a particular game nest item.

These are our design suggestions, not verified welfare requirements.

Habitat requirements and compatibility

Do not use time spent walking to decide whether a roof is needed. Check the aviary building system, usable flying space and species-specific nest options in the game. The wild pair bond is not a verified group-size limit, and predatory behaviour does not by itself establish the game’s compatibility rules.

Space, temperature, group limits and pairings remain unverified. Planning tools use fictional demo data.

Use the building guide for the currently sourced overview. Once actual gameplay values are checked, requirements will be published at this same URL.

More Aviary profiles

See all announced animals.

Sources

All Planet Zoo 2 guides, tools and lists