Where else but here in Singapore!
Jurong Bird Park is the largest bird park in the world set on a 20.2 hectare hillside haven with over 4,600 birds across 380 species. Opened in 1971, it is one of the world's best in conservation and display of birds in its natural settings. Here, you can find a variety of lovely and colorful feathered friends which are more or less flying free in a huge free-fly aviaries or good-sized cages and they all looked healthy and well-cared for. It is important that you allow plenty of time when visiting this attraction as there is a tendency that you'll want to stop and gaze at the bird frequently and of course take loads of photos. It's a treat to your eyes especially to those enthusiasts, photographers and bird lovers.
Below are some of the highlights of this park:
1. Birds and Buddies Show
We commonly see dogs and other animals trained to understand human language better but not in this show. The Birds and Buddies Show is a stunning visual fiesta of birds and colorful mascots on stage that will have your mouth wide open and eyes bursting out in amazement as you see the birds interact so well with humans.
They are able to perform the instructions given to them brilliantly or whilst you see them act out the story behind the show. The jokes maybe a little bit corny but I'm pretty sure the young at heart or maybe the old at heart but still feeling young as they aged will love it tremendously.
2. Lorry Loft
Ahh! Who wouldn't want to be surrounded by a flock of the prettiest birds in the park at the world's biggest lory flight aviary?
This 9-storey-high enclosure offers a bird's eye view of lush greenery and an opportunity to feed and observe the lovely and friendly Australian lories while some of them may perch on your arm or your shoulders and even to the extent of pecking your ears! Yikes! But this is so true! I saw one of the lories pecked the ear of the visitor like its trying to clean it.
They're harmless alright! They won't bite you or pull your hair or whatsoever but they fight each other for food and when they do, they look so adorable! I just couldn't put in words exactly everything that I'd felt when I was closed to them but it was definitely one of my best moments.
3. Penguin Coast
An air-conditioned setting of an explorer ship where on board you'll gladly find tuxedo cuties "flying" underwater. Yes, they are! And they're the unique kind of bird to ever do that stunt. They are one of the reasons I love the Happy Feet movie!
Mother and father penguins are great parents. They take turns to keep the egg warm so that the tiny chick inside can grow and hatch. Then, they usually take care of their chick for a year after they are hatched. This makes them devoted parents because very few birds care for their chicks for such a log time.
Home to nearly 100 penguins, across 6 species, the exhibit also includes an outdoor enclosure for the endangered African penguins.
4. World of Darkness
Obviously this attraction is dark and kind of eerie too. It gives you that kind of weird feeling that someone's quietly staring at you.
Oh yes indeed! They see you but you are not likely to see them. So that makes it spooky! But if you're cool enough to spot them, you will be awe-stricken by their beauty and apparently big round eyes! This is definitely one of the best attractions in the park that you should not miss.
5. Pelican Cove
These noisy friends are extremely large, heavy-bodied waterbirds with long bill and a pouch which they use for scooping out fish in the water. By strolling along the boardwalk of this cove, you will be fascinated by the many species of pelicans including the endangered Dalmatian pelicans just being on their own world and no business whatsoever other than making loud and irritating squawks cough and croak. Nevertheless, they are a lovely thing to watch so enjoy as much of your photography as possible.
6. Birds of Prey Show
Want to see the most ferocious flying predators in action? Then, don't miss out on the Birds and Prey Show. Located at the Fuji Hawk Walk in the park, this show presents majestic eagles, falcons and hawks as they let loose their predatory instincts in a simulated hunt and show off their agility in stunning aerial maneuvers. You will be awed by the beautiful display of flying actions by the birds and if you have a very good camera, some moments are just taken wonderfully.
7. African Waterfall Aviary
Get captivated with the world's tallest man-made waterfall and pose for a picture-perfect moment where at the background you'll hear the cascading waters from the top that brings a soothing feeling and peaceful retreat with nature. This African Waterfall Aviary is the world's largest walk-in aviary with more than 1,500 free-flying birds from over 60 species. It was hard to spot most of the birds though and it made me wonder why it was so quiet. But nonetheless, I truly enjoyed the waterfall so life's a bliss!
8. Flamingo Cove
This is where you'll be enchanted by the pink beauty of long-legged creature so sexy and beautiful - the flamingos.
There are 5 species of flamingos that occur throughout the world. The greater flamingo is as tall as a grown up person is while the lesser one is as tall as a first-grader. They usually live in lagoons or lakes. Their feather color usually varies with species ranging from pale pink to crimson or vermilion. The brightest coloration belongs to the Caribbean flamingos: crimson or vermilion while the pale pink is for Chilean flamingo. Their color is enhanced from their diet which is usually high in alpha and beta-carotene. Humans usually eat carrots to get this nutrients. But I'm not saying that if humans eat more carrots, they will become pink flamingos as a result. What I'm saying is that they will have a healthy perhaps pink-looking skin.
A group of flamingos is called colony. Within this colony, flamingos breed in pairs though it does not happen every year. They're able to reproduce by the age of six. Amazing isn't it? I was still a kindergarten though when I was at that age. Good fun!
So if you are coming to Singapore, I highly recommend you visit the Jurong Bird Park for a day of feathered-friends exploration and whole lot of fun. You can visit this website www.birdpark.com.sg for more information of the ticket prices, combo deals and offers.
