The Birds

We house over 500 birds; Flamingos, pelicans, penguins, cranes, storks, cassowary, and waterfowl can be seen on various aspects of the water habitat.

Over 50 aviaries of parrots, falcons, pheasants, hornbills, toucans, touracos, pigeons, ibis and many more. Tropical, Desert and Toucan Houses are home to the more delicate species.

Home to the only King Penguins to be found in England, Wales and Ireland.

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Penguins

We house 2 species
- King Penguin
- Humbold Penguin

There are 17 species of penguin another group of flightless birds designed for speed in water rather than the air.

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Pelican

We have one species the Pink-backed Pelican from Africa .Well known for their large beaks with a large skin pocket/flap designed for catching fish.

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Hornbill

At Birdland there are 4 species plus 3 species of bird from the same family which will include the kookaburra, roller and bee-eater.

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Owl

Our smallest is the White-faced Scops Owl and the largest is the European Eagle Owl, we also have Snowy and Hawk Owls. Click here to find out more about owls and birds of prey.

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Touraco

We keep 2 species the Buffon's and Red-crested.

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Parrot

From the Budgerigar to the Moluccan Cockatoo we keep 20 species, including macaws, conures, parakeets, lorys and lorikeets.

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Pigeon

We have 13 species from the Red Turtle Dove to the Nicobar Pigeon and from habitats ranging from Desert to Tropical Forests.

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Plover

At Birdland there are 7 species from the British Stone Curlew and Avocet to the African Crowned and Blacksmith Plovers.

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Crane

Three species at Birdland, the Demoiselle, White-naped and the Stanley Crane. These birds do not start to breed until they are at least 5 years old. The Demoiselle have laid their first eggs, but we will have to wait 4 years for the Stanley Crane.

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Pheasant

These include the quail and partridge ranging from the dull Japanese Quail to the Temminck's Tragopan a pheasant from the Himalayas.

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Cassowary and Rhea

are members of the Ostrich family, both large long legged flightless birds. The cassowary is from Australia and New Guinea and the Rhea is from South America.

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Waterfowl

includes all the different ducks and geese that can be seen on the river or in an aviary from the wild Mallard to the rare Patagonian Crested Duck. There is also 2 species of swan the Australian Black and the South American Black-necked.

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Flamingos

There are 6 species and we have 3 species at Birdland, the Greater, Chilean and Caribbean. Although everyone expects a flamingo to be pink, there is a wide variety of colour variation. The Caribbean is dark pink and the Greater is pale pink. We bred our first flamingo, a Greater, in 2003.

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Stork

We have 2 species the White Stork and the Marabou Stork. Two completely different birds. The white is a delicate species eating frogs, fish and insects, whereas the marabou is a more brutish species feeding mainly on carrion. They can be seen in Africa cleaning up kills after the Lions have left. From the same family we also have ibis, herons, hammerkop etc.