Birdland was first established in 1957 and was sited in the centre of Bourton.The current location was a trout farm and prior to that a Poplar Tree plantation There are still over 150 trees which create a high canopy for the River Windrush and enclosure.

Birdland is a natural setting inhabited by 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.

This has also encouraged us to look at indigenous species that visit or live at Birdland including fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds and mammals. We aim to improve the habitat and to produce information for our visitors.

Many of the species are now part of active breeding programmes controlled by studbooks in co-operation with European and International organisations. Birdland are members of the Federation of Zoos of Great Britain and Ireland and the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria.

We also support in situ conservation by raising funds and increasing public awareness through education. We support the research of hornbills in Asia and penguins in Africa . During 2002 we raised £1500 for the Atlantic Rainforest Campaign and in 2003 we raised £1300 for the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust. We have decided to continue this support in 2004 as we feel habitat support is the major key to conservation. We then sent funds to the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust for several years and at present we are providing funding  to the World Land Trust via BIAZA ( British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquaria ).

he BIAZA Reserve, Brazil

The  BIAZA Reserve Project in Brazil is an exciting collaboration between the World Land Trust and the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA), who are working together to urgently raise £260,000 in funds through BIAZA members and their visitors. This amount will enable the World Land Trust (WLT), together with the Trust's project partners REGUA in Brazil, to purchase and protect a strategically-placed parcel of land in the critically-threatened Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest or Mata Atlântica. With only 7% of the original forest remaining, preventing the loss of what remains is an absolute priority.

The funding will enable the purchase of about 1,700 acres of Atlantic Rainforest strategically-situated next to the 17,000 acre Guapi Assu Reserve already protected and managed by REGUA. This species-rich area will be named the BIAZA Reserve.