Description: Jurong BirdPark is largest birds’ park in Asia, occupying more than twenty hectares; inaugurated in 1971, it shares the open-space concept of Singapore’s zoo and night safari parks.
The collection includes more than eight-thousand birds from six-hundred species, most of them from
Southeast Asia.
Four walk-in aviaries form the park, among which is the world’s largest walk-in aviary with the tallest man-made waterfall. Beyond that it offers shows; detailed information about the extensive shows is supplied at the entrance. The exhibits and aviaries closely resemble the natural habitats of the birds.
AccessReach the MRT Boon Lay Station and transfer to bus number 194 or 251.
The Bus Hub Service reaches the park from the city, a one-way trip costs S$4 for an adult and half that for a child. The pickup times and locations are available at www.bushub.com.sg. There are also direct connections to the zoo and night safari. City Tours offers a door-to-door service from the hotels in downtown; details can be found at www.citytours.sg.
Adults pay S$18.00 as an entrance fee and S$5.00 for the Panorail Ride, (children pay half of all the fees mentioned in this review).
Since Wildlife Reserves Singapore is the parent company of the zoo, the Night Safari and the Jurong Bird Park (all of them reviewed in this journal), special tickets valid for one month and combining the attractions exist:
3-in-1: S$40.00 for adults.
2-in-1: Any two of the three parks, S$30.00 for adults.
The park is open daily from 8:30 AM to 6 PM, tickets are sold until 5:30 PM and the Panorail is active until 5:45 PM
Touring Jurong BirdPark
African Waterfall Aviary The largest aviary in the park – and in the world - is dedicated to the African Tropical Rainforest; its height reaches an awesome 35 meters, like a 13-floors building. The setup includes typical huts, jars, warriors, snakes, African flora, an artificial waterfall and – of course – African birds. A simulated mist is created to complete the illusion of being in a rainforest. The area can be reached by foot or with the help of the Panorail, which is much more impressive.
Yellow and black lovebirds can be watched on hanging coconuts next to the entrance, while on way to the nearby Suspended Bridge bird feeders allow watching birds like starlings and whydahs, in a true feast of color. The bridge displays the usual geometric patterns of African art and allows a panoramic view of the valley-like aviary and the world’s highest waterfall in an aviary. African Crowned Cranes usually drink water from the waterfall’s top. An African hut is next to the bridge, creating a picture typical of a central African rainforest.
Overall, the aviary hosts fifty species and over fifteen hundred birds, including starlings, turacos, carmine bee-eaters, rollers, red and yellow barbets, whydahs, parrots, white-faced tree ducks, helmeted Guinea fowls, South African crowned cranes, Egyptian geese and others.
African WetlandsThe African Wetlands Exhibit was inspired by the St. Lucia Wetlands in South Africa and includes shoebills, African crown cranes, the great white pelican, saddle-billed storks, blue cranes, white-faced tree ducks, white-breasted cormorants, crested Guinea fowls and others.
Dinosaur Descendants - The Flightless BirdsIn this area, four huts provide the visitors with interactive exhibitions of ostriches, their feathers and eggs. Nearby, a Dino Dig allows children to experience archaeological diggings and discover fossils and relics amidst the sands.
The Elephant Birds Eggs (considered the world’s largest birds and extinct now), the Cassowary’s Casque, the Double-Wattled Cassowary, the Greater and Common Rheas, the Emus and other flightless birds exhibits are also displayed here.
Hornbills and Toucans ExhibitThis exhibit houses the world’s largest collection of Southeast Asian hornbills and a wide variety of South American Toucans, with 25 aviaries simulating the birds’ natural habitat. The hornbills being an endangered species, they are part of the park’s preservation efforts.
Jungle JewelsJungle Jewels re-creates a South American rainforest, the world’s richest and most diverse birds’ habitat. On the exhibit its treetops and taller plants fruit-eaters like the tanagers and contingas can be seen. Yellow hooded blackbirds, red-billed tanagers, red-crested cardinals and many others fill this space that includes a 14 meters tall Flight Gallery, where these can be watched.
Asia's First Heliconia RepositoryHeliconias are tropical flowering plants best known for their exotic blooms, and have been successfully introduced to the park that features many other exotic plants. In 1989, the Heliconia Society International designated the Jurong BirdPark as an official collection center, making it the first in Asia. Nowadays the park has 167 species of heliconias.
Lory LoftThe world’s largest Lory Flight Aviary is probably the most colorful part of the park; red, yellow, green and blue feathers compete for the visitors’ attention. Originating in Australia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, the lories inhabit here what looks like an Australian rural landscape complete with a windmill and bushmen hut. At the two-tiered central feeding tower, visitors can hand-feed the birds.
Parrot ParadiseContinuing the alliterations mood, the 32 aviaries in this exhibit include some of the rarest types of parrots. The aviaries include tropical rainforest, grasslands, semi-desserts, riverbanks, and rocky cliffs habitats. Many of the species here are endangered and are part of a preservation effort.
Some of the endangered species – like the hyacinth macaw and the blue throated macaw are native from
Bolivia; from the last only 50 to 250 birds are left in the wild.
Royal Ramble Crowned Pigeons – the world’s largest pigeons - can be enjoyed within three aviaries housing the three different species, namely the Common Crowned Pigeon, the Victoria Crowned Pigeon and the Scheepmaker’s Crowned Pigeon. Strangely, they are endangered due to their tasty meat; the park is part of the efforts to save these species.
Pelican CoveIn this aviary is the world's most complete collection of pelicans, including all of its seven species. It includes the world’s first underwater viewing gallery for pelicans, where they can be watch diving for their fish during feeding time
Penguin ExpeditionSitting practically on the Equator Line, Singapore is not the first place one would search for penguins; yet, here they are. The five species on exhibit are the Humboldt, the Rockhopper, the Macaroni, the Fairy and the King Penguin. The pools are cooled down to 16 degrees Celsius, and feature a landscape of rocks, cliffs, nesting alcoves and burrows.
Southeast Asian Birds Aviary260 species out of the roughly thousand native bird species from
Southeast Asia can be see here. The exhibit concentrates on about a hundred endangered species like the Bali Mynah Blue-Winged Pitta and the Baya Weaver Blue-winged Leafbird. Every day at noon, the visitors can experience a tropical thunderstorm; the rain falls in away from the visitors’ walkway.
Swan LakeNext to the Pelican Cove, the Swan Lake houses the Black-necked Swan, Black Swan and the Mute Swan.
The Riverine The Riverine is a freshwater river habitat featuring waterfowl, fishes and turtles. It houses of more than twenty duck species, which can be watched through an 11 meter wide glass-viewing gallery.
Window on ParadiseA 40m long tree-top level walkway which offers an unobtrusive view of the Birds of Paradise; there is no wire mesh separating the visitor from the birds, thus the views are breathtaking. A secondary walkthrough is on the ground level; thus the various birds living habits can be watched.
World of DarknessThe exhibit uses a reversed lighting technique which transforms day to night and vice versa, allowing seeing night-active creatures during the daylight hours. The exhibit includes mainly owls.
Worth the FlightJurong BirdPark was the first such a park I visited; it was attractive enough to justify the flight to Singapore.
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