Birds of the Adelaide Zoo
King Parrot at Adelaide Zoo
Earlier this week I received the latest magazine of the Zoological Society of South Australia Zoo Times (March 2006). This magazine covers events and news of the Adelaide Zoo and the Monarto Zoological Park (about 65km SE of Adelaide and only about 8 km from my home). I receive the magazine because I am a Life Member of the zoo.
Birds of Adelaide Zoo
This issue of the magazine does not specifically cover news of any birds held in the collection. I have visited the Adelaide Zoo on many occasions over recent years and I always take the opportunity to linger at the many bird exhibits. These enclosures are not your run of the mill sterile aviary cage. The exhibits very successfully recreate a small parcel of habitat in which the species live. Desert dwelling birds are depicted in a typical desert type environment. Water birds are exhibited in lagoons and small ponds. Rainforest dwelling birds are displayed in planted up aviaries with the feel and look of a rainforest and so on.
Cattle Egret, Adelaide Zoo
Walk through aviaries
A feature of the magnificent avian collection of the Adelaide Zoo is the three walk through aviaries. In these one is able to get up close and personal with the many species contained in the display. My favourite would have to be the Rainforest aviary. This contains many species I don’t get to see here in the dry Murray Mallee of South Australia.
Education
This just highlights the valuable educational role that the modern zoo can provide. Many of the species contained in the zoo collection are not easily seen in the natural environment unless one is able to travel vast distances. I spend time studying these beautiful birds in the aviaries so that when I do come across them in their natural habitat I will be able to easily identify them. Some species I will never get to see in the wild because of their rarity or the inaccessibilty of their natural habitat. It’s not ideal – it’s not the same as seeing them in the wild state – but it’s the next best thing.
Elusive Species
One relatively common Australian bird species is the Glossy Ibis. I have searched high and low for this bird in various parts of Australia. It is even quite common within an hour’s drive of home. So far it has eluded me. This is very frustrating because I know it should be easy to find. I have seen this species in many zoos around Australia – but I’ve never seen one in its natural habitat! My day will come – then I will see it at every turn. Guarateed! It’s a birding law.
For more information about the Adelaide Zoo and the Monarto Zoological Park click here.
Taronga Zoological Park Pt 2
Above: Photo of a Galah at the Bird Show at Taronga Zoo, Sydney.
The Galah pictured above is featured in the Bird Show at the Taronga Zoological Park. The keeper asks a member of the audience to place a coin in his or her palm and to stand up. The Galah then flies to the audience member and collects the coin. It then flies back to the keeper and pops the coins in the keeper’s pocket. After some more banter from the keeper the bird returns the coin to its original owner. It is all very amusing and indicates how some of our birds can be trained to do tricks like this.As well as seeing many birds, both wild and captive, there are many interesting animals to view. One of these is the Himalayan Thar, a species I saw in the wild only a few weeks ago on a trek through the Everest region of the Himalayan mountains.
Above: Photo of an Himalayan Thar, Taronga Zoo, Sydney.
Another highlight on one’s visit to this zoo is the many absolutely stunning views of Sydney Harbour from the grounds of Taronga Park. It is almost worth paying the entrance fee just to see the great views.
Above: Photo showing the view of Sydney CBD from Taronga Zoo.
Taronga Zoological Park
2 Comments »25th February, 2006; Category: Camera, Eagles Hawks and Kites, Honeyeaters, Photos, Zoos
Above: Photo of the entrance to Taronga Zoological Park, Sydney.
We are in Sydney visiting our son and daughter in law. Today we went to the Taronga Zoological Park. it has been almost six years since our last visit. There have been many changes made since then. It was quite obvious that big attempts have been made to improve both the animal displays and the overall facilities for humans.
While our prime objective was to view the animal displays, I cannot help being on the lookout for native Australian birds flying around free. Many of the enclosure’s feed trays provide a free meal for some of our native species. This Noisy Miner didn’t need to get into one of the cages. It just fed from a bottlebrush flower poking though one of the aviaries.
Above: Photo of Noisy Miner feeding on a bottlebrush (Callistemon sp)
As we were going along we observed a Laughing Kookaburra sitting quietly on the branch of a tree near the path. This is one species I have been trying to photograph since buying my new digital camera. This was one species I didn’t expect to see or photograph today.
Above: Photo of a Laughing Kookaburra in the grounds of Taronga Zoo, Sydney.
One of the highlights of visiting Taronga Zoo is the show put on by a range of Australian birds under the direction of several keepers. It is awesome to observe a Wedge Tailed Eagle gliding about a metre or two overhead as it headed down towards the keeper. We also saw a beautiful White-Bellied Sea-Eagle. 
Above: Photo of a White-Bellied Sea-Eagle