Jurong Bird Park, Singapore

Cockatoos greet you on arrival.

Penguins in Singapore!  My friends didn't believe it either.  But at the park there they are - in a specially built cold house.  Safely behind thick glass they are happy to be in snow and water.  The great thing was that I could see them swimming under water - exactly as in television wild life programmes.

The monorail is a good way to get an idea of the layout of the park and whilst waiting for the train we were royally entertained by the brilliantly coloured macaws in a nearby enclosure.  I was particularly taken with one who was showing off by sliding down a slope (the roof of a feeding tray).  He went feet first, then tail first, on his back – yes, really – and finally fell off in a great flutter of wings and noise.  Teach him to show off!

The great joys for me were the walk-through aviaries with their bird-feeding points.  By being very patient and standing still, birds eventually arrive and are almost within touching distance.  I couldn't begin to name them all, but in the African Waterfall Aviary they included parrots of every colour and size: bright greens and reds, yellows and blues.  There are also other birds of every combination of colours.  These included Turacos, Carmine Bee Eaters, Red and Yellow Barbets and Weavers.

The man-made waterfall (over 30 metres,) is set among the tropical vegetation.  Apparently there are over 1,300 birds flying free in here.

In the South-East Asian Birds Aviary there are some stupendous birds in royal blue and black which I discovered are called the Asian Fairy Blue.  There was also a very dull looking brown kingfisher - until he turned around.  He has a beautiful turquoise back.  There are also some Bali Mynahs.

 

A keeper told me that these Mynahs, which are white with black tips and patches of blue round the eyes, are very shy.  He said that I would have to look very carefully for them.  Would you believe that they came close enough to photograph?  You do have to look very carefully for some of the birds as they are very tiny and their colours blend well with the flowers and foliage.

The Jungle Jewels Aviary – named for the Hummingbirds in their jewel-like colours.  As they dart about from flower to flower and their wings flap at an incredible rate of knots it is difficult sometimes to see them but I did see a few, particularly the rubies and one called a Sparkling Violet.  To add colour to the streams in the aviary there were colourful Teals and Pintail ducks.

Strolling around the grounds I heard myself being accosted and looked around.  No one in sight.  Another whistle.  I looked up into the trees.  A pair of Toucans.

In an enclosure was a very proud looking mama, showing off her baby.  Ever seen a baby ostrich?  Fluffy, grey, gorgeous eyes, long curly lashes - and larger than mum.

Safely caged are the magnificent and haughty birds of prey.  Then there are corners where I found Birds of Paradise, kingfishers, owls and more parrots.  The water birds are, predictably, on Swan and Flamingo Lakes.

Jurong has over 7,000 birds representing 600 different species from around the world and specialises in breeding programmes and conservation, for which I salute them.