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Barred Eagle Owl (Bubo Sumatranus)
With its focused gaze, its deadly beak and claws, and its side-ways pointing ear tufts, the barred eagle owl is a force to be reckoned with!
Birds are captivating creatures. With their diverse and colourful plumage, their wide-ranging shapes and behaviours, and the improbability of their flight, they are magical to watch.
I’ve commented before that I have neither the patience nor the equipment to be a proper birdwatcher. But, watch them I do. Whether it is when I’m just sitting on my balcony under trees full of honeyeaters and lorikeets and overlooking an estuary teeming with cormorants, black swans, spoonbills and pelicans, or when I’m on my travels, I find my heart lifts when birds (or other wildlife) catch my eye.
So, when the opportunity to get a little closer to our feathered friends presents itself (e.g.: Flamingo Gardens and On the Perch), I tend to jump at it. A couple of years ago, my husband and I were in Bali, Indonesia, celebrating an anniversary. We’d had a few weeks of immersing in the food and culture: we’d browsed through markets and shops; we’d walked and bicycled through countless rice terraces; we’d admired the beaches; and we’d visited innumerable temples. We were back in Denpasar after criss-crossing the island, and it was time to relax before the flight home the next day; a visit to a local bird park seemed like the ideal low-stress activity.
And it was! The Bali Bird Park, just a half-hour drive from our accommodation in the city, was the perfect day out. The beautifully maintained park is is divided into different zones that house the 250 species of birds in natural habitats recreated to match their origins. These zones focus on the South-east Asian region (Bali, Borneo, Papua, Java and Sumatra), but also include birds from Australia, South Africa and South America. The park features numerous walk-through aviaries, and various birds roam the grounds freely.
We made sure to catch the “Birds of Prey” and the “Bali Rainforest” free-flight demonstrations and took part in several of the feedings that are conducted daily, and we did, indeed “marvel” as the park’s brochure suggested we would. This was a relief – as we’d visited Turtle Island the day before and found it an exceedingly depressing experience. More about that some other time, but in short: I had asked to go to the Turtle Conservation and Education Centre, Serangan – which is a WWF-auspiced facility, but we got “diverted”. This happens in Asia!
The tag-line for the Bali Bird Park is: “Where Birds and People Meet”.
So, come along and meet some birds.
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Magnificent Macaw
As soon as we enter the park, the birds are there to greet us.
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Those Reptilian Eyes!
It is so easy to see the links between birds and their reptilian cousins!
Can You See Them?
Caging full of native habitat can leave the visitor at a disadvantage …
Can You See Them Now?
… until their eyes adjust, and the birds come into view.
Bali Myna (Leucopsar Rothschildi)
Once we knew where to look, we were able to admire the beautiful Bali starlings. Critically-endangered, these birds are Bali’s only endemic vertebrate species.
Common Hill Myna (Gracula Religiosa)
Common hill mynas always strike me as uncommonly beautiful.
Australian Pelicans (Pelecanus Conspicillatus)
Even if I am kayaking, I never get this close to the pelicans at home. These are the same birds that live in my estuary, but I had no idea they had blue feet!
Introducing “Basic Instinct”
A young park staffer introduces the Birds of Prey Show to an audience that is seated and waiting in the bleachers.
Ready to Launch
Up in the tower, a handler is ready to launch a white-breasted sea eagle.
Victorious!
The white breasted sea eagle has snatched a moving “fish” from the pond, and stands on it, …
White Breasted Sea Eagle and Handler
… until its handler comes to carry it away.
Macaws and Handler
The macaws also get in on the act, circling overhead before landing on a keeper’s arm.
Sea Eagle
Moustached Parakeet (Psittacula Alexandri Fasciata)
Also known as the Java mustached or red-breasted parakeet, this beautiful little bird is endemic to the area from the Himalayas to southern China and Indonesia.
Glossy Ibis – Plegadis Falcinellus
The most widespread of the ibis species, this beautiful bird is a far cry from the Australian ibis, ignominiously known as “the bin chicken”.
Hornbill and Visitor
A male wreathed hornbill (Rhyticeros undulatus) shares a laugh with my husband – after trying to extract his pen from his top pocket.
Wreathed Hornbills (Rhyticeros Undulatus)
These beautiful birds mate for life. The male has the yellow throat pouch; the female’s is blue.
Knobbed Hornbill (Rhyticeros Cassidix)
Native to Indonesia, the Sulawesi red-knobbed hornbill is another of the fascinating hornbill varietals.
Feeding the Fowl
We headed back to the green in front of the restaurant in time for more bird feeding.
African Crowned Crane – Balearica Regulorum
The grey-crowned cranes are are part of the park’s successful breeding program: how cute is the little chick hiding between their legs!
Rhinoceros Hornbill – Buceros Rhinoceros
This large forest hornbill flew through its paces for the park visitors.
“Duck Girl”
The park is a very hands-on environment: a young visitor is invited to feed the birds.
Moluccan King Parrot (Alisterus Amboinensis)
After coffee and bird-feeding, we returned to the Papuan walk-in aviary to enjoy more exotic birds.
Green Snake
Our last stop was in the Toraja House, modelled on those built in South Sulawesi. The dark interior is home to nocturnal owls and other creatures.
We greatly enjoyed meeting the birds – and their keepers – in this beautifully maintained park.
Until next time,
Happy Wandering!
Photos: 05February2017
