The kids love the Lory Loft in Jurong Bird Park

I had not been to the Jurong Bird Park for decades, because there are birds and only birds there. If not my children, I would have missed this spectacular sanctuary that is due for relocation to Mandai by 2020. That is just next year! I am sure the new destination will be fabulous as well. But it would be just a pity if I had missed the current one.

About Jurong Bird Park

Jurong Bird Park was opened in 1971 and that was nearly 50 years ago. It is Asia’s largest bird park located on a 20-ha hillside for over 3,500 birds across 400 species. 20% of these birds are threatened.

The bird park is well-known for its huge and interactive walk-in aviary and the 30m man-made waterfall.

Lory Loft

I will start with sharing our awesome experience in Lory Loft where we thoroughly enjoyed our moments.

This is where we had our many rounds of walks across the hanging bridges that connect to a two-tiered feeding tower located in the middle of the valley. The kids had so much fun bouncing on the bridges while spotting species of colourful lories and lorikeets.

The aviary is a sanctuary for us. Surrounding us was the relaxing greenery, joyous birds’ chirping, sweet smelling fresh air and nothing else. I was reminded of the Tree Top Walk (click here for photo) in MacRitchie Reservoir, just lower and more fun.

We spent $2 to purchase a cup of bird food specially created for the lories. We were amazed by how freely the lories will hand on our arms to feast on their food.

Lories, also called lorikeets, are a standout group among parrots.
The lory is not a shy species. It is bubbly and enthusiastic, and love to play with the human.

Like many parrots, lories are paired for life.

Check out my Instagram video here as I caught them lovey-dovey away.

Waterfall Aviary

The Waterfall Aviary houses one of the world’s tallest man-made, indoor waterfalls.

We took a little hike up to one of the viewing points to catch sight of some lesser seen birds such as the Guineafowl (not in photos below) and the Crowned Pigeon. The hiking was easy, taking us less than 20 minutes up and down the trail. As we went on a day when the sun was scorching hot, we really appreciated the cooling hiking that was entirely covered by the shady canopies above us.

Penguin Coast

We were lucky enough to start our walk at 10 am which coincided with feeding the African penguins at 10.30am. So the kids each bought a plate of sardines at $2 each. Everyone loves feeding the penguins. Our juniors had to squeezed through the crowd to get their share of feeding experience.

Not all penguins live in freezing conditions. The African penguins are found off the south-western coast of Africa where temperatures vary tremendously during the day and night.

Jurong Bird Park pamper the African penguins a lot. These little cuties have choices. They can either hang out in their sunny outdoor compound or retreat into their air-conditioned nesting area.

Do you know that the African penguins are endangered species? Uh? Unfortunately, we, human compete with them for food, i.e. fishes. Unsustainable fishing practices have deprived them of their food source.

The King Penguins come from the sub-Antarctic islands. In 2008, Jurong Bird Park became the first institution in Southeast Asia to successfully breed the species in captivity.

In Jurong Bird Park, the King Penguins play with balls and popping bubbles. These fat and glorious really need more exercises to keep them healthy and alert.

An Emperor Penguin is potentially taller than my girl!

The Gorgeous Flamingos

Jurong Bird Park has been breeding flamingos since 1972. It is no wonder that today, we see hundreds of flamingos flaunting their colours around the lakes.

Look out for the mud nest mounds if you can. This is where their eggs incubate. The grey baby chicks feed on the red crop milk that the parents produce. The red pigment from the milk will be retained in the chicks’ liver and will show up on their feathers later on in their lives.

Flamingos, emperor penguins and pigeons are the only 3 species of birds that produce milk!

The Pelicans

Jurong Bird Park has a huge collection of pelicans too. The species range from the Dalmatian to the brown, species like the American white, the African pink-backed, the Asian spot-billed and the Australian.

The pelicans have a distinctive throat pouch that they use as a fishing net when they hunt for food. On a hot sunny day, they swirl the side of their pouches to cool themselves down, just like how the elephants fan their ears.

The Flightless

I meant the ostriches, emus and cassowary. This group of birds are known as the ratites, the oldest living species of birds on earth.

Their ancestors in the Jurassic period (150 million years ago) probably lost their ability to fly as there was no need to escape from predators or fly to look for food. That is why by the Cretaceous period, which is about 60 million years ago when non-avian dinosaur dominated Earth, they began to evolve.

Since many scientist think that birds evolve from theropods, the bird park created a dinosaur pit for our aspiring paleontologists to play on.

Birds Discovery Centre

You will probably want to take a break in the air-conditioned Birds Discovery Centre after a long walk under Singapore’s unforgiving hot and humid weather.

While enjoying the gratifying cool air in the centre, walk around and read up on the bite-size fact sheets that give the visitors more information on the birds.

Those in the cages

We saw a lot more birds, such as the rare blue macaws, the hunters, the hornbills and the endangered birds located in the Wings of Asia. However, the photos didn’t turn out well at all. Perhaps a professional DSLR will do these creatures more justice.

I just want to mention that the bird park also boasts the world’s most extensive collection of Southeast Asian toucans. Other than those we always see in the Pasir Ris park whenever we visit the Pasir Ris Park playground, we also saw the endangered Hornbill Ivory that is mainly found in Indonesia and Thailand. The hornbill has a helmet-like casque top which is sold in the black market, several times the price of elephant ivory.

These hornbills are really noisy birds. I find them noisier than the boisterous macaws.

The Shoebill

We have never seen these impressive birds before. They are from Africa and are gigantic, probably nearly my 8-year-old’s height.

It’s Show Time

I am not sure how the Rangers do it. But the birds are remarkable! Macaws are well-known for being intelligent enough to perform. But the flamingo, pelicans and flamingos? They appeared for the show too!

Click here for the show times.
https://www.wrs.com.sg/en/jurong-bird-park/things-to-do/shows.html

Birdz of Play

We passed by this and it was 12 noon. So we decided to give the playground a miss. And by the end of our tour, we were deadbeat and decided not to return to the playground.

Food Wise

There were not a lot of choices in the bird park. We made do with instant meals outside Lory Loft. At lunchtime, it was crowded, not entirely pleasant but we were too hungry and tired to explore anywhere else.

One better option is to fill your tummy before entering the premise. You can find a coffee shop right just before entering the park, where there is a variety of inexpensive options to choose from.

Click on the map here for other food options.