Jurong Bird Park in Singapore is one of the most renowned bird sanctuaries around the globe. Opened in 1971, this is Asia’s largest bird park spread over a 20-hectare area in Jurong hillside. It is a haven for around 5000 birds including 400 species. The distinct feature is 20% of the species living here are rare or threatened ones. Committed to conservation, this park helps a lot to protect these endangered bird species.
Visiting Jurong Bird Park was one of the sweetest memories of our expat life in Singapore. We both worked as researchers at Nanyang Technological University for two years. During that period, we explored most of the important places in Singapore. Jurong Bird Park was one of the top attractions in Singapore and we visited there during our weekend break. Our journey to the bird park was a truly memorable one and we had a fantastic time with lovely birds.
Here we are going to share our experiences about the major bird species, bird shows, and other important things we have enjoyed in the park. Hope this guide will help to arrange your visit to Jurong Bird Park in Singapore.
Access to Jurong Bird Park
Reaching the park is quite easy by using the MRT line. You need to take the East-West MRT line bound for Tuas Link and alight at Boon Lay (EW27). From the Boon Lay bus interchange, take Bus No. 194, which will take you to Jurong Bird Park. Park opens at 08:30 am in the morning and closes by 06:00 pm in the evening.
Entrance of the Park
The entrance of the park was very impressive and beautiful. The entering pathway was adorned with orchid plants along the way. We found many varieties of colorful orchids, giving the feeling of walking in a flower paradise.
The archways were quite elegant and decorated with orchid blooms too. We stayed there admiring beautiful blooms and taking snaps of the lovely sceneries around.
Simply put, the entrance of the park was a heaven of orchid flowers. It gave us plenty of opportunities to enjoy the floral beauty, before entering the bird world.
Zones at Jurong Bird Park
Penguin Coast
You’ll meet these adorable sea creatures of the planet at the Penguin Coast. This large air-conditioned indoor zone exhibits several species of penguins including Humboldt Penguin and King Penguin. We enjoyed a lot watching the unique behavior of these adorable birds, which remembered us of the Happy Feet movie.
Pelican Cove
There are many varieties of Pelicans in this zone. Pelicans are large water birds characterized by a long beak and a large throat pouch. This pouch is used for catching fish and draining water from the prey before swallowing. You can see American white, Asian spot-billed, African pink-backed, and Australian pelican species in Jurong Bird Park.
Lory Loft
Lori Loft is a nine-story high, world’s largest walk-in flight aviary in Jurong Bird Park. This aviary is the home to colorful Lories and Lorikeets. You can see over 1,000 free-flying birds here. These bright-colored cute birds are a huge favorite attraction among visitors of Jurong Bird Park.
Birds feeding in Lori Loft is one of the most popular exhibits in the park. You can buy a cup of bird food made with dry mix, honey, and water. These cute guys love this nectar very much and come to your hand to feed on their preferred food. We could see many visitors and kids enjoyed feeding these lovely birds.
We also bought a cup of bird food and waited for them. At first, they were a little anxious, but they warm up fast and came to our hands. Soon they finished all the food, treated us with a chirping sound, and flew away. What a lovely experience!
We captured some beautiful shots, while these birds eat and drink from our hands. That moment is a precious memory in our hearts forever. If you are visiting Jurong Bird Park, don’t miss this marvelous opportunity to capture a good snap after serving the Lories and Lorikeets.
Swan Lake
How about meeting a long-necked swan? Head towards Swan Lake to watch beautiful swans gliding through the free-flowing waters of the pond.
Flamingo Pool
Have you witnessed the beauty of lovely Flamingos? A large flock of flamingos is living in the park. They are Jurong Bird Park’s most iconic and well-loved species. Flamingo is known for its graceful stature and striking colors of its plumage.
You can see flamingos belong to three species in Jurong Bird Park. They can identify easily by their color. The deep orange-colored species calls as Caribbean flamingo. They are the most gorgeous and prominent species in the park. You’ll find pink-colored Chilean flamingo and whitish lesser flamingo in the nearby lake.
Waterfall Aviary
Waterfall Aviary is the park’s largest walk-in aviary, housing over 600 free-flying African birds. This area calls as African Waterfall Aviary.
The way to the waterfall aviary is decorated by figures of African people and houses. It gave us a feeling like walking inside an African village.
The pathway along the African countryside brings you to an incredible 30-meter high waterfall. This is Jurong Falls, where you can witness the magnificence of the world’s tallest, manmade waterfall. This towering fall gives an eye-pleasing view to the visitors. Water plunges over the top of a cliff and circulated through a stream that flows down creating an ideal environment for water birds.
Water Birds
You’ll find lots of aquatic birds in Jurong Bird Park. Out of them, Mandarin Ducks are so beautiful with their colorful plumage. Their adult male is so elegant and colorful with a red bill, large white crescent above the eye, and reddish whiskers on the face. The female isn’t so colorful, except for a white eye-ring in the face.
There was a big flock of Mandarin ducks in the pond. We enjoyed the scenery of these lovely birds very much and captured some beautiful shots in our lens.
Grey Crowned Crane
The grey crowned crane finds in the African continent, while it is the national bird of Uganda. It is an elegant bird with a majestic crown of stiff golden feathers. You can see this rare species in Jurong Bird Park.
Crowned pigeon
Crowned pigeon is one of the most elegant birds you’ll find in the park. It is a very colorful bird with a bluish-grey plumage and deep maroon-colored breast. Their distinct feature is the magnificent crown made with elaborate blue lacy crests. Enjoy the sight of this spectacular endangered bird in Jurong Bird Park.
Ostrich
Ostrich is dinosaur descendants exist on the earth from the early age. They are large flightless birds with the ability to run fast at 70 km/h. They are the fastest birds living on land. We could see the ostrich is walking very fast in his enclosure. Proving that he is the fastest bird inland, he didn’t allow us to capture the best shot of him.
Cassowaries
Same as ostrich, cassowaries are large dinosaur descendent birds. It is the third-heaviest living bird, smaller than only ostrich and emu. You can see these ancient creatures in Jurong Bird Park.
Hornbills and Toucans
There is a large area homing to many toucan and hornbill species. You will be able to spot some rare and endangered species here, which are difficult to locate anywhere else.
Among them, Toco Toucan is the largest and most beautiful bird in the toucan family. The noticeable feature is its huge bill, which measures around 9 inches in length. Their bill is yellow-orange, with a black base and large spot on the tip.
Macaw Island
Macaw Island is one of the most popular places in Jurong Bird Park. The colorful macaws are a lovely scenery to witness.
Macaws are the loveliest members of the Parrot family. Their colorful plumage makes them so attractive. They love to feed on fruits and nuts. They have a big, strong beak to crack any hardest nuts.
Macaw Island is home to 7 species of macaws; Scarlet, Green-winged, Blue and Gold, Hyacinth, Military, Red-fronted and Blue-throated macaws.
Bird shows in Jurong Bird Park
You can witness the amazing talents of birds and their trainers during these bird shows. There are two major bird shows which play twice daily in the park.
1. High Flyers Show
High Flyers show starts at 11 am in Pools Amphitheatre. This bird show has the world’s largest number of performing birds in a single act. There are well-trained and talented birds like mimicking cockatoos, playing and singing parrots.
High Flyers Show displays their natural talents and sharp IQ of the birds. You can see the playing duel of parrots try to outdo each other with their speed. You’ll see another parrot, the only bird in the world that can sing in three languages. There are other birds who can show you their real talents in various interactive performances.
This show gives opportunity to observe the natural behavior of birds like pelicans, flamingos, toucans and hornbills.
For a mesmerizing and unforgettable grand finale, the world’s biggest flock of birds come onto the stage. You can witness a high-flying symphony of colors, sounds, and the energy of birds.
2. Kings of the Skies Show
You should go early in the morning to catch the earliest show of Kings of the Skies, which starts at 10:00 am at Hawk Arena. During this show, you can witness the fierce and formidable hunting skills of predators like eagles and hawks.
Visitors can see these bird kings soar above the treetops on their hunting trip and come back again to the trainer’s hand. The show is quite educational and showcases how they use their acute sense for hunting.
Definitely, you are going to love this mind-blowing show. You can witness the presence of some other predator birds such as vultures and owls too. Trainers will show you their features and characteristics which help to catch their prey.
Jurong Bird Park with all these amazing shows and activities is a completely worthy place to visit in Singapore. It is a family-friendly destination that gives complete entertainment to the visitors including kids. You can spend an entire day among beautiful birds, without feeling the time is passing. Without a doubt, you will be immersed in the wonderful world of birds and learn to appreciate nature more. Wish you all visit Jurong Bird Park to meet these lovely birds and enjoy with them someday!
This article is written according to our visit to Jurong Bird Park in 2013 and the attractions may vary depending on the present situation.
