Old House Bird Gardens

zoogiraffe

zoogiraffe

Well-Known Member
I have recently been reading the Avicultral Societys first breeding records,and came across a place listed as Old House Bird Gardens,which had alot of first breedings of Pheasants in the 1990's,now I have never heard of the place,and was wondering if the place was still open and where it is!

Thanks in advance for any info provided.
 
I can't find any links but I think it is/was a private collection somewhere near Reading. The owner specialised in pheasants and turacos.
 
I did a search and came up with a location of Essex for a company with the same name that bred animals,but the company house been wound up now!
 
zoogiraffe said:
I did a search and came up with a location of Essex for a company with the same name that bred animals,but the company house been wound up now!
Click to expand...

The bird gardens was situated at Hare Hatch, a village situated 6 miles north east of Reading. The collection was listed on ISIS as Harehatch.

I found the same reference on the internet as you did.
 
Unless I'm mistaken, this was Michel Klat's private collection of Galliformes & Touracos. A lot of the touracos & Cracids ended up at Birdworld. I believe he still has a good collection of Pheasants. I think most of this breeding records were obscure races of common species.
 
FBBird said:
Unless I'm mistaken, this was Michel Klat's private collection of Galliformes & Touracos. A lot of the touracos & Cracids ended up at Birdworld. I believe he still has a good collection of Pheasants. I think most of this breeding records were obscure races of common species.
Click to expand...

Thanks FBBird, I couldn't remember the owner's name.
 
Thanks folks that makes alot of sense with regards to what was listed!Also I never knew it was called that but was aware of Harehatch.
 
Wasn't there an article on it in the IZES's "Zoo!"? I know I read an article about the place somewhere.
 
Just found the article (a short one - one page). It was in the Summer 2000 edition and was written by Bernard Sayers.
 
Old House Bird Garden

Parrotsandrew --I"d like to read that, any chance of sending me a scanned copy? You have my email address. I probably should have PMd this.
 
Michel Klat once gave me a tour of his private collection of pheasants. (He had one of my Edwards's Pheasants.) Extremely interesting, with some very rare species.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top