Birdworld Birdworld Updates

Columba leuconota · 7 Nov 2021

FBBird said:
I wonder if that came from Seaview on the Isle of White when that closed? I know they had them, and maybe even bred them.
I had them in the 90s, but never bred them.

Are they difficult to breed? A few places have had them in the past, but there's none around now

ISOE · 13 Oct 2022

3 Black Hornbill chicks have hatched this year:

Birdworld, Farnham on Instagram: "After a long, anticipated wait, our Black Hornbill family has emerged from their nest with three beautiful triplet fledglings. We’ll be bringing you some more heart-warming content over the next couple of days.

At the beginning of June, the female sealed herself inside the nestbox, leaving only a small hole for her mate to pass in food. For the Birdworld team, this was a highly anticipated event met with great excitement when the female finally broke the seal and emerged at last, followed by her triplet fledglings. One or two chicks is normal for these special birds, so when three triplets popped out, looking absolutely perfect, the team was ecstatic. Take a look at the moment when the first chick announced itself to the world before embarking on its first wobbly flight!"

Smaggledagle · 20 Jan 2024

On August 3rd, 2023, the aviary announced that (0.0.2) domestic chickens (breed not specified) hatched.

Birdworld Surrey

On April 8th, 2023, the aviary announced that a (0.0.1) African penguin hatched in January. On April 28th, the aviary announced that (0.0.2+) more African penguins hatched which are on exhibit.

Birdworld Surrey
This video captured last month shows how these inquisitive little chicks can’t get enough of the beach in their enclosure. It’s not unusual to see new... | By Birdworld Surrey | Facebook

On May 3rd, the aviary announced that a (0.0.1) black-legged parrot hatched in January which is on display.

Birdworld Surrey

On June 30th, the aviary announced that they acquired (0.0.2) Indian peafowl from Flamingo Land in North Yorkshire which are on exhibit in the Jenny Wren Farm area.

Birdworld Surrey

On July 1st, the aviary announced that a (0.0.1) Inca tern hatched.

Birdworld Surrey

On July 5th, the aviary announced that a (0.0.1) northern bald ibis hatched in May.

Birdworld Surrey

On September 1st, the aviary announced that (0.0.2) Humboldt penguins hatched in June which are on exhibit.

Birdworld Surrey

On September 8th, the aviary announced that a (0.0.1) Socorro dove hatched in August.

Birdworld Surrey

On October 10th, the aviary announced they transferred (0.0.5+) Humboldt penguins to the Five Sisters Zoo in West Calder.

Birdworld Surrey

On November 9th, the aviary announced a new masterplan which would include the relocation of the entrance, a new behind-the-scenes building for breeding/conservation purposes, new play areas (both outdoor and indoor), and adding new (unspecified) exhibits. Construction will start in 2025 which is subject to planning approval.

Discover our exciting future plans - Birdworld
Birdworld in Farnham announces expansion plans

Smaggledagle · 27 Nov 2024

On April 13th, 2024, it was mentioned that the zoo transferred (1+?.1+?) common hill mynas to Thrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens in Norfolk*.

On May 17th, the zoo announced that a Mitchell's lorikeet hatched in spring.

Birdworld Surrey

On May 25th, the zoo opened the Love + Color building to the public, which includes new exhibits for Bali myna, bearded barbet, Victoria crowned pigeon, Eurasian hoopoe, and lilac-breasted roller**, among other species.

Birdworld Surrey

On June 25th, the zoo announced that a (0.1) African spoonbill named Teaspoon hatched which is on display in the Seashore Walk aviary.

Birdworld Surrey

On July 8th, the zoo announced that (2.0) Humboldt penguins hatched. They were later named Rico and Skipper.

21 reactions | If you saw our post on Saturday - of course, the penguin on the left is a baby! Meet our Humboldt Penguin chicks here at Penguin Island, Birdworld. #birdworld #birdworldsurrey #birdsofinstagram #zoobirds #surreylife #birds #hampshire #zoolife #penguinsofinstagram #Humboldt #humboldtpenguin #chicks | Birdworld Surrey
Birdworld Surrey

On July 15th, the zoo announced they opened a new Wildlife Garden exhibit to the public.

22 reactions |

Welcome to our NEW Wildlife Garden! During the summer holidays we will be running some fabulous seed bomb making sessions we have a marquee up, ready for whatever the weather! We can’t wait to welcome you!

Mandy - Education and Conservation Team Lead | Birdworld Surrey

On August 21st, the zoo announced that a black-cheeked lovebird hatched a few weeks prior.

26 reactions | If you saw the sneak peak of our youngest resident yesterday... say hello to our black-cheeked lovebird chick! One of the rarest parrots in Africa, we have a flock of over 80 individuals in our Love and Colour corridor. See if you can spot our group as they pop in and out of their nests! #birdworld #birdworldsurrey #birdsofinstagram #hampshire #parrot #parrotsofinstagram #zoobirds #blackcheekedlovebird | Birdworld Surrey

On September 9th, the zoo announced that 2+? budgerigars hatched.

23 reactions | Guess who is having a nest clean out! You may spot their keeper Tilly moving boxes about and checking them daily - she's making sure our mystery chicks are clean and safe. When the substrate needs changing, the babies are placed in a temporary nest to keep them warm and safe. #birdworld #birdworldsurrey #birdsofinstagram #bird | Birdworld Surrey
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1158450435242977/

On September 23rd, the zoo announced their (1.0) snowy owl named Kettle passed away.

Birdworld Surrey

On September 27th, the zoo announced that (1.1) striated caracaras named Marshall and Kim passed away both due to age-related illnesses.

Birdworld Surrey

On October 11th, the zoo announced they opened a new area called Owl Academy to the public with new exhibits for spectacled, snowy, and barn owls.

1.1K views · 197 reactions | Get ready for a fantastic family day filled with spooky fun!

Join us from Oct 26th to Nov 3rd for our Halloween festivities, where you can join us for eerie crafts and do a trick-or-treat Dave Pigeon trail to win fabulous free prizes! Watch out for the Zombie biscuits lurking around! Discover our brand-new Owl Academy, where you can learn through play and meet our enchanting wizard friends, including snowy owls, spectacle owls, barn owls, and more… Meet our lovable pigeons, Dave and Skipper, as they guide you through a spooktacular adventure. Keep an eye out for all the Dave Pigeons hidden throughout the park, but tread carefully—there might be some Zombie birds on the loose! | Birdworld Surrey

On October 29th, it was mentioned that the zoo transferred a chestnut-backed thrush to the Exmoor Zoo in Devon***.

On November 2nd, the zoo announced they acquired a (1.0) snowy owl named Elk from the World Owl Trust in Cumbria which is on exhibit.

Birdworld Surrey

On November 4th, the zoo announced they acquired (1.1) burrowing owls which are on exhibit.

Birdworld Surrey

Smaggledagle said:
On November 9th, the aviary announced a new masterplan which would include the relocation of the entrance, a new behind-the-scenes building for breeding/conservation purposes, new play areas (both outdoor and indoor), and adding new (unspecified) exhibits. Construction will start in 2025 which is subject to planning approval.
Discover our exciting future plans - Birdworld
Birdworld in Farnham announces expansion plans

On November 6th, the zoo announced that they received a multi-million pound planning permission to build the largest playarea in the region on the current site of Jenny Wren's Farm.

Birdworld Surrey

* Information provided by @Coopeo in the News from Thrigby Hall thread (Page 7 Post #138).
** All species found in subsequent social media posts.
*** Information provided by @Kalaw in the Exmoor Zoo News 2024 thread (Page 2 Post #25).

Smaggledagle · 5 Jul 2025

#birdworld #birdworlduk #birdworldsurrey #birds #Fathersday #gooddad #Victoriacrownedpigeon #greaterrhea #blythshornbill #pigeon #hornbill #Rhea #birdsofinstagram | Birdworld UK

On June 16th, the zoo announced that 2 northern bald ibises hatched, which are now on exhibit.

Birdworld UK

On June 26th, it was announced that the zoo transferred 3 African penguins named Chips, Pickles, and Smithson to Banham Zoo in Norfolk.

13K views · 219 reactions | New Penguins Arrive at Banham Zoo | We’re incredibly excited to welcome seven new penguins to Banham Zoo!

Joining us from Hertfordshire Zoo are Jozini, Maneno, Rocket and Kobi, and from... | By Banham Zoo | Facebook

TriUK · 5 Jul 2025

Re. The Birdworld statement that ‘we are the only dedicated bird collection in the U.K…’ - what about Desford in Leicestershire?

pangolin12 · 5 Jul 2025

Are falconry / bird of prey centres not ‘dedicated bird collections’ also?

dillotest0 · 5 Jul 2025

...does Birdland in Bourton-on-the-Water count as a dedicated bird collection? Or does its small non-avian collection [axolotls, tortoises, other herptiles/things you can keep in a vivarium] gravely disqualify it

Admittedly not as many 'rarities' as they had before... but so goes for everybody. I'd say very much still a very solid dedicated bird collection

Pertinax · 5 Jul 2025

I always find Birdworld and Birdland two very confusing titles. One in Surrey, the other in the Cotswolds. I think Birdland at Bourton actually has the longer and better claim to any such title.

dillotest0 · 5 Jul 2025

Pertinax said:
I always find Birdworld and Birdland two very confusing titles. One in Surrey, the other in the Cotswolds. I think Birdland at Bourton actually has the longer and better claim to any such title.

This was a confusion that members of my family had for years... for years we have been visiting Birdland in Bourton but never Birdworld in Farnham. But for years in passing it was often referred to as 'Bird-world'... but this has been remedied since.
The funny thing though... both places are about as far from each other by car from where I live, just in opposite directions. Simply a case of visiting one place over the years but never the other... Though perhaps Bourton being dotted with cafes and giftshops all over the place [in addition to the Motor Museum where Brum can be seen] helps out as well. Birdworld in Farnham whereas is located on the side of the road from what I see... not much else you can see in a day without having to drive.

ZooNews2024 · 6 Jul 2025

dillotest0 said:
...does Birdland in Bourton-on-the-Water count as a dedicated bird collection? Or does its small non-avian collection [axolotls, tortoises, other herptiles/things you can keep in a vivarium] gravely disqualify it

Admittedly not as many 'rarities' as they had before... but so goes for everybody. I'd say very much still a very solid dedicated bird collection

Birdworld at Farmham used to have a childrens farm which certainly had mammals in it, dont know about now. Birdland at B-o-t-W as non avian species and a large (static) dinosaur display.
As they stand at the moment, Birdworld is the senior (I have not had the chance to check dates), with Birdlands first site in the village, very much older and a pioneer.
I would have thought they were far enough apart for the names to be of no issue for anyone, and of course there was a third at the same time, called Bird Paradise, at Hayle - which of course has been re-named.
MUCH more confusing is the current crop of 'wilds', - discovery, zoo, place, etc, especially as none of them are 'wild' at all, and all their animals are captive!
SO much easier to find and remember if the place name is in the title, Banham, Colchester, Twycorss, Newqay, Linton etc.

Pertinax · 6 Jul 2025

ZooNews2024 said:
As they stand at the moment, Birdworld is the senior (I have not had the chance to check dates), with Birdlands first site in the village, very much older and a pioneer.

I visited the original Birdland at Bourton on the Water several times in the 1960's at its first site when it was owned by Len Hill, who was a builder and hobbyist bird-keeper to start with. It was a magical place in those days, with the free-flying macaws etc. Then it passed to his son I think. There was a fire at some point and then after that the relocation to the present site slightly further out of the village. I visited that one much more recently, during the pandemic year(2020?) and the very attractive village, which is a tourist honeypot anyway at the best of times, was absolutely rammed with people, though the bird garden was refreshingly quiet and empty. I felt it wasn't so attractive as the original one though and the dinosaur area looked decidely rundown and half forgotten. I presume it is no longer run by the Hill family descendents though?

ZooNews2024 · 6 Jul 2025

Pertinax said:
I visited the original Birdland at Bourton on the Water several times in the 1960's at its first site when it was owned by Len Hill, who was a builder and hobbyist bird-keeper to start with. It was a magical place in those days, with the free-flying macaws etc. Then it passed to his son I think. There was a fire at some point and then after that the relocation to the present site slightly further out of the village. I visited that one much more recently, during the pandemic year(2020?) and the very attractive village, which is a tourist honeypot anyway at the best of times, was absolutely rammed with people, though the bird garden was refreshingly quiet and empty. I felt it wasn't so attractive as the original one though and the dinosaur area looked decidely rundown and half forgotten. I presume it is no longer run by the Hill family descendents though?

The original site was in the middle of one of the most sought-after villages in England, very valuable and presumably developed for housing?
I think the 'new one' has passed out of the Hill family hands (presumably the next generation wasnt interested - same as the Harvey family at Birdworld) and is run by someone ex-Cotswold.

Eric · 6 Jul 2025

I think that any talk about 'dinosaur displays at UK zoos in general. Should BirdWorld go down this path, they could focus on prehistoric birds to keep in with the avian theme.?

cerperal · 6 Jul 2025

Eric said:
I think that any talk about 'dinosaur displays at UK zoos in general. Should BirdWorld go down this path, they could focus on prehistoric birds to keep in with the avian theme.?

The ratite cut-out lineup, ending with the moa and elephant bird, was one of the highlights of my visits as a child local to the area (along with the very impressive ratite collection they used to hold). Where most dinosaur displays are quite clearly just to drive visitors and serve absolutely no educational use (mainly because of how staggering inaccurate they tend to be), Birdworld having a series of accurate models of these birds, Haast's eagle, terror birds and naturally some form of feathered non-avian dinosaur would not only be fitting but educational, and probably go some way to helping the collection regain some of the charm and draw it's lost over the past 15 or so years

GaryA · 6 Jul 2025

I knew that the aquarium had been closed. It appears that the farm (including the pets for sale) has also been shuttered, which I did not know about.

It seems to be a reduction rather than a refocus as I don't see many new species listed.

I think it's a bit odd they don't have Ostrich, as the biggest bird.

ZooNews2024 · 6 Jul 2025

cerperal said:
The ratite cut-out lineup, ending with the moa and elephant bird, was one of the highlights of my visits as a child local to the area (along with the very impressive ratite collection they used to hold). Where most dinosaur displays are quite clearly just to drive visitors and serve absolutely no educational use (mainly because of how staggering inaccurate they tend to be), Birdworld having a series of accurate models of these birds, Haast's eagle, terror birds and naturally some form of feathered non-avian dinosaur would not only be fitting but educational, and probably go some way to helping the collection regain some of the charm and draw it's lost over the past 15 or so years

If you are looking at driving footfall, as a way of paying the staff and keeping the heating on - AFTER having to give half of your gate money to the Government in tax, I'm not sure that a model Haast's Eagle would be an equal alternative to a T-rex!

cerperal · 6 Jul 2025

ZooNews2024 said:
If you are looking at driving footfall, as a way of paying the staff and keeping the heating on - AFTER having to give half of your gate money to the Government in tax, I'm not sure that a model Haast's Eagle would be an equal alternative to a T-rex!

Hence why collections don't bother with what I will loosely describe as more "appropriate" subjects, nor more accurate ones. But given a Kelenken a suitably wacky hairdo and I would imagine you'll draw in at least a decent number of extra visitors to what is currently the 3rd most popular destination on that road alone. They are a small, specialist collection now - throw in a few dromeosaurs and you'd be staggered at what random things you can get the public to gawk at

Strathmorezoo · 6 Jul 2025

Pertinax said:
I visited the original Birdland at Bourton on the Water several times in the 1960's at its first site when it was owned by Len Hill, who was a builder and hobbyist bird-keeper to start with. It was a magical place in those days, with the free-flying macaws etc. Then it passed to his son I think. There was a fire at some point and then after that the relocation to the present site slightly further out of the village. I visited that one much more recently, during the pandemic year(2020?) and the very attractive village, which is a tourist honeypot anyway at the best of times, was absolutely rammed with people, though the bird garden was refreshingly quiet and empty. I felt it wasn't so attractive as the original one though and the dinosaur area looked decidely rundown and half forgotten. I presume it is no longer run by the Hill family descendents though?

After Len Hill died the park was bought by the Trigg family?.. In 2012 they sold it to Ian Cunningham ?who is principal of Livingston Leisure Ltd.

dillotest0 · 6 Jul 2025

Eric said:
I think that any talk about 'dinosaur displays at UK zoos in general. Should BirdWorld go down this path, they could focus on prehistoric birds to keep in with the avian theme.?

For what it's worth last I went, the 'Jurassic Journey' section at Birdland has seen better days... with one side of the river which flows through the dino area now seemingly being used for housing, which loses some immersion. The dinosaurs themselves have rather 'basic' designs... but as static models don't roar or move around. I have no idea how often they are maintained but I recall last I went some of the dinosaurs had body parts missing... and having a spinosaurus partially submerged to reference its aquatic nature is cool but the model itself is rather grimy as a result. The accuracy I'd say is mostly fine... with the obvious exception of dinosaurs we know had feathers [the raptors] having none at all. [and Dilophosaurus having a frill] And some colour choices used are 'more likely' than others.
I want to say it has some kind of educational value... as dinosaurs seem to be one of the 'things kids should learn about', along with letters, numbers, shapes, instruments found in a western classical orchestra... but then of course after a certain age the educational value of some movie-esque models of well known dinosaurs in a forest wanes a bit. From what I see from internet videos the signs do have somewhat interesting information.. the kind you could find in a dinosaur encyclopaedia... though I have no idea how often people read and internalise it.

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