Featherdale Wildlife Park Featherdale News

Bruce Kubbere the founder of Featherdale Wildlife Park in 1972 and first proprietor & curator of, passed away two days ago aged 84 (a month short of turning 85). He established the park on his parent-in-laws former poultry farm (his wife and co-founder of Featherdale: Margaret Kubbere nee Wigg, passed away in July 2023, they had been married since 1961); and was well known also in the bird-breeding-giving to other institutions co-operatives, on top of his work at the park also with the more 'ABC' widely known species of Australian animals there. Apparently he still visited the park whenever he could even in his final years and was widely liked and respected by many contemporaries and younger generation zoo, wildlife park and native wildlife rescue professionals in the field(s). Rest in peace Bruce:
''Bruce'' Leonard Bruce Kubbere **OAM
13/02/1940 - 14/01/2025

source: Log in to Facebook

**he received the Order of Australia Medal in 1999 ''for service to the community and to tourism through the establishment of the Featherdale Wildlife Park.''
 
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From ZAA News - strictly from 2024 but important news nonetheless:
  • a Powerful Owl was successfully fledged from their pair. A significant captive breeding.
  • Orange, Crimson and White-fronted Chats all produced chicks.
  • a Ghost Bat pup was born and four Quokka joeys. The ghost bat population is currently struggling with an ageing population so any births are welcomed.
  • 22 Broad-shelled Turtles hatched.
 
I visited Featherdale today for a few hours and have several things to report:
  • A litter of Dingo pups have been born and are being kept in the quarantine area.
  • The Yellow-rumped Mannikins in the Wet Gullies aviary have been replaced by Zebra Finches.
  • Blotched Blue-tongues are no longer on display.
  • The Boyd's Forest Dragons in the Reptilian Pavilion have moved from the small terrarium shared with Major Skink to one of the former large python exhibits on the opposite wall.
  • There is a small unsigned monitor mixed with the Shinglebacks and Western Blue-tongues. It looks to me like a hatchling Sand Goanna.
  • The large Perentie that used to live in the Reptilian Pavilion has been replaced by a much smaller individual that I assume is a juvenile.
  • The Quokkas that used to live near the crocodile have been replaced by Parma Wallabies.
  • Several changes in Birds of the Top End:
- There is now an unsigned Lesser Crested Bellbird in the end aviary of the row with the Spotted Bowerbird, Bush Stone Curlews and Sacred Kingfisher.

- Also in that row, there are now a pair of Wonga Pigeons in the aviary with the Grey-crowned Babblers and Banded Lapwings.

- In the large aviaries, the Black-necked Stork chick has moved from its parents aviary to the one with the spoonbills etc.
​
  • The aviary that held White-winged Choughs and Indian Mynahs on my last visit now has Bush Stone Curlews.
  • There appear to no longer be any Eastern Wallaroos on display.
  • A Black-breasted Buzzard chick has fledged.
  • There is a Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby joey.
  • The Red-and-green Macaws have been replaced by Glossy Black Cockatoos.
And, the most exciting news of all...
  • A pair of Paradise Shelducks have arrived! They are in the former Australian Shelduck exhibit in the Wallaby Walk-in. Due to this, the Australian Shelducks have moved to the former Egyptian Goose yard at the back of the park in front of the off display Plains Wanderer breeding aviaries. The Egyptian Goose is no longer on display.
 
A few quick notes from my visit today:
  • There are currently a litter of three Dingo pups - a black/brown male named Fred, and two tan females named Daphne and Velma. They're seven weeks old and will be at Featherdale for another two weeks for 'socialisation' before being moved to another park. The keeper with them said they weren't born at Featherdale, so wondering if it's a different litter to the one @Osedax saw last week
  • The Black-Necked Storks are currently sitting on their nest, and there are some signs/barriers up around the front of their aviary to give them some space and reduce noise
 
Tigergal said:
There are currently a litter of three Dingo pups - a black/brown male named Fred, and two tan females named Daphne and Velma. They're seven weeks old and will be at Featherdale for another two weeks for 'socialisation' before being moved to another park. The keeper with them said they weren't born at Featherdale, so wondering if it's a different litter to the one @Osedax saw last week
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Actually from this description it does seem like the ones I saw. I just assumed that they were born at Featherdale.
Tigergal said:
The Black-Necked Storks are currently sitting on their nest, and there are some signs/barriers up around the front of their aviary to give them some space and reduce noise
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Hopefully there will be another chick!
 
Hi, is there a species list for this collection please? I am visiting in October and have booked the koala photo experience too. Any advice and recommendations for highlights in this park is also much appreciated, thank you!.
 
Small Mammal Fan said:
Hi, is there a species list for this collection please? I am visiting in October and have booked the koala photo experience too. Any advice and recommendations for highlights in this park is also much appreciated, thank you!.
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If you look at the list of forum threads for each collection you can see if there is a species list posted. (e.g. on the main Australia page select the collection name you want from the drop-bar, or just click on the prefix in front of the latest thread for that collection).

For Featherdale, most of the threads are species lists: Featherdale Wildlife Park Forums
 
Small Mammal Fan said:
Hi, is there a species list for this collection please? I am visiting in October and have booked the koala photo experience too. Any advice and recommendations for highlights in this park is also much appreciated, thank you!.
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Chlidonias said:
If you look at the list of forum threads for each collection you can see if there is a species list posted. (e.g. on the main Australia page select the collection name you want from the drop-bar, or just click on the prefix in front of the latest thread for that collection).

For Featherdale, most of the threads are species lists: Featherdale Wildlife Park Forums
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I will try to update my own Featherdale species list (Featherdale species list [Featherdale Wildlife Park]) when I next visit (likely to be soon).
 
Osedax said:
Well, the planned one week between visits somehow became 10. Not sure how I let that happen...
The species list is now updated.
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thank you very much for this update @Osedax

if I had all day at Featherdale, I would want to see every inhabitant of every aviary, but as we are visiting as part of a tour and have limited time. The mammals take priority. How easy is the park to navigate to see all the Aussie mammal species please, as the map looks so confusing. Particularly hoping to see quoll, possum, quokka, dingo, padmelon and kangaroo feeding. We also have the koala experience booked. In birds I want to see the black necked stork and brolga. Any advice woukd be great, thank you
 
Small Mammal Fan said:
thank you very much for this update @Osedax

if I had all day at Featherdale, I would want to see every inhabitant of every aviary, but as we are visiting as part of a tour and have limited time. The mammals take priority. How easy is the park to navigate to see all the Aussie mammal species please, as the map looks so confusing. Particularly hoping to see quoll, possum, quokka, dingo, padmelon and kangaroo feeding. We also have the koala experience booked. In birds I want to see the black necked stork and brolga. Any advice woukd be great, thank you
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The park is a bit of a maze but small. You should have no problem seeing the mammals and the brolgas and stork in a short period of time.
 
Small Mammal Fan said:
thank you very much for this update @Osedax

if I had all day at Featherdale, I would want to see every inhabitant of every aviary, but as we are visiting as part of a tour and have limited time. The mammals take priority. How easy is the park to navigate to see all the Aussie mammal species please, as the map looks so confusing. Particularly hoping to see quoll, possum, quokka, dingo, pademelon and kangaroo feeding. We also have the koala experience booked. In birds I want to see the black necked stork and brolga. Any advice would be great, thank you
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The park is quite confusing and hard to navigate. You will almost certainly not see the possum (I forgot to put that species in italics in the list). You can't miss the pademelons; they are right at the front of the park after you enter. The dingoes are sort of hidden among aviaries near the Reptilian Pavilion. With so many quoll and quokka exhibits spread through the park, you are almost guaranteed to see at least some. The Brolga and Black-necked Stork can be seen in a few different places, but I would recommend Birds of the Top End as it allows you to get much closer to the birds. Hope this helps.
 
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Osedax said:
The park is quite confusing and hard to navigate. You will almost certainly not see the possum (I forgot to put that species in italics in the list). You can't miss the pademelons; they are right at the front of the park after you enter. The dingoes are sort of hidden among aviaries near the Reptilian Pavilion. With so many quoll and quokka exhibits spread through the park, you are almost guaranteed to see at least some. The Brolga and Black-necked Stork can be seen in a few different places, but I would recommend Birds of the Top End as it allows you to get much closer to the birds. Hope this helps.
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thank you, hopefully I will be able to find most mammal species. Also are the tree kangaroo, rock wallaby, devils, and wombats easy to find. I think if I don’t see all of these species here I Aldo have Taronga and WILD LIFE Sydney to find them! Is it true that you might Aldo be able to stroke the wombat at Featherdale? Or do people just reach over and do it anyway? Seen some photos. Thanks
 
Small Mammal Fan said:
thank you, hopefully I will be able to find most mammal species. Also are the tree kangaroo, rock wallaby, devils, and wombats easy to find. I think if I don’t see all of these species here I Aldo have Taronga and WILD LIFE Sydney to find them! Is it true that you might Aldo be able to stroke the wombat at Featherdale? Or do people just reach over and do it anyway? Seen some photos. Thanks
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All those animals should be easily visible. Patting of wombats is no longer as easy as it was, as the height of the fence at the exhibit where it used to happen frequently has been increased. It was always discouraged as the wombats may bite.
 
I spent a few hours at Featherdale today and noticed a few changes since my last visit.

- There is now an unsigned male Satin Bowerbird in the lyrebird aviary in Birds of the Blue Mountains.
- The former cassowary exhibit between Pademelon Pathway and Pelican Beach now holds the Black-necked Stork that used to reside in the exhibit near the quarantine area. The male Golden Pheasant is still present.
- Eastern Water Skink is no longer signed in the crocodile exhibit.
- Blotched Blue-tongues are back! There are individuals in both outdoor lizard exhibits at the Reptilian Pavilion, though they are only signed in the exhibit closest to the dingoes.
- The Jardine River Turtles that were in the large paludarium in the Reptilian Pavilion mixed with Boyd's Forest Dragon and Rosy Barbs on my last visit have been replaced by a single Eastern Snake-necked Turtle.
- Two Pied Stilt chicks have hatched in Birds of the Kimberley Coast, and there is a new Banded Lapwing chick in Birds of the Inland Region.
- The male Emu is currently incubating a clutch of 9 eggs.
Osedax said:
You will almost certainly not see the possum
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I'm not sure if you've visited yet, @Small Mammal Fan, but I take back this statement that you won't be able to see the possums. The three new Golden Brushtail Possums are much more visible than any other possums the park has previously had on display, though they are still not easy to see. Today I managed to spot two of them inside a hollow log nest box next to the mesh near the back corner of the exhibit, the corner closest to the wombat near Birds of the Open Forest. If you stand on the wooden barrier and lean over, you should be able to see in if you are relatively tall. The third possum had its tail hanging out of a hollow log right in the corner.
 
Osedax said:
I spent a few hours at Featherdale today and noticed a few changes since my last visit.

- There is now an unsigned male Satin Bowerbird in the lyrebird aviary in Birds of the Blue Mountains.
- The former cassowary exhibit between Pademelon Pathway and Pelican Beach now holds the Black-necked Stork that used to reside in the exhibit near the quarantine area. The male Golden Pheasant is still present.
- Eastern Water Skink is no longer signed in the crocodile exhibit.
- Blotched Blue-tongues are back! There are individuals in both outdoor lizard exhibits at the Reptilian Pavilion, though they are only signed in the exhibit closest to the dingoes.
- The Jardine River Turtles that were in the large paludarium in the Reptilian Pavilion mixed with Boyd's Forest Dragon and Rosy Barbs on my last visit have been replaced by a single Eastern Snake-necked Turtle.
- Two Pied Stilt chicks have hatched in Birds of the Kimberley Coast, and there is a new Banded Lapwing chick in Birds of the Inland Region.
- The male Emu is currently incubating a clutch of 9 eggs.

I'm not sure if you've visited yet, @Small Mammal Fan, but I take back this statement that you won't be able to see the possums. The three new Golden Brushtail Possums are much more visible than any other possums the park has previously had on display, though they are still not easy to see. Today I managed to spot two of them inside a hollow log nest box next to the mesh near the back corner of the exhibit, the corner closest to the wombat near Birds of the Open Forest. If you stand on the wooden barrier and lean over, you should be able to see in if you are relatively tall. The third possum had its tail hanging out of a hollow log right in the corner.
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Thank you, I did not see any possum on my visit on the 20th October, I also did not see tree kangaroo, quoll, Tasmanian devil, nocturnal house, most birds, like penguins, cranes and storks, and I’m unsure whether I saw a pademelon as within their pathway, animals looked like red necked and Parma wallabies. My experience having my photo with the koala and stroking him was amazing - one of my best favourite things I have done and a precious memory, as was feeding the kangaroo, quokka, rock wallabies, and stroking the common wombat which I managed without being bitten and he seemed to enjoy it! We only had an hour here but this was one of the best days ever as we were on a tour to the blue mountains. Seeing wild cockatoos at the town of Laura was also great that day!
 
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