Weltvogelpark Walsrode News from Walsrode 2011 - 2013

[Chlidonias]

when I was young they were down to just the last few Japanese birds but then the Chinese population was discovered, some were sent from there to Japan for breeding, and the numbers started slowly rising. But they were still so rare that I never hoped I would ever have the chance to actually see one, especially not in the wild which is now not hard to do so long as you go to the right places (which I will do some day!)

This page (from 2002) gives some details of the sad fate of the Japanese population: NIPPONIA

 

[kiang]

2 Chilean pelicans have been hatched at the park and are currently being hand raised.

http://www.weltvogelpark.de/deutsch/aktuelles.html

 

[avian83]

Can anyone say how much time is needed to see walsrode? I am going there in march but I'm still not sure if i'd go 1 of 2 days..

I spent 2 half-days and 1 full-day there in September and it was sufficient.

I visited the Paradieshalle and Tropenhalle free-flight about 10 times each over the span of my 3 visits and saw a different species every time in both. There are some extremely elusive birds in there, like the pittas -- I only saw the Banded Pitta and Giant Pitta once each, and the Hooded Pitta twice. There is a pair of Lilac-breasted Rollers in the Paradieshalle freeflight that I only saw twice, and a male Pin-tailed Whydah that I only saw once. Plus there are LOTS of birds in the Paradieshalle that aren't listed, so I had to diligently (and patiently) watch everything to make an accurate list.

The Pheasantry was my absolute favorite part. The birds are beautiful, active, and up close, and the overall variety is outstanding.

 

[Rupicola]

Thank you for the reply! Can't wait to go, I am looking at some dates at the moment. I read on zootierliste that they added 2 species of bird of paradise(red and raggiana) there are now kept behind the scenes, anyone has an idea if they while be kept on show this season?

 

[avian83]

Thank you for the reply! Can't wait to go, I am looking at some dates at the moment. I read on zootierliste that they added 2 species of bird of paradise(red and raggiana) there are now kept behind the scenes, anyone has an idea if they while be kept on show this season?

You're welcome. I don't know about the Birds of Paradise, but I can tell you that several must-see species were off exhibit when I went: Sumatran Trogon, Green Broadbill, Black-fronted Piping-Guan. I asked 3 separate keepers where the Trogons were, and was pointed in several different places before finally learning they were off-show. So, don't get your hopes up for some of the rarer species, as they might not be visible -- fortunately the vast majority is on-show and almost all birds are active, visible, and healthy-looking.

I will warn you that the two tropical halls, aside from only having about 1/2 of the species listed, are very very dark and photography is difficult without a flash. Nusantara was especially dark, and felt like twilight even in mid-morning! Try to wait until the keepers bring the food out, as this is when a lot of the smaller passerines manifest.

Edit: Come to think of it, the Piping-Guans were listed on one of the aviaries, but I never saw them. I think they were hiding in the back/indoor quarters.

 

[DDcorvus]

Walsrode is getting their Bird-of-Paradise collection back to older levers. They received also raggiana.

 

[jwer]

A couple of cloven-feathered doves (stunning creatures) recently went on show at Walsrode.

A male golden-headed quetzal arrived to keep their two females company (also on show)

According to several sources the male red BoP from Chester died before arriving, so Walsrode only has 0.3 behind the scenes.

Raggiana's BoP is in their new 2012 zooguide so they are bound to go on show sometime this year...

One of their smaller buildings (i believe the former small-animal theatre) is remodelled into a hummingbird house, sofar three species are on display; emerald hummingbirds, green-tailed trainbearer and ruby-topaz hummers

source: a german visitor on zoofreunde.net and zootierliste

 

[IanRRobinson]

A couple of cloven-feathered doves (stunning creatures) recently went on show at Walsrode.

A male golden-headed quetzal arrived to keep their two females company (also on show)

According to several sources the male red BoP from Chester died before arriving, so Walsrode only has 0.3 behind the scenes.

Raggiana's BoP is in their new 2012 zooguide so they are bound to go on show sometime this year...

One of their smaller buildings (i believe the former small-animal theatre) is remodelled into a hummingbird house, sofar three species are on display; emerald hummingbirds, green-tailed trainbearer and ruby-topaz hummers

source: a german visitor on zoofreunde.net and zootierliste

For anyone who doesn't know what cloven-feathered doves look like (which I didn't until a few minutes ago), here's a couple of photos. As jwer says, they're stunning..Cloven-feathered Dove : Pictures.

 

[Chlidonias]

cloven-feathered doves are fantastic birds, my favourite species from New Caledonia (much more so than the iconic kagu). They make a really weird noise when they fly, which it used to be thought came from their wing-beats, but is actually caused by the air passing through their feathery leg-tufts.

Does anyone know where Walsrode's ones came from?

 

[Toddy]

I will be visiting Walsrode in just 2 weeks from now mainly the hope of seeing birds of paradise. Can anybody tell me if these are on show?

 

[jwer]

I've been there last weekend. I had ordered a "tour behind the scenes" which costs extra (€ 50 for the first hour, € 30 for any hour after that) and didn't really found it worth it because we didn't got to see much "behind the scenes" at all. The only birds we did see where a young Montezuma Oropendola (which are not on show atm) and the lone Bennet Cassowary behind the scenes.

I asked the "ranger" if we were allowed to see more (specially the BoP's), and he more or less replied "no" and left it at that. Perhaps if you specifically mailed them and asked them more would be possibly, but since they seem to breed quite a lot for the export, access to their breeding area's is very limited.

But hey, the birds that are on show are spectacular none the less. Their pair of twelve-wired BoP's are on show, so there is at least one species to see.

Other then that, the walsrode usuals and newer exotics that spring to mind and are on show;
- Horned guan
- cock-of-the-rock
- golden-headed quetzal
- cloven-feathered dove
- blue and giant coua
- Guanay cormorant
- red-necked cassowary
- green-tailed trainbearer
- siberian, black-necked and hooded cranes
- two pairs of calfbirds
- bunch of kagu's

And SO SO SO many more rarities. Let me know how you liked it!

By the way, the ranger told me the old male twelve-wired BoP (from Bronx) finally managed to find out what to do with a female twelve-wired BoP and there are youngsters (I think 2?) being hand-reared behind the scenes

Amazing news

 

[Pygathrix]

Thanks jwer, did you see/photograph the crested ibis?

 

[Kifaru Bwana]

By the way, the ranger told me the old male twelve-wired BoP (from Bronx) finally managed to find out what to do with a female twelve-wired BoP and there are youngsters (I think 2?) being hand-reared behind the scenes

Amazing news

Now that indeed is what I call amazing news!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Chlidonias]

Yes it is confirmed : a couple of Nippon nipponia has just arrived in Walsrode !!!!!!

(c) Leszoosdanslemonde • Afficher le sujet - Walsrode : Supercherie ou véritable arrivée exceptionnelle ?

this link doesn't provide any details at all (for me) - and I can't remember if it did when it was first posted - so are there any other links that actually do confirm there are Japanese crested ibis at Walsrode? I can't find anything beyond rumours on the internet (of course I don't speak German, which is a slight hindrance )

 

[BjoernN]

Japanese crested ibis NEVER arrived at Walsrode, it was never more thank rumours.

 

[Chlidonias]

Japanese crested ibis NEVER arrived at Walsrode, it was never more thank rumours.

so it went from being listed on Zootierliste, removed from Zootierliste, still rumoured, "confirmed", back to rumoured, and now definitely not.....?

If it is a definite no, was Walsrode supposed to be getting some, or was it always just make-believe?

 

[BjoernN]

I do not know, who confirmed it and listed it, maybe just bumbledom of some high-spirited user.

 

[Hvedekorn]

Can the cocks-of-the-rock (is that how it's declined in English? ) be expected to be on-show during the middle of July? I'm going to Walsrode (and Hanover) at that time, and those birds are especially high-ranking on my "wish list". But Walsrode seems to constantly switch some of the birds between behind the scenes and on-show. For example, I also looked forward to the Montezuma oropendolas, but no luck, it seems.

Is the one gannet they keep also still in good health and expected to be around in a month? I still lack to see any species of gannet or booby, even in the wild...

 

[Pygathrix]

Can the cocks-of-the-rock (is that how it's declined in English? ) be expected to be on-show during the middle of July? I'm going to Walsrode (and Hanover) at that time, and those birds are especially high-ranking on my "wish list". But Walsrode seems to constantly switch some of the birds between behind the scenes and on-show. For example, I also looked forward to the Montezuma oropendolas, but no luck, it seems.

Is the one gannet they keep also still in good health and expected to be around in a month? I still lack to see any species of gannet or booby, even in the wild...

You could travel to Edinburgh and see cock-of-the-rock at the zoo, followed by a trip to Bass Rock where you will see hundreds of thousands of gannets looking much better than they ever do in a zoo

 

[jwer]

Can the cocks-of-the-rock (is that how it's declined in English? ) be expected to be on-show during the middle of July? I'm going to Walsrode (and Hanover) at that time, and those birds are especially high-ranking on my "wish list". But Walsrode seems to constantly switch some of the birds between behind the scenes and on-show. For example, I also looked forward to the Montezuma oropendolas, but no luck, it seems.

Is the one gannet they keep also still in good health and expected to be around in a month? I still lack to see any species of gannet or booby, even in the wild...

On my first two visits they had two male peruvian cock-of-the-rocks on show in the parrot-building, on my last visit they where behind the scenes and swapped for a pair of Guianan cock-of-rocks in the Tropenwaldhalle. They are in there since the start of this year, so it's highly likely you'll see either one of the species (probably the Guianan are still on show in july).

The Montezuma Oropendola's also have always been on show on my previous two visits and mentioned in reports of people. They are behind the scenes during the winter time and let out into their massive aviary, but this year one of the trees is growing through the roof of the aviary and the oropendola's won't be let in before that's fixed. Usually there is a pair in their Pheasantry as well, but we didn't see them last weekend (no sign neither) even though our ranger said they should be there. If you arrange a tour, there is a good chance you can see last year's youngster(s) behind the scenes.

The lone gannet was brought in last year by an elderly pair from the region of Hamburg who said they where bringing in a "sick duck" (according to the ranger). When we saw him, he was alive and kicking in among the penguins. According to the ranger, he wasn't going anywhere (even though i specifically asked him if the animal was going to be transferred to Zoo am Meer, Bremerhaven).