After two tries to visit Sylvan Heights I was finally able to make it right before the 4th of July! I had attempted to visit twice in fall 2022 but each time bad weather caused me to cancel my plans. However, I was finally to visit this time and it was definitely worth the wait. Going in I thought my favorites were going to be the Scarlet Ibis since seeing them in their bright red breeding plumage was my main impetus for trying again during the summer, but it ended up being the Roseate Spoonbills. There are 4 friendly individuals. The adult male who was hand raised named Celery came close up to me and the 3 youngsters had fun playing with my shoelaces and preening my legs. It tickled and made me realize I really want spoonbills when I get into aviculture one day!
Overall, I thought the collection was well rounded given that it started out focusing entirely on waterfowl. I’m not into waterfowl (except for big swans) and I spent my time trying to see or film species that were rare or haven’t been featured on my channel. Another highlight was seeing the Grey Crowned Crane up close. It was awesome to see one close up AND finally film it in 4K glory!!!! I wasn’t anticipating it being so territorial. I guess it was breeding season for the pair in the exhibit. Perhaps the greatest treat of all was watching the Ruffs in their exhibit running around and performing right in front of me. I’ve always thought they look awesome, almost like little lion/bird hybrids. The one male looked like his plumage colors were modeled after Mufasa from the Lion King. The landing zone was great for being able to feed Scarlet Ibis out of my hand. I got some great footage up close of the American Flamingos and Spur Winged Plovers. Later I was able to see the new spacious Whooping Crane exhibit. It’s tucked away in the woods alongside the cassowaries (which didn’t want to show themselves that day) and is shaded. Its great for filming the cranes since the tree canopy above blocks out excess sunlight.
The Rhinoceros hornbills across the Whooping Cranes had a great aviary to reside in. It’s high up and provides numerous levels for perching. Birds of Paradise, the exhibit that was made possible following the transfer of the Pandemonium Aviaries birds as an exhibit by itself was perhaps my favorite. I’ve always had a soft spot for the South Pacific pigeon and dove species and they have some of my favorites including the Green Naped Pheasant Pigeon which can be found at several other zoos but my appreciation for them has increased with the recent rediscovery of its close cousin the Black Naped Pheasant Pigeon on Ferguson Island.
In conclusion I think Sylvan Heights has birds that will appeal to everyone. As I’ve stated before I’m not exactly into ducks and geese, so I was still very impressed with their lineup of waders, flamingos, cranes and other large birds. Each walk-through aviary is spacious and allows all the species to live together happily. Thanks to @BerdNerd there is an updated species list that was posted only several days after my visit, which was great. I had a great time and I’d recommend a visit to anyone who is interested!
NOTE: In the video I put the species in geographical order not exactly where their specified locations are at Sylvan Heights.
Overall, I thought the collection was well rounded given that it started out focusing entirely on waterfowl. I’m not into waterfowl (except for big swans) and I spent my time trying to see or film species that were rare or haven’t been featured on my channel. Another highlight was seeing the Grey Crowned Crane up close. It was awesome to see one close up AND finally film it in 4K glory!!!! I wasn’t anticipating it being so territorial. I guess it was breeding season for the pair in the exhibit. Perhaps the greatest treat of all was watching the Ruffs in their exhibit running around and performing right in front of me. I’ve always thought they look awesome, almost like little lion/bird hybrids. The one male looked like his plumage colors were modeled after Mufasa from the Lion King. The landing zone was great for being able to feed Scarlet Ibis out of my hand. I got some great footage up close of the American Flamingos and Spur Winged Plovers. Later I was able to see the new spacious Whooping Crane exhibit. It’s tucked away in the woods alongside the cassowaries (which didn’t want to show themselves that day) and is shaded. Its great for filming the cranes since the tree canopy above blocks out excess sunlight.
The Rhinoceros hornbills across the Whooping Cranes had a great aviary to reside in. It’s high up and provides numerous levels for perching. Birds of Paradise, the exhibit that was made possible following the transfer of the Pandemonium Aviaries birds as an exhibit by itself was perhaps my favorite. I’ve always had a soft spot for the South Pacific pigeon and dove species and they have some of my favorites including the Green Naped Pheasant Pigeon which can be found at several other zoos but my appreciation for them has increased with the recent rediscovery of its close cousin the Black Naped Pheasant Pigeon on Ferguson Island.
In conclusion I think Sylvan Heights has birds that will appeal to everyone. As I’ve stated before I’m not exactly into ducks and geese, so I was still very impressed with their lineup of waders, flamingos, cranes and other large birds. Each walk-through aviary is spacious and allows all the species to live together happily. Thanks to @BerdNerd there is an updated species list that was posted only several days after my visit, which was great. I had a great time and I’d recommend a visit to anyone who is interested!
NOTE: In the video I put the species in geographical order not exactly where their specified locations are at Sylvan Heights.
