Walsrode‘s Future

[Paul.Haerle]

Welcome to this thread, where I want to talk about my future plans for the Weltvogelpark Walsrode (if you have ideas for Walsrode‘s future plans, feel free to share them in this thread).
I thought, I‘ll do two versions:
The first version is in the spring of the year 2025, as Walsrode‘s Jungle Trail (a greenhouse) had to close and two aviaries in the European corner were demolished. Changes (compared to 2024, where you can find a great species list by @Daniel Sörensen and many fotos of the whole parc by @KevinB) like new buildings or big aviaries aren’t possible, only some smaller aviaries could be built.
The second version is in the spring 2035, so changes like new buildings, a rebuild Jungle Trail and new aviaries are possible.
I would start with the first version:

Weltvogelpark Walsrode: A visit in the April 2025
We enter the park and head straight to the Reich der Mitte, a walkthrough aviary and the first aviary in the park.
We recognise there‘re two new signs with a new design (illustrated pictures of birds labeled with their German, English, and scientific/Latin names and their conservation status), replacing the old ones. One of them is to the left of the gate to the aviary, the other to the right. At first we look at the left sign, which presents the non-passerines living in the aviary. Only four species (the Mandarin Duck, the Baikal Teal, the Grey-capped Emerald Dove and the Chinese Spotted Dove) that lived last year in this aviary are still present, five species that were last year housed in aviaries/areas (Striated Heron, Javan Pond Heron and Lesser Whistling Duck from the Jungle Trail, Bar-backed Partridge from Pukara and Ruddy Turtle Dove from the Fasanerie) and four species that are new for Walsrode (two of them are very common, the Chinese Bamboo Partridge and the Grey Peacock-pheasant, one of them is, I would say, uncommon, the Cabot‘s Tragopan, and one is a rarity, the Pale-capped Pigeon).
We write that done on a note block and then go two the second sign, which presents all passerines. Only one species that were housed in this aviary last year is still present, the White-shouldered Starling, but we notice four species that were last year housed in the aviary nearby, namely the Brahminy Starling, the Golden-crested Myna, the Crested Myna and the Blue-crowned Laughingthrush, and two species from other aviaries/areas in the park (the Red-billed Leiothrix from the East African aviary in the Paradieshalle and the Light-vented Bulbul from the Fasanerie). Fortunately we notice three new species that are new for the park: the Spotted Laughingthrush, the Collared Finchbill and the Collared Grosbeak.
So we have a complete species list for this aviary now, written down:
- Lesser Whistling Duck
- Mandarin Duck
- Baikal Teal
- Cabot‘s Tragopan
- Grey Peacock-pheasant
- Chinese Bamboo Partridge
- Bar-backed Partridge
- Pale-capped Pigeon
- Chinese Spotted Dove
- Ruddy Turtle Dove
- Grey-capped Emerald Dove
- Javan Pond Heron
- Striated Heron
- Collared Finchbill
- Light-vented Bulbul
- Blue-crowned Laughingthrush
- Spotted Laughingthrush
- Red-billed Leiothrix
- White-shouldered Starling
- Brahminy Starling
- Golden-crested Myna
- Crested Myna
- Collared Grosbeak

I count 23 species (if counted one bird more or one bird less please correct me), what are nine species more than last year and only five species that were housed there last year.
Finally we enter this aviary and look directly to the bird house, on which’s roof a various-mixed group is sitting: between the big Lesser Whistling Ducks and Javan Pond Herons which are sunbathing Crested Mynas, Brahminy Starlings and White-shouldered Starlings fly loudly back and forth and arguing about sitting spots. In the bird house a Golden-crested Myna and a Blue-crowned Laughingthrush sit on a feeding bowl and eating mealworms. Behind the bird house we notice that more bamboo was planted, what’s a great hiding spot for many birds: a Pale-capped Pigeon couple, a Spotted Laughingthrush, nesting Red-billed Leiothrixes, three Ruddy Turtle Doves and a singing Collared Grosbeak.
On the other side of the path a male Cabot‘s Tragopan flies into a tree. Thanks to him, we noticed more birds in this and the nearby trees. Singing Collared Finchbills and Light-vented Bulbuls, a single Chinese Spotted Dove nearby the tragopan and more Brahminy Starlings.
Past two more signs, we arrive at the little pond and notice rice terraces were constructed what‘s used by the Javan Pond Herons and Striated Herons and usually by the ducks, but both duck species are now sunbathing at the edge together with a couple of Chinese Bamboo Partridge and two female Cabot‘s Tragopans.
Before leaving the aviary, a female Grey Peacock-pheasant chased by a male Grey Peacock-pheasant crosses our way.
So we managed to see 20 of 22 species in this aviary, good rate.
The yard you see after leaving the aviary nothing optical has changed, it houses only new inhabitants: the Muscovy Ducks moved out and Swan Geese and Reeves‘ Muntjacs moved in, what’s fits better to the Chinese theme of Reich der Mitte.
The last aviary that belongs to the Reich der Mitte, is a little further away from the main aviary of the area. Last year it was home to Edward‘s Pheasant, Malay Spotted Dove, Golden-crested Myna, Crested Myna, Brahminy Starling and Blue-crowned Laughingthrush but all of these species moved into other aviaries. Now this aviary houses Lady Amherst‘s Pheasants, which were last year housed in the walkthrough aviary, Rufous Treepies, which moved in this aviary from the aviaries in the Rosencafe, and Great Barbets, a new species for the park. A few weeks ago, there were also Indochinese Green Magpies, which had to move out because of aggressions towards the treepies and barbets. They should be replaced with White-crested Laughingthrushes, a species which was housed in the walkthrough aviary too, but now they’re not present in the aviary.

The aviary nearby already belongs to the Mediterranean area and houses like last year a group of Northern Bald Ibis and a couple of Lesser Kestrel together with two species, both kept in couples, that were housed in an other area of the park or behind the scenes: Arabian Partridges, which look curiously at us after being kept behind the scenes for a year, and Little Owls, which were housed in the last aviary in the aviary roe in the European area.
We aren’t able to see the Little Owls.
To be continued

 

[Paul.Haerle]

Weltvogelpark Walsrode: A visit in April 2025 (pt. 2)

The three-pieced aviary roe turned into two-pieced aviary roe; the Maghreb Magpie’s aviary was parted with a grid, while the grids between this and the both other aviaries were removed.
The first aviary houses Gmelin‘s Pin-tailed Sandgrouse and Rosy Starling like last year as well as Collared Pratincole, which were housed last year in the West African aviary in the Paradieshalle, Desert Wheatear and Ortolan Bunting, two new species for Walsrode.
The second aviary houses still the Maghreb Magpie male like last year, but now he’s mixed with a female Barbary Partridge and a female Red-legged Partridge, which seem to be a couple, as they have chicks (a sign tells us they got fertilised eggs from Double-spurred and Hildebrandt‘s Francolin for hatching). That’s one of the two causes why the Maghreb Magpie is not on show, the other is Walsrode got a female for him and just now they’re getting knowing each other. The Red-legged Partridge moved in this aviary from the Iberian aviary next to it, as an other partridge species moved in this aviary.
This species (or better subspecies) is the Iberian Grey Partridge. They live together with Rock Pigeons, Iberian Magpies, Spotless Starlings, which live in this aviary since last year, and Woodchat Shrikes, a new rarity for the park.
The only yard in this area looks like last year and still houses the same species like last year, the Demoiselle Crane, but a signs tells us about the arrival of Great Bustards; Walsrode got fertilised eggs from Brandenburg to breed. As they become adults they will move in this yard and replace the cranes. The Great Bustards should then breed and their offspring would be released in Brandenburg.
So we‘re finished with the Mediterranean area and enter the European corner through an archway with a sign, showing a in Walsrode stil illustrated Western Capercaillie, an Eurasian Jay and a White Polled Heath. The capercaillie makes we get curious.
And as we reach the first aviary, which is on the left side of the path, we see a male Western Capercaillie, a species, which was housed in this aviary six years ago, mixed with Stock Pigeons, the only species in this aviary that lived there last year too, Eurasian Jays and Great Grey Shrike, which both lived in the first aviary in the aviary roe nearby. Two female Western Capercaillies are kept behind the scenes as the male chased them very aggressively.
The huge yard at the left side of the path in the European corner that used to be home for Eastern Grey Crowned Cranes was combined with the White Stork got a wooden shelter and houses now White Polled Heaths together with Cröllwitzer Turkeys, Diepholz Geese and Vorwerk Chicken, four breeds that were breed first in Lower Saxony, the state Walsrode belongs to, as well as the European White Storks, that lives here for a long time.
The dense leaves of the trees and bushes in this yard had been cut down (maybe the the sheep helped herewith ).
As we look at the aviary roe we recognise that every aviary of the five has got an extra sign for the region the birds are from.
The first aviary got the sign „Alpen“, in English the Alps. This aviary housed last year Great Grey Shrike, Eurasian Jay and Alpine Rock Partridge, the first both moved into the capercaillie aviary, so the partridges got new cohabitants: Common Rock Thrush, White-winged Snowfinch and Citril Finch, which all flies actively through the aviary, in which a few rocks were added.
The aviary next to it has got the sign „Bayrischer Wald/Böhmisches Massiv“, in English the Bavarian Forest/Bohemian Massif, and houses Common Greenfinch and Eurasian Linnet, like last year, as well as a couple of Hazel Grouse, a group of five Bohemian Waxwings and each a couple of Great Tits and Common Chaffinchs.
A few steps further we see the third aviary which is signed as „Neusiedler See“, in English Lake Neusiedl. It houses again the Northern Lapwings and European Starlings, that moved into this aviary last year, European Rollers and European Thick-knees, which used to live in one of the three aviaries in the aviary roe in the Mediterranean area, Stock Pigeons, that lived last year in this aviary until the lapwings and starlings moved in, and Little Bitterns, a species that was kept in the European area a few years ago. Much reed were planted in this aviary, what it makes difficult for us to spot the bitterns.
The fourth and the fifth aviary have one big sign together: „Lüneburger Heide“, in English the Lüneburger Heath. In the first heath aviary the following birds are signed: European Turtle Dove, Eurasian Hoopoe, Common Skylark, Eurasian Songthrush, Common Redstart, European Goldfinch, Yellowhammer. The four first birds were housed last year in this aviary too, while the other three species are new for Walsrode. We manage to see all species except the Common Redstart.
In the second heath aviary (and the last in this area) we‘re welcomed by a male Black Grouse, a new species for the park. In the background we see two females and according to the signs there should be Garden Warblers and Stonechats too, but they don’t show themselves.
Next to it we see the grounds of two aviaries that were demolished this winter. They should be replaced with a walkthrough aviary but today there‘re only Common Heathers planted.
The old Darwin’s Rhea yard in this area currently houses the Cröllwitzer Turkey’s offspring.
We walked around the huge sheep/stork/etc yard and reach the last exhibit in this area. It was a long time the home of Saddle-billed Storks, but now it houses European Cranes in mix with Northern Shovelers, Eurasian Wigeons and Barnacle Geese. There‘re no big changes at those both yards, only their habitants changed.
To be continued…

 

[Paul.Haerle]

The old Darwin’s Rhea yard in this area currently houses the Cröllwitzer Turkey’s offspring.
We walked around the huge sheep/stork/etc yard and reach the last exhibit in this area. It was a long time the home of Saddle-billed Storks, but now it houses European Cranes in mix with Northern Shovelers, Eurasian Wigeons and Barnacle Geese. There‘re no big changes at those both yards, only their habitants changed.

I made an mistake: I thought the old rhea‘s enclosure is behind the demolished aviaries, but it’s before the aviary row.
Just now it houses the Cröllwitzer Turkey’s offspring, but when the Great Bustards will move in their yard, the Demoiselle Cranes will move into this yard.

As apology, I post a species list from the three areas we already talked about and all species that were housed last year in these areas, but currently aren’t there.

Reich der Mitte:
Walkthrough aviary:
- Lesser Whistling Duck
- Mandarin Duck
- Baikal Teal
- Cabot‘s Tragopan
- Grey Peacock-pheasant
- Chinese Bamboo Partridge
- Bar-backed Partridge
- Pale-capped Pigeon
- Chinese Spotted Dove
- Ruddy Turtle Dove
- Grey-capped Emerald Dove
- Javan Pond Heron
- Striated Heron
- Collared Finchbill
- Light-vented Bulbul
- Blue-crowned Laughingthrush
- Spotted Laughingthrush
- Red-billed Leiothrix
- White-shouldered Starling
- Brahminy Starling
- Golden-crested Myna
- Crested Myna
- Collared Grosbeak

Yard 1:
- Reeves‘ Muntjac
- Swan Goose

Aviary 1:
- Lady Amherst‘s Pheasant
- Great Barbet
- Rufous Treepie
- White-crested Laughingthrush (ssp. diardi) (currently not present, but will move in)

Mediterranean Area
Aviary 1:
- Arabian Partridge
- Northern Bald Ibis
- Little Owl
- Lesser Kestrel

Aviary 2:
- Gmelin‘s Pin-tailed Sandgrouse (ssp. caudatus)
- Collared Pratincole
- Rosy Starling
- Desert Wheatear
- Ortolan Bunting

Aviary 3:
- Barbary Partridge
- Red-legged Partridge
- Maghreb Magpie
- (Hildebrandt‘s and Double-spurred Spurfowl; only chicks, raised up by the partridge, if they become adults, they will move out)

Aviary 4:
- Iberian Grey Partridge
- Rock Pigeon
- Woodchat Shrike
- Iberian Magpie
- Spotless Starling

Yard 1:
- Demoiselle Crane (will move into a yard in the European corner)
- Great Bustard (currently not present) (will move in if they‘re big enough)

European corner
Aviary 1:
- Western Capercaillie
- Stock Dove (I used the wrong name, I know)
- Great Grey Shrike
- Eurasian Jay

Yard 1:
- White Polled Heath
- Diepholz Goose
- Cröllwitzer Turkey
- Vorwerk Chicken
- European White Stork

Yard 2:
- Cröllwitzer Turkey
- Demoiselle Crane (will move into, if the Great Bustards move into their yard)

Aviary 2:
- Alpine Rock Partridge
- Common Rock Thrush
- White-winged Snowfinch
- Citril Finch

Aviary 3:
- Hazel Grouse
- Bohemian Waxwing
- Great Tit
- Common Chaffinch
- Common Greenfinch
- Eurasian Linnet

Aviary 4:
- Stock Dove
- European Thick-knee
- Northern Lapwing
- Little Bittern
- European Roller
- European Starling

Aviary 5:
- European Turtle Dove
- Eurasian Hoopoe
- Common Skylark
- Eurasian Song Thrush
- Common Redstart
- European Goldfinch
- Yellowhammer

Aviary 6:
- Black Grouse
- Garden Warbler
- Stonechat

Yard 3:
- Barnacle Goose
- Northern Shoveler
- Eurasian Wigeon
- European Crane

Moved in other areas of the park:
- Muscovy Duck
- Edward‘s Pheasant
- Temminck‘s Tragopan
- White-necklaced Partridge
- Common Quail
- Malay Spotted Dove
- Eurasian Oystercatcher
- Black Stork
- Northern Nutcracker

Behind the scenes/given away
- Darwin‘s Rhea
- Garganey
- Eurasian Golden-eye
- Tufted Duck
- Common Pochard
- Golden Pheasant
- Bianchi‘s Pheasant
- South Caucasian Pheasant
- Eastern Grey Crowned Crane
- Sadle-billed Stork (there‘re two other exhibits, that housed this species last year already)
- Lesser Black-backed Gull
- Red-whiskered Bulbul
- Common Blackbird
- Mistle Thrush

 

[Paul.Haerle]

Weltvogelpark Walsrode: A visit in April 2025 (pt. 3)

On the other side of the crane yard is the last yard of the European corner. For a long time it housed European White Storks, but they moved into the sheep yard, so new birds moved in this yard. A group of six Dalmatian Pelicans together with a couple of Red-breasted Geese and some Eurasian Cormorants; all of them aren’t new for the park, but some of them made space for new birds in their old enclosures. The pond in got bigger and some branches.
We walk over the bridge and leave this area.
A few steps further we already cross the next area called „Patagonia“, marked through a sign where we see Humboldt‘s Penguins, Flightless Steamer Ducks and Peruvian Pelicans at beach, illustrated in Walsrode style.
First, we walk past the pelican pond (we look at this enclosure later) and head to the both yards, which were empty last year. This year both yards were combined to one big yard, which houses each a couple of Darwin’s Rheas, Lesser Magellan Geese and Southern Pudus. While the pudus are completely new for Walsrode, Magellan Geese aren’t completely new for the park, but the last animals had no subspecies status and the rheas were only absent for a few months. The tree‘s leaves and the herbs in this yard had been cut down, to give their inhabitants more light and space to use. A wooden shelter were built in this enclosure too.
As we walk to the old brick house we recognise an other change, but before we look closer at this novelty we take a look to the Siberian Crane yard, but the cranes hide from us, so we can look at the novelty. Four small aviaries (about same-sized as the aviaries at the kiwi house; a bit wider I would say) were built. They house small birds from Patagonia, the first Yellow-rumped Siskins and West Peruvian Doves, the second Ultramarine Grosbeaks and Ruddy Ground Doves, the third Black-chinned Siskins and Eared Doves, the fourth Yellow Cardinals and more Ruddy Grund Doves. Only the Black-chinned Siskins and West Peruvian Doves were presented in Pukara before, all the other birds are new. Only the cardinals were able to photograph, the both Zenaida species were sitting at the background of the aviary, the others hide from us.
The penguin‘s enclosure, which is next to the new aviaries, looks the same like last year and has the same habitants like last year: Humboldt‘s Penguins and Flightless Steamer Ducks.
However, in the following aviaries, the former Tropical owl aviaries, some larger changings have taken place. The first block only has three aviaries and the second only one big.
The first aviary houses now a single Andean Aplomado Falcon, last year it housed Mottled Owls.
The second aviary is home to a Tropical Screech-owl and a Ferruginous Pygmy Owl, replacing Boobook Owls and Satyr Tragopan. Both species are new for the parc. The aviary‘s left grid is placed now in the middle of the former third aviary, so the aviary got a bit bigger than last year.
The other part of the former third aviary, which housed Yellow-headed Caracaras, is now combined with the former fourth and the fifth aviary and houses now Burrowing Owls, American Kestrels and Yellow-headed Caracaras, which were housed last year in this aviary block too.
The second block is only one big aviary, but it houses more species than last year as it only housed four species. Three of them are housed there still, namely Austral Parakeets, Chilean Burrowing Parakeets and Chilean Tinamous. Red-crested Cardinals from the Parrot House and Blue-crowned Parakeets and Picazuro Pigeons completely new moved in there too.
We write down all species in our note block and than head to the pelican pond. There’re no changes, it still houses Peruvian Pelicans and Black-necked Swans. On one of the nearby benches we take a break and watch the pelicans and swans.

After this break we continue our tour and leave the area. The next pond enclosure doesn’t belong to any area. This pond was last year the home of Dalmatian Pelicans and Eurasian Cormorants, which moved into the European corner, as well as Bewick‘s Swans and Great White Pelicans. Now it houses North American species, namely American White Pelicans, housed last year in the pond beside the Uhu-Burg, and Domesticated Muscovy Ducks, moved there from the yard at Reich der Mitte, as well as four young Eastern Brown Pelicans, each a young couple of Sandhills Cranes and Trumpeter Swans and a male and two female Eastern Wild Turkeys.
The next three pond enclosures, which hasn’t got any optical changes, don’t belong to any area too.
The first one of them still houses the group of Greater Flamingos, but now along with a couple of Common Shelducks.
The second one has again the same main inhabitants like last year, the group of Chilean Flamingos, but now alongside a couple of Coscoroba Swans.
The third one housed last year Cape Barren Geese, American White and Australian Pelicans, but now only one of those three species, the Australian Pelicans, is still present in this pond enclosure, but now mixed with a young couple of Australian Sarus Cranes, one of two couples Walsrode got, and the Black Swans, that were kept last year behind the scenes.
To be continued…

 

[Paul.Haerle]

Weltvogelpark Walsrode: A visit in April 2025 (pt. 4)

Arrived at the Uhu-Burg we first don’t recognise any changings from outside, but maybe there‘re some in the inside.
Inside the Uhu-Burg we head to the upper level. The left aviary of the two aviaries in the main castle still houses Western Griffon Vultures, but now alongside with the Dark Chanting Goshawk, last year housed in on of the smaller castle courtyard, the Black Storks, last year housed in the now demolished aviaries in the European corner, and a Verreaux‘s Eagle-owl, a new species for the park. For the storks a huge water through was added and more branches to sit too. The goshawk also makes use of the bigger airspace compared to their old home in this aviary and catches a mouse which unfortunately got lost in this aviary. In the right aviary we notice a bigger changing. It’s now combined with the walkthrough aviary behind and got completely new inhabitants: The group of Southern Bald Ibises, last year kept behind the scenes, as well as Marsh Owls, Red-footed Falcons, Yellow-billed Kites, Hooded Vultures and African Wood Owls, all new species for the park. In this part of the aviary we watch two Marsh Owls sitting on the ground and some ibises sitting on higher branches or flying to a water through to search for some food. We go downstairs and head to the castle courtyard. The aviaries in the courtyard house North Eurasian.
The first aviary there is now home to Northern Green Pheasants and Northern Nutcrackers, last year it housed Common Barn Owls. The second aviary (the smallest aviary in this area) houses now Eurasian Bullfinches, European Golden Orioles and Common Quails. After this aviary we finally enter the walkthrough aviary. On the wall between the beams, where last year the grids had been, three Hooded Vultures and some more ibises are sitting. A few steps further we look into the former muntjac shelter and notice the African Wood Owls taking a nap. On the roof of the hood nearby the Yellow-billed Kite sunbaths and a Red-footed Falcon lands next to it.
We leave the aviary and look into the last three aviaries at courtyard. The first both still house the same birds like last year (Snowy and Urial Owls); the last one now houses Eurasian Eagle-owls, but got no other changing.
Now we turn to the two waterfowl aviaries, that both are still African themed.
The first aviary is like last year the Madagascar aviary and houses still African Openbills, Fulvous Whistling Ducks, Hamerkops, Madagascar Pond Herons and Madagascar Sacred Ibises; Allen‘s Gallinules, Meller‘s Ducks, Bernier‘s Teals and Madagascar Turtle Doves moved into this aviary too. A little stream replaced the old pond and it’s connected to a water treatment plant between this and the other aviary. All birds are visible for us, what makes us happy. In the second aviary the old pond was replaced with a stream, also connected to the water treatment plant, too. This aviary still houses Continental Afrivan species: Saddle-billed, Yellow-billed and Abdim’s Storks, Hadada Ibises and Black Ducks, housed there last year too, as well as White-faced Whistling Ducks, moved there from the Madagascar aviary, Eastern Crested Guineafowl, moved there from the Fasanerie, and Red-billed Duck, a new species.
As we left the Uhu-Burg we think it’s very chaotic and could have geographic theme (spoiler: the Uhu-Burg will be demolished in the second version)
To be continued…