Brolga, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Brolga during the Free Flight Bird Show, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
One of the “must see” exhibits when visiting Sydney’s Taronga Zoo is the Free Flight Bird Show. This show is a part of your zoo entrance fee, meaning that once you are in the zoo property there is no extra cost to see the show.
The show, which runs for about a half hour, is held at 12 noon and 3pm daily, but my advice is to arrive early to get a seat in the amphitheatre overlooking the harbour. The seats fill quickly for each show.
During the presentation the zoo keepers give many details about Australian birds and their habits and this is accompanied by antics performed by free flying birds from the zoo collection. It is highly entertaining while being very educational.
I will be featuring several of the birds shown over the coming days. Today’s bird is the Brolga, one of our larger birds. The Brolga is found in large numbers in northern Australia but is becoming scarcer in the south eastern part of the country.
Its preferred habitats are varied, and include wetlands, swamps, irrigated pastures, grasslands, cereal crops and sometimes open forest areas. It is a large bird with a height of between 70 and 130cm and with a wing span of 1.7 – 2.4 metres.
Further reading:
Brolga during the Free Flight Bird Show, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Audience waiting for the Free Flight Bird Show, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Views from Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Sydney from Taronga Zoo
Anyone visiting Taronga Zoo in Sydney will not only enjoy the animals and birds of the zoo, but also to excellent views of Sydney, the harbour and the bridge. The photos on this post were all taken while waiting for the Free Flight Bird Show to start. This show is an excellent presentation about some of the birds of Australia, all done against the backdrop of the harbour and the city.
The Free Flight Bird Show runs twice daily at 12 noon and 3pm and is free with your entry to the zoo. The amphitheatre holds several hundred people but we always arrive early as seats fill quickly. There are opportunities to get up close with some of the birds after the show.
For more information about the bird show click here. In coming days I will be showing more photos of the latest bird show we witnessed.
Meanwhile – more photos of the harbour and city.
Sydney ferry from Taronga Zoo
Sydney from Taronga Zoo
Sydney from Taronga Zoo
Elephants, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Old Elephant house, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
On our visit to Taronga Zoo in Sydney earlier this year we walked past the old historic elephant house. It is a beautiful building with very ornate decorations. It is no longer used to house the elephants because they now have a much more suitable house nearby. The new elephant enclosure is also much more suitable and is shown in the photos below.
Elephant enclosure, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Elephant enclosure, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Christmas Greetings
Ama Dablam, Nepal
Christmas greetings to all of my regular readers.
I really appreciate those of you who are my regular readers. This site started from humble beginnings – but with grand plans. It took a little while to gain momentum but over the last year the number of readers has grown dramatically. I thank all of you who come back over and over; you all make it worthwhile.
Over the last year my posts here have been somewhat sporadic. I have been extremely busy completing my Masters degree. Now that it is finished I can devote more time to this and my other blogs, Trevor’s Birding and Trevor’s Writing. 2011 can only be bigger and better, with more wonderful photos and experiences to share.
How about leaving your own Christmas greetings in the comments section?
I’d be really pleased if you did.
Manly Beach, Sydney
Australian Pelican, Mallacoota, Victoria
A room with a view at Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Giraffes at Taronga Zoo, Sydney
I guess most people enjoy seeing giraffes in zoos or in the wild. I know I do because they are something special in the animal kingdom. I suppose the attraction comes from their extremely long necks. The view from up there must be interesting.
The giraffes at Taronga Zoo in Sydney have another advantage. Not only are they able to easily look over the large crowds of people, but they also have a magnificent view of the harbour, the CBD and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Most people would envy the view from their place.
Giraffes at Taronga Zoo, Sydney