Red-tailed Black-cockatoos, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Red-tailed Black-cockatoos, Bird Show, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Australia has a number of Black-cockatoo species, including the Red-tailed Black-cockatoo shown in today’s post. These impressive large parrots are not easy to approach in the wild, so when we went to Taronga Zoo in Sydney last year I was pleased to get these close up shots.
These birds are a part of the Free Flight Bird Show which is a feature of the programme at the zoo every day at noon and at 3pm. It is a great opportunity for zoo visitors to see some of our wonderful birds up close – and sometimes quite personal.
Red-tailed Black-cockatoos are found in their natural state in much of Queensland, the Northern Territory, parts of Western Australia and there is a small isolated population in western Victoria and SE South Australia. Seeing a flock flying overhead is an awesome sight, but seeing them up close like this at the zoo gave me a new appreciation of the delicate beauty of this stunning parrot.
Red-tailed Black-cockatoos, Bird Show, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Red-tailed Black-cockatoos, Bird Show, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Red-tailed Black-cockatoos, Bird Show, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Wedge-tailed Eagle, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Wedge-tailed Eagle, Free Flight Bird Show, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
The Wedge-tailed Eagle is the largest of Australia’s birds of prey. At rest it stands nearly a metre tall and has a wing span of up to 2.8 metres. It is a bird found throughout all of Australia and is a common sight soaring on high in rural areas. While it is more common in open country, it can also be found in mountainous and forested areas. It builds a large nest in a prominent, high position using sticks and twigs, adding to the nest year after year. Some can reach very large proportions, several metres deep and wide. At the beginning of each nesting attempt the nest is lined with fresh eucalyptus leaves.
The bird shown in the photos on this page were taken during the Free Flight Bird Show at Taronga Zoo, Sydney, on our visit there last year. This show is always the highlight for us whenever we visit the zoo. To have a large eagle such as this swooping low over your head is a truly awesome experience. I’m pleased that the zoo keepers have plenty of food for the birds during the show; I’d hate for one of these eagles to settle on my should and take a chunk out of my ear or nose.
Wedge-tailed Eagle, Free Flight Bird Show, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Wedge-tailed Eagle, Free Flight Bird Show, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Wedge-tailed Eagle, Free Flight Bird Show, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Barn Owl, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Barn Owl, Free Flight Bird Show, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
When we go to Sydney to visit family, we always try to fit in a visit to the wonderful Taronga Zoo. I would recommend this world-class zoo to all visitors to the city. Set aside a whole day as the collections of birds and animals are extensive.
As a part of your visit schedule in one of the Free Flight Bird Shows. These are held daily at 12 noon and 3pm. The keepers give a running commentary while free flying birds from the zoo’s collection do various tricks and displays. On this post I have featured a Barn Owl, a well-known Australian bird found throughout much of Australia. In the photo above the owl is rewarded with a morsel of food hidden behind the rock in the photo. Its signal to “capture” its prey was the recorded call of a frog from a speaker hidden in the rock.
Barn Owl, Free Flight Bird Show, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Barn Owl, Free Flight Bird Show, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Black Kite, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Black Kite, Free Flight Bird Show, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Whenever we visit Taronga Zoo in Sydney we always make a point of watching the Free Flight Bird Show. This show is on every day at 12 noon and 3pm and it always draws a large crowd, so my advice is to get there 10-15 minutes before the show commences to ensure a seat in the amphitheatre. The seats have a panoramic view of Sydney Harbour, so the wait is never boring.
On our last visit earlier last year I was able to get this close up shot of a Black Kite, one of the birds featured in the show. This is a relatively common species in many places in Australia including my home town of Murray Bridge in South Australia, yet I’ve not been able to get a good close up photo previously.
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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