Birds
I’m going to start a periodic series in this category, on some of the birds at the Jurong Bird Park. This is an amusement and educational park near our place, established in 1971, and it’s one of the most impressive aviaries/zoos I’ve seen. To my surprise there’s no guidebook or pamphlet on it, so I thought I’d take pictures of some of the more spectacular species, write up some interesting facts about them, and post them. If enough people like them (and maybe even if not) I’ll try to get someone in Singapore to publish them as a book to sell at the Jurong Bird Park gift shop.
If you want to see any picture in more detail, just click on it. At least this works when the picture is in focus.
African Shoebill
The African Shoebill is related to the pelicans, but behaves more like a stork or heron. It lives in swamps and hangs out on floating vegetation in Egypt, Sudan, and further south. It stands still while waiting for fish or other small creatures to come by, then traps them in its enormous beak. Another use for that big schnozz is when its young nestlings are overheated; then the parent uses the beak to pour water over the babies and keep them comfortable.
Below are pictures of another big African bird, the African hornbill. The Jurong Bird Park has a pretty comprehensive collection of hornbills, and this is the African representative – the only ground-dwelling hornbill. It’s got quite a stride. And look at its lovely eyelashes! This picture was taken a moment before it tried to eat my lense.
