Bird Paradise set to open in second quarter of 2023 with 8 walk-through aviaries

Bird Paradise is set to open in the second quarter of 2023, following the closure of Jurong Bird Park in January 2023. 

The new 17-hectare park will be the first of the new wildlife parks located at Mandai Wildlife Reserve to open to the public.

The new bird park is designed to emphasise environments inspired by different ecologies and habitats, the natural behaviours of birds and the unique avian adaptations found across species, announced Mandai Wildlife Group in a press release on Monday (Oct 3).

It will house 3,500 birds from over 400 avian species which visitors can learn more about through eight large walk-through aviaries reflecting different biomes of the world such as dense African rainforests, South American wetlands, Southeast Asian paddy fields, Australian dry eucalypt forests, and more.

Here’s a preview of the new wildlife park:

The largest walk-in aviary, Heart of Africa is modelled after the forested valleys of continental Africa and the colourful birds that live amongst the towering rainforest trees.

The habitat features a Bee-eater’s Cliff where visitors can watch bee-eater species diving and swooping to catch insects mid-air.

Paying homage to the diverse forests of Southeast Asia, Wings of Asia is a recreation of the tranquil bamboo forests and sloping rice terraces of the continent.

Catch pheasants scouring the undergrowth for food and hornbills soaring above the trees.

More than just for aesthetic purposes, the labyrinth of bamboo serves as a major food source for the animals in the habitat. The terraces also create a unique ecosystem for birds like the critically endangered Baer’s Pochard and endangered Milky Stork, said Mandai Wildlife Group.

Showcasing the fascinating behaviours of penguins is Penguin Cove, a cold salt-water habitat designed to facilitate the natural behaviours of the aquatic birds.

It also features a sustainable dining experience immersed in an underwater environment with the penguins.

Crimson Wetlands features a clay lick wall, where colourful macaws can be observed feeding and a cascading waterfall as a tribute to the Waterfall Aviary of Jurong Bird Park.

There’s also an elevated restaurant which will offer “breath-taking views of the habitat and waterfall”, with a menu curated by a local celebrity chef.

A dry arid forest at Australian Outback will be home to various species of Lorikeets, endangered cockatoos and flocks of cooing pigeons.

“As an organisation dedicated to protecting wildlife, I am confident that Bird Paradise will provide us with the perfect platform to further our education programmes, capacity-building initiatives and our important work to protect threatened bird species across the region,” said Mandai Wildlife Group CEO Mike Barclay. 

Bird Paradise will also continue to preserve the incumbent bird park’s heritage and legacy and pay tribute to Singapore’s pioneer wildlife park by retaining iconic features such as the heliconia collection.

The process of moving the avian residents to Bird Paradise will begin following Jurong Bird Park’s official last day of operations on Jan 3, 2023. 

Development work for the rest of the precinct is also underway. The remaining features are set to open progressively through to 2025.