The Kuala Lumpur Bird Park

So ... we have the world's largest free-flight walk-in aviary that is the KL Bird Park, since 1991. (But  I wonder if this has been surpassed as superlatives go.)

Anyway, we decided to spend Chinese New Year's Day with the birds at the Park. Also with many other humans, local and foreign, young and old. So one not only sees the antics of birds, but of humans as well. Jolly interesting!

Green bands for Malaysians (CNB 2013)

The World of Parrots (CNB)

Some of the most adorable and colourful birds are the Lovebirds, which greet you in their Love Aviary as you enter the Park.

The parrots are just as colourful. At the World of Parrots, the rare ones are in their own cages. We noticed a couple of tortoises which the staff there explained, ate the birds' leftovers so keeping away rodents. But as you will see later, the rodents cannot be kept away!

A parrot pecks an apple for lunch (CNB 2013)

Then there are the pigeons and doves. Although most are grey and plain, one type is particularly beautiful and elegant. An interesting bluish grey pigeon with red iris and wispy lace like crest. The Merpati Mahkota or Victorian Crowned Pigeons seem very jinak (tame) and walk around pecking the ground for food, regardless of people milling about. They are ground pigeons and do not really fly much.

Aptly named Merpati Mahkota (CNB 2013)

Papayas for the birds (CNB 2013)

These are the papayas ready and waiting to be fed to the birds. The pigeons flock to the feeding stations and feast on half cut papayas strung on a 'tree'.

Pigeons feeding at a 'papaya station' (CNB 2013)

A very handsome peacock (CNB 2013)

The very handsome Indian Blue Peacocks seem to be all over the place. In fact we were greeted with the loud haunting* call of a single peacock perched on the roof of the 'Love Aviary' just as we were about to enter the Park. Interestingly we came across many peacocks but not so many of the duller peahens. Although some peacocks seem to be 'shedding', many strutted around in a splendid show of courtship by displaying their beautiful elongated tail feathers with the colourful eyespots. Of course they become instant 'models' for many, many camera shoots.

* I say 'haunting' because the first time I ever heard the call of peacocks was in the film of the 1859 novel by Charles Dickens, "A Tale of Two Cities", some light years ago. I thought the call forebode the death of the protagonist Charles Darnay Sydney Carton. 

A beautiful display despite the 'shedding' (CNB 2013)

I love flamingos but there are not very many in the Park. At the Flamingo Pond, there are some in the water and some around it. Many other birds share the 'watering hole'. There are a few ducks, at least two pelicans, also cattle egrets, storks and other waders.

By the Flamingo Pond (CNB 2013)

Cattle egrets near the Flamingo Pond (CNB 2013)

Like the peacocks which seem to have the run of the Park, the Cattle Egrets also are all over the place. They appear nonchalant about humans taking their photos at close range. Mostly white, some also sport  the breeding bluff plumage. I have always been fascinated by these Cattle Egrets, usually spotting them from afar in our padi fields. Here in the Park, such close proximity with them is just fantastic.

The most unique colour in the Park must be the very scarlet feathers of  another wader, the Scarlet Ibis. We spot only two of these birds although there are more black and white Sacred Ibis, mostly at the Flamingo Kiosk, trying to 'share' the food of people seated there.

The Scarlet Ibis (CNB 2013)

Other birds in the Park include the hornbills, more herons, storks and other waders at the Waterfall Aviary, the flightless birds (ostrich and emu), eagles at Brahminy Land and the bulbuls. We missed the Park's event highlight - the scheduled Bird Shows (12.30 pm & 3.30 pm). But there was no lack of 'unscheduled shows' by the birds around the Park, especially the peacocks. Unprecedented 'shows' was a mouse sharing the bird food at the pheasant enclosure and macaques doing rope walks.

10 February 2013