New Budgie exhibit

[too&me]

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Photos


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Alex Jones/PATRIOT LEDGER

The Budgerigar, or "Budgie," is native to Australia and likes to nest in tree cavities.


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By Jody Feinberg/GATEHOUSE NEWS SERVICE
GHS (http://www.milforddailynews.com/)
Posted Jun 06, 2010 @ 12:00 PM
BOSTON —
The yellow and green parakeet swooped down from its perch to land on the seed-coated stick. A second later, half a dozen more followed, bending the wooden stick with their weight and nibbling just inches away from the fingers of curator Fred Beall.
The birds known as budgies live in the Aussie Aviary, a new exhibit at Franklin Park Zoo and one of the few of its kind in the country. To bring visitors closer to animals, the budgie exhibit breaks down the barriers between visitors and the birds.
"There's something magical about a bird flying to you and landing on you," said John Linehan, president of Zoo New England. "There's a thrill when you have that connection."
At a time when the economy has slowed the zoo's plans for a $53 million renovation, the relatively inexpensive $250,000 budgie exhibit keeps alive the movement to create a world class zoo.
"It's not transformational, but it adds a new experience that will bring in more people and it's another cog in what we're trying to build," Linehan said.
At first, it's a little startling when the birds abruptly descend in an explosion of color bright yellow, green, cobalt blue, aquamarine. Wings flapping, they find a spot on the stick or on a forearm and settle down. Their four toes tickle on bare skin.
"We've had staff members who were scared, but in a few minutes were transformed," Linehan said.
Budgies are native to Australian grasslands and scrub, and are a popular pet here and in many other countries. In the wild, the birds are yellow and green, but they have been bred for a variety of color patterns, including cobalt and aquamarine blue and white. Because they have been domesticated, they're a safe choice for an interactive experience.
Unlike pet budgies, though, the zoo budgies live in a flock, as they do in the wild. That means visitors can see their natural behavior. When even a small number of the 350 birds fly, there are masses of movement inside the aviary, which is about 50 feet long, 30 feet wide and 25 feet tall. In the trees, they can be seen clinging upside down to chew the branches, a behavior that keeps their beaks in good condition.

Copyright 2010 The Milford Daily News. Some rights reserved (http://www.gatehousemedia.com/terms_of_use)

[too&me]

"There's a flock mentality, so that when one comes down the others follow," said curator Ed O'Brien. "And they chew so much that we will need to replace their trees."
The small budgies only 7 to 9 inches tall and weighing 1 to 1.5 ounces are pretty. When they're just inches away, visitors can see the details of their feather patterns, their small black eyes, and their blunt beaks as they efficiently remove the seeds.
While the budgies are entertaining, they're also intended to further the zoo's mission. Initially, Beall was skeptical about the aviary, since wild animals are the zoo's priority. In fact, the aviary is part of the Australian Outback Trail, home to a variety of wild animals. On a recent day two emus seemed to race as they trotted back and forth, a kangaroo stood on its hind legs and inquisitively eyed a visitor, and a kookabura bird puffed its chest in display.
"I wasn't thrilled at first because the birds are domesticated," Beall said. "But now I'm excited. If people, especially kids, have this experience with the birds, they'll come away inspired and hopefully get interested in protecting wildlife and their environment."
However, visitors need to be patient if they want an up-close experience.
"Pick a spot and wait," Beall said. "If you keep moving and ask them to come, they won't. You want to be slow and deliberate."
But getting that close to birds isn't for everyone. If you want a little but not too much distance between yourself and the birds, you can extend the sticks toward a long railing. The birds then will perch there, instead of the stick. Or you can stand outside the aviary and see the birds through the wire net walls.
Other advice wear a hat if you want to avoid bird droppings on your head. And don't wear spike heels hardly zoo footwear anyway which can get caught on the walkway. The walkway has separated wooden slats, designed to let the seed drop through so birds don't gather underfoot. And don't try to touch the birds, since they can nip.
"In the wild, they feed off the ground, but we don't want them on the ground where people could step on them," Beall said. "And they can pinch. If you grab them, they will defend themselves."
If you want to better understand the budgies, you can talk to an educational interpreter, who will always be on site. And you can visit the nearby exhibit, Bird's World, where there is a diorama of the Australian scrubland where budgies live in the wild, and plenty of information about birds and their behaviors.
Bird's World which features an elegant Chinese style building from 1913 and a large aviary has exotic birds like tawny frog mouths, boat-billed herons, Chilean flamingos and Andean condors. One of the largest birds of prey, the 25-pound condors are massive, especially when they extend their 10-foot wing span.
While Bird's World is one of the least visited areas in the zoo, Linehan expects that to change. In the master plan for the future zoo, the pagoda-like bird house would become the centerpiece of a an exhibit of Asian animals, Linehan said. In the next year, he said he hopes drawings will be completed and a major fund-raising campaign launched.
"It's a masterpiece of a building, and something like it would not be built now," Linehan said. "It's fully worthy of restoration. We have big hopes for the zoo to become one of the finest."
Jody Feinberg may be reached at jfeinberg@ledger.com.
THE ESSENTIALS:
The Franklin Park Zoo, 1 Park Road, Boston, is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The Aussie Aviary opens one hour after and closes one hour earlier than general zoo hours.
ADMISSION: $14 for adults, $11 for seniors, $8 for ages 2-12; and free for children under 2. Feed sticks cost $2 and can be purchased at the aviary entrance. Free admission to fathers on Father's Day. Parking is free.
INFO: For more information, call 617-541-5466 or go to www.zoonewengland.org (http://www.zoonewengland.org/).

[birdie]

There's a new Budgie exhibit in our zoo. When the kids were down for a visit, we went to the zoo and took the girls and baby in there to feed them. It was lots of fun:) we had birds all over our hands trying to get the food sticks, what fun!!

I think these exhibits are a must have for all zoos!

[Patty, Linus and Co.]

I could live with a "relatively inexpensive" habitat here for $250,000. lol The toos would have some nice digs.

[Julie]

very cool!

[lcarle]

In Portland, OR there is a bird exhibit that has budges and Lories. In Seattle, WA they have a budge exhibit. I have only been to the Portland Zoo. I wasn't thinking when a few Lories were on my arm. I said step up to one and it bit me. I laughed.