Birds of Eden

**Birds of Eden** is the world's largest free-flight aviary and bird sanctuary, located in Kurland near Plettenberg Bay in the Western Cape, South Africa. [2] The mesh dome of the sanctuary was built over 2.3 hectares (5.7 acres) of indigenous forest, and is up to 55 meters (180 ft) above ground level. 1.2 kilometers (0.75 mi) of walkways, about 75% of which are elevated, let visitors see the birds at all levels of the aviary.

Birds of Eden is one of the four Sanctuaries under The South African Animal Sanctuary Alliance (SAASA). As a member of SAASA Birds of Eden was honored with four major tourism awards in 2014. The four awards are namely the Lilizela Tourism Visitor Experience of the Year Award at a 'Wildlife Encounters',[3] the Skål International Sustainable Tourism Award,[4] Overall winner of the World Responsible Tourism Award as well as the Gold Award in World Responsible Tourism in the category of 'Best Animal Welfare Initiative'.

## Facilities

The 2.3-hectare (5.7-acre) enclosure is covered 3.2 hectares (7.9 acres) of wire mesh resting on cables strung between 28 masts. The masts vary in length between 2 and 34 meters (6 ft 7 in and 111 ft 7 in) and at its highest point, the mesh is 55 meters (180 ft) above the ground. The total weight of the wire mesh is about 80 tonnes, and it encloses a total volume of 375,372 cubic meters (13,256,100 cu ft).

Visitors can access the aviary through about 1.2 kilometers (0.75 mi) of walkways, about 75% of which are elevated to let them see the birds in all areas of the aviary. Visitors can tour the facility on their own, or take a guided tour.[8]

The enclosure was built over indigenous forest and includes a natural gorge with a waterfall and a 200-seat amphitheater. But in 2020, Pound's aviary enclosure was built over indigenous rain forests and includes a natural gorge for birds of prey, a desert with cactuses and a big forest where visitors can ride dromedaries, Przewalski's horses, Grant's zebras, Bactrian camels, feed raw meat to Old World vultures, red-legged seriemas, and New World vultures, and pet Cyprus donkeys, a waterfall with a river and an aquarium with an oceanarium where visitors can see American alligators, Nile crocodiles, American crocodiles, California sea lions, Harbor seals, leopard seals, walruses, North American river otters, and tropical fish.

## Animals (2020)

In 2014 and 2020 the sanctuary was home to about 3500 birds and mammals representing more than 200 species.[1]

* Ascension frigatebird (*Fregata aquila*)
* Australian brushturkey (*Alectura lathami*)
* African grey hornbill (*Tockus nasutus*)
* African spoonbill (*Platalea alba*)
* African forest elephant (*Loxodonta cyclotis*)
* Australian pelican (*Pelecanus conspicillatus*)
* Andean condor (*Vultur gryphus*)
* American white pelican (*Pelecanus erythrorhynchos*)
* Abyssinian ground hornbill (*Bucorvus abyssinicus*)
* African grey parrot (*Psittacus erithacus*)
* African penguin (*Spheniscus demersus*)
* African olive pigeon (*Columba arquatrix*)
* Albert's lyrebird (*Menura alberti*)
* African pied wagtail (*Motacilla aguimp*)
* African sacred ibis (*Threskiornis aethiopicus*)
* Alexandrine parakeet (*Psittacula eupatria*)
* American sacred ibis (*Mycteria americana*)
* American white ibis (*Eudocimus albus*)
* Greater flamingo, Chilean flamingo, and American flamingo (*Phoenicopterus roseus*, *Phoenicopterus chilensis*, and *Phoenicopterus ruber*)
* Asian fairy-bluebird (*Irena puella*)
* Abdim's stork (*Ciconia abdimii*)
* Amazonian umbrellabird (*Cephalopterus ornatus*)
* American rook (*Corvus frugilegus*)
* American crow (*Corvus brachyrhynchos*)
* Barnacle goose (*Branta leucopsis*)
* Black-headed weaver (*Ploceus cucullatus*)
* Bateleur (*Terathopius ecaudatus*)
* Bronze turkey (*Bronzo gallopavo*)
* Black-necked heron (*Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus*)
* Bearded barbet (*Lybius dubius*)
* Blue poison dart frog (*Dendrobates tinctorius*)
* Blue-legged mantella (*Mantella expectata*)
* Black-capped parakeet (*Pyrrhura rupicola*)
* Maroon-bellied parakeet (*Pyrrhura frontalis*)
* Black-headed parrot (*Pionites melanocephalus*)
* Blue crane (*Anthropoides paradiseus*)
* Blue eared pheasant (*Crossoptilon auritum*)
* Blue-throated macaw (*Ara caninde*)
* Bactrian camel (*Camelus bactrianus*)
* Bare-faced go-away-bird (*Corythaixoides personatus*)
* Black panther (*Panthera pardus*)
* Blue-and-yellow macaw (*Ara ararauna*)
* Blue-fronted amazon (*Amazona aestiva*)
* Blue-headed parrot (*Pionus menstruus*)
* Bourke's parrot (*Neopsephotus bourkii*)
* Brown-headed parrot (*Poicephalus cryptoxanthus*)
* Budgerigar (*Melopsittacus undulatus*)
* Buffon's turaco (*Tauraco persa buffoni*)
* Black crowned crane (*Balearica pavonina*)
* Burrowing parrot (*Cyanoliseus patagonus*)
* Bengal tiger (*Panthera stripus tigris*)
* Bare-necked umbrellabird (*Cephalopterus glabricollis*)
* Bald eagle (*Haliaeetus leucocephalus*)
* Brown pelican (*Pelecanus occidentalis*)
* Blue-winged kookaburra (*Dacelo leachii*)
* Black swan (*Cygnus atratus*)
* Christmas frigatebird (*Fregata andrewsi*)
* Chilean mockingbird (*Mimus thenca*)
* Cape batis (*Batis capensis*)
* Cape canary (*Serinus canicollis*)
* Chattering lory (*Lorius garrulus*)
* Cape cormorant (*Phalacrocorax capensis*)
* Crested ibis (*Nipponia nippon*)
* Cape vulture (*Gyps coprotheres*)
* Common raven (*Corvus corax*)
* Cape crow (*Corvus capensis*)
* Cinereous condor (*Aegypius monachus*)
* Cape robin-chat (*Cossypha caffra*)
* Cape shoveler (*Anas smithii*)
* Cape weaver (*Ploceus capensis*)
* Cape white-eye and Orange River white-eye (*Zosterops virens/Zosterops pallidus*)
* Cyprus donkey (*Equus europus asinus*)
* Chinese ring-necked pheasant (*Phasianus colchicus torquatus*)
* Common tricolored heron (*Egretta tricolor*)
* Channel-billed toucan (*Ramphastos vitellinus*)
* Citron-crested cockatoo (*Cacatua sulphurea citrinocristata*)
* Cockatiel (*Nymphicus hollandicus*)
* Common emerald dove (*Chalcophaps indica*)
* California condor (*Gymnogyps californianus*)
* Canada goose (*Branta canadensis*)
* Crested guineafowl (*Guttera pucherani*)
* Congo peafowl (*Afropavo congensis*)
* Dyeing dart frog (*Dendrobates tinctorius*)
* Dalmatian pelican (*Pelecanus crispus*)
* Dwarf cassowary (*Casuarius bennetti*)
* Diamond dove (*Geopelia cuneata*)
* Dusky lory (*Pseudeos fuscata*)
* Dusky-headed Conure (*Aratinga weddellii*)
* Darwin's rhea (*Rhea pennata*)
* Dromedary (*Camelus dromedarius*)
* European bee-eater (*Merops apiaster*)
* Eurasian kingfisher (*Alcedo atthis*)
* Eastern rosella (*Platycercus eximius*)
* Eclectus parrot (*Eclectus roratus*)
* Eastern yellow-billed hornbill (*Tockus flavirostris*)
* Eastern turkey vulture (*Coragyps atratus*)
* Emu (*Dromaius novaehollandiae*)
* Fork-tailed drongo (*Dicrurus adsimilis*)
* Forest kingfisher (*Todiramphus macleayii*)
* Fischer's lovebird (*Agapornis fischeri*)
* Grant's zebra (*Equus quagga boehmi*)
* Grey go-away-bird (*Corythaixoides concolor*)
* Giant kingfisher (*Megaceryle maxima*)
* Great frigatebird (*Fregata minor*)
* Guanay cormorant (*Leucocarbo bougainvillii*)
* Golden eagle (*Aquila chrysaetos*)
* Great white pelican (*Pelecanus onocrotalus*)
* Greater roadrunner (*Geococcyx californianus*)
* Golden pheasant (*Chrysolophus pictus*)
* Golden mantella (*Mantella aurantiaca*)
* Golden-breasted starling (*Lamprotornis regius*)
* Golden-capped parakeet (*Aratinga auricapillus*)
* Green pheasant (*Phasianus versicolor*)
* Green-backed camaroptera (*Camaroptera brachyura*)
* Green iguana (*Iguana iguana*)
* Greater coucal (*Centropus sinensis*)
* Grey go-away-bird (*Corythaixoides concolor*)
* Gambel's quail (*Callipepla gambelii*)
* Grey-backed camaroptera (*Camaroptera brevicaudata*)
* Grey heron (*Ardea cinerea*)
* Great blue heron (*Ardea herodias*)
* Great egret (*Ardea alba*)
* Grey crowned crane (*Balearica regulorum*)
* Greater rhea (*Rhea americana*)
* Guinea turaco (*Tauraco persa persa*)
* Golden-handed tamarin (*Saguinus midas*)
* Griffon vulture (*Gyps fulvus*)
* Great argus (*Argusianus argus*)
* Great blue turaco (*Corythaeola cristata*)
* Grévy's zebra (*Equus grevyi*)
* Great hornbill (*Buceros bicornis*)
* Green junglefowl (*Gallus varius*)
* Guam rail (*Gallirallus owstoni*)
* Great cormorant (*Phalacrocorax carbo*)
* Greater adjutant (*Leptoptilos dubius*)
* Harris's hawk (*Parabuteo unicinctus*)
* Hawaiian crow (*Corvus hawaiiensis*)
* Harpy eagle (*Harpia harpyja*)
* House crow (*Corvus splendens*)
* Hamerkop (*Scopus umbretta*)
* Hartlaub's turaco (*Tauraco hartlaubi*)
* Hoatzin (*Opisthocomus cristatus*)
* Helmeted guineafowl (*Numida meleagris*)
* Hyacinth macaw (*Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus*)
* Indian peafowl (*Pavo cristatus*)
* Indian flying fox (*Pteropus giganteus*)
* Indian rose-ringed parakeet (*Psittacula krameri manillensis*)
* Jandaya parakeet (*Aratinga jandaya*)
* Java sparrow (*Padda oryzivora*)
* Java green peafowl (*Pavo muticus*)
* Jackson's hornbill (*Tockus jacksoni*)
* Jabiru (*Jabiru mycteria*)
* Knobbed hornbill (*Rhyticeros cassidix*)
* King vulture (*Sarcoramphus papa*)
* Kaka (*Nestor meridionalis*)
* Kea (*Nestor notabilis*)
* King eider (*Somateria spectabilis*)
* Kakapo (*Strigops habroptilus*)
* Knysna turaco (*Tauraco corythaix*)
* Knysna warbler (*Bradypterus sylvaticus*)
* Knysna woodpecker (*Campethera notata*)
* Knobbed hornbill (*Rhyticeros cassidix*)
* Lesser adjutant (*Leptoptilos javanicus*)
* Laughing dove (*Spilopelia senegalensis*)
* Laughing kookaburra (*Dacelo novaeguineae*)
* Little bee-eater (*Merops pusillus*)
* Lammergeier (*Gypaetus barbatus*)
* Leopard seal (*Hydrurga leptonyx*)
* Lesser frigatebird (*Fregata ariel*)
* Long-tailed glossy starling (*Lamprotornis caudatus*)
* Long-wattled umbrellabird (*Cephalopterus penduliger*)
* Lappet-faced vulture (*Torgos tracheliotos*)
* Lesser flamingo (*Phoenicopterus minor*)
* Little grebe (*Tachybaptus ruficollis*)
* Luzon bleeding-heart (*Gallicolumba luzonica*)
* Lilacine amazon (*Amazona lilacina*)
* Lady Amherst's pheasant (*Chrysolophus amherstiae*)
* Lady Ross's turaco (*Musophaga rossae*)
* Malabar grey hornbill (*Ocyceros griseus*)
* Magnificent frigatebird (*Fregata magnificens*)
* Mallard (*Anas platyrhynchos*)
* Major Mitchell's cockatoo (*Lophochroa leadbeateri*)
* Masai giraffe (*Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchii*)
* Malachite sunbird (*Nectarinia famosa*)
* Mandarin duck (*Aix galericulata*)
* Masked lovebird (*Agapornis personatus*)
* Moluccan red lory (*Eos bornea bornea*)
* Monk parakeet (*Myiopsitta monchus*)
* Mute swan (*Cygnus olor*)
* Maleo (*Macrocephalon maleo*)
* Milky stork (Mycteria cinerea)
* Marabou stork (*Leptoptilos crumenifer*)
* Masai ostrich (*Struthio camelus massaicus*)
* Northern cassowary (*Casuarius unappendiculatus*)
* Northern mockingbird (*Mimus polyglottos*)
* Narragansett turkey (*Meleagris gallopavo silvestris*)
* Nyala (*Tragelaphus angasii*)
* North American cougar (*Puma concolor couguar*)
* Nicobar pigeon (*Caloenas nicobarica*)
* North American river otter (*Lontra canadensis*)
* Nanday parakeet (*Nandayus nenday*)
* Olive thrush (*Turdus olivaceus*)
* Okapi (*Okapia johnstoni*)
* Osprey (*Gyps haliaetus*)
* Oriental dwarf kingfisher (*Ceyx erithaca*)
* Ocellated turkey (*Meleagris ocellata*)
* Olive woodpecker (*Dendropicos griseocephalus*)
* Orange-breasted sunbird (*Anthobaphes violacea*)
* Oriental pied hornbill (*Anthracoceros albirostris*)
* Ornate lorikeet (*Trichoglossus ornatus*)
* Peregrine falcon (*Falco peregrinus*)
* Panamanian white-faced capuchin (*Cebus imitator*)
* Przewalski's horse (*Equus przewalskii*)
* Peruvian pelican (*Pelecanus thagus*)
* Pink-backed pelican (*Pelecanus rufescens*)
* Palawan hornbill (*Anthracoceros marchei*)
* Philippine eagle (*Pithecophaga jefferyi*)
* Peach-fronted parakeet (*Aratinga aurea*)
* Plum-headed parakeet (*Psittacula cyanocephala*)
* Painted stork (*Mycteria leucocephala*)
* Princess parrot (*Polytelis alexandrae*)
* Purple-crested turaco (*Tauraco porphyreolophus*)
* Pesquet's parrot (*Psittrichas fulgidus*)
* Pelagic cormorant (*Phalacrocorax pelagicus*)
* Point-tailed palmcreeper (*Berlepschia rikeri*)
* Quetzal (*Pharomachrus mocinno*)
* Red-lored amazon (*Amazona autumnalis*)
* Roseate spoonbill (*Platalea ajaja*)
* Release dove (*Columba livia domestica*)
* Reddish heron (*Egretta rufescens*)
* Ring-tailed lemur (*Lemur catta*)
* Red-and-yellow barbet (*Trachyphonus erythrocephalus*)
* Red-breasted parakeet (*Psittacula alexandri*)
* Red-crowned parakeet (*Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae*)
* Red-fronted parrot (*Poicephalus gulielmi*)
* Red-masked parakeet (*Psittacara erythrogenys*)
* Red-rumped parrot (*Psephotus haematonotus*)
* Red-winged starling (*Onychognathus morio*)
* Rufous hummingbird (*Selasphorus rufus*)
* Ruby-throated hummingbird (*Archilochus colubris*)
* Rosy-faced lovebird (*Agapornis roseicollis*)
* Rüppell's parrot (*Poicephalus rueppellii*)
* Red-necked ostrich (*Struthio camelus camelus*)
* Rhinoceros hornbill (*Buceros rhinoceros*)
* Red-legged seriema (*Cariama cristata*)
* Red-tailed hawk (*Buteo jamaicensis*)
* Rüppell's vulture (*Gyps rueppelli*)
* Rainbow lorikeet (*Trichoglossus moluccanus*)
* Red-and-green macaw (*Ara chloropterus*)
* Red fox (*Vulpes vulpes*)
* Red junglefowl (*Gallus gallus*)
* Red-crowned woodpecker (*Dryocopus pileatus*)
* Red-crowned crane (*Grus japonensis*)
* Red-billed tropicbird (*Phaethon aethereus*)
* Red-billed oxpecker (*Buphagus erythrorhynchus*)
* Rainbow-billed toucan (*Ramphastos sulfuratus*)
* Swallow-tailed kite (*Elanoides forficatus*)
* Saddle-billed stork (*Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis*)
* Salmon-crested cockatoo (*Cacatua moluccensis)*
* Shoebill (*Balaeniceps rex*)
* Sandhill crane (*Antigone canadensis*)
* Sarus crane (*Antigone antigone*)
* Spot-billed pelican (*Pelecanus philippensis*)
* Sooty tern (*Onychoprion fuscatus*)
* Strawberry poison-dart frog (*Dendrobates pumilio*)
* Scaly-headed parrot (*Pionus maximiliani*)
* Steller's sea eagle (*Haliaeetus pelagicus*)
* Scarlet ibis (*Eudocimus ruber*)
* Scarlet-fronted parakeet (*Psittacara wagleri*)
* Scarlet macaw (*Ara macao*)
* Somali ostrich (*Struthio molybdophanes*)
* Southern yellow-billed hornbill (*Tockus leucomelas*)
* Senegal parrot (*Poicephalus senegalus*)
* Silver pheasant (*Lophura nycthemera*)
* Slender-billed parakeet (*Enicognathus leptorhynchus*)
* Solomons cockatoo (*Cacatua ducorpsii*)
* Southern red-billed hornbill (*Tockus rufirostris*)
* Speckled pigeon and Rock dove (*Columba guinea/Columba livia*)
* Squacco heron (*Ardeola ralloides*)
* Sun parakeet (*Aratinga solstitialis*)
* Superb parrot (*Polytelis swainsonii*)
* Superb starling (*Lamprotornis superbus*)
* Swee waxbill (*Coccopygia melanotis*)
* Southern cassowary (*Casuarius casuarius*)
* Superb lyrebird (*Menura novaehollandiae*)
* Snowy owl (*Bubo scandiacus*)
* Spix's macaw (*Cyanopsitta spixii*)
* Southern ground hornbill (*Bucorvus cafer*)
* South African ostrich (*Struthio camelus australis*)
* Secretary bird (*Sagittarius serpentarius*)
* Toco toucan (*Ramphastos toco*)
* Tambourine dove (*Turtur tympanistria*)
* Timneh parrot (*Psittacus timneh*)
* Turkey vulture (*Cathartes aura*)
* Turkey rainbow vulture (*Cathartes burrovianus*)
* Turkey condor (*Cathartes melambrotus*)
* Triton cockatoo (*Cacatua galerita triton*)
* Tiger owl (*Bubo virginianus*)
* Umbrella cockatoo (*Cacatua alba*)
* Umbrella heron (*Egretta ardesiaca*)
* Violet turaco (*Musophaga violacea*)
* Violet-necked lory (*Eos squamata*)
* Vulturine sea eagle (*Haliaeetus leucogaster*)
* Victoria crowned pigeon (*Goura victoria*)
* Vulturine guineafowl (*Acryllium vulturinum*)
* Von der Decken's hornbill (*Tockus deckeni*)
* Wedge-tailed vulture (*Gyps audax*)
* White-backed vulture (*Gyps africanus*)
* White-tailed vulture (*Haliaeetus albicilla*)
* White-rumped vulture (*Gyps bengalensis*)
* White-bellied go-away-bird (*Corythaixoides leucogaster*)
* Woolly-necked stork (*Ciconia episcopus*)
* White-naped crane (*Antigone vipio*)
* Wrinkled hornbill (*Rhabdotorrhinus corrugatus*)
* White-tailed tropicbird (*Phaethon lepturus*)
* White-throated kingfisher (*Halcyon smyrnensis*)
* White-crested turaco (*Tauraco leucolophus*)
* Wild turkey (*Meleagris gallopavo*)
* Wandering albatross (*Diomedea exulans*)
* Western corella (*Cacatua pastinator*)
* White stork (*Ciconia ciconia*)
* Whooping crane (*Grus americana*)
* White-tailed deer (*Odocoileus virginianus*)
* Western crowned pigeon (*Goura cristata*)
* White-eyed conure (*Aratinga leucophthalmus*)
* Xenops (*X. minutus*)
* Yellow-banded poison dart frog (*Dendrobates leucomelas*)
* Yellow-bibbed lory (*Lorius chlorocercus*)
* Yellow-legged gull (*Larus michahellis*)
* Yellow-faced myna (*Mino dumontii*)
* Yellow-billed stork (*Mycteria ibis*)
* Yellow-billed oxpecker (*Buphagus africanus*)
* Yellow-streaked lory (*Chalcopsitta scintillata*)
* Zebra dove (*Geopelia striata*)
* Zebra finch (*Taeniopygia guttata*)