Not too long ago, we mournfully bid farewell to Jurong Bird Park. Fast-forward, we have some good news for animal lovers: Bird Paradise is already in the works, with a soft launch scheduled for 8th May 2023.
After 52 years of the original Bird Park, it is likely that most of us got our first glimpse of parrots and penguins during our childhoods. After the original premises closed on 3 January 2023, more than 3,000 birds from over 400 avian species migrated to Bird Paradise!
Pre-booking will start in April 2023, with early bird discounts of up to $10. Mandai Wildlife West is a free-entry public node of the park with two play areas and a handful of restaurants, including Luke’s Lobster.
Here’s a guide to the best places you should visit when you’re there:
First, let’s talk about Mandai Wildlife West, which is free and open to the public. For the little ones, this section of the park has two play areas, Pangolin Adventure and Pangolin Hideout, which are directly connected to Bird Paradise.
Additionally, the park includes three themed sections, including the mangrove-themed Forest Stream, the canopy-inspired Epiphytic Cluster, and the Foraging Trail based on rainforest medicinal resources.
You may also want to take a look at the sheltered linkway connected to the parking lot that features a Green Roof with flowering plants that will soon attract butterflies and bees to it.
It would be incomplete without some food to make a day out in the sun complete. In a multi-concept flagship store, Luke’s Lobster, Leckerbaer, and Mr Holmes Bakehouse will be housed together, so after all the exploring, you’ll be famished.
As well as A&W and Collins, there is a Gelato Boutique and Sandwich Bar by Birds of Paradise. There are also other options for F&B:
Han’s Union – fusion meals
Pavilion Banana Leaf – Indian food
Coffee House by Old Chang Kee
Starbucks
Cheers
As part of Mandai’s zero-waste initiative, there will also be a local zero-waste store. Moreover, food waste will be processed through a “food digester” at Mandai Wildlife West. There are also bike racks, electric vehicle charging stations, recycling bins, and water points throughout the park.
Starting at the Mandai Lake Road entrance, you’ll see a new 84m-long archway decorated with carvings of animals such as Great Pied Hornbills, Giraffes, and Malayan Sun Bears.
In the main arrival area, a cascading 10m-tall waterfall greets you. There will be a winding path that takes visitors to the top of the mountain. Those who have been to Indonesia may also realize that this was inspired by the Madakaripura waterfall.
Things to do in Bird Paradise
Eight large walk-through aviaries and more are part of this well-deserved upgrade not only for visitors to enjoy but for our own resident birds as well, with better environments designed to mimic the different habitats and ecologies of their native environment.
During your visit to the new Bird Paradise, you’ll find walkthrough aviaries inspired by habitats across the globe, a penguin cove, a restaurant with a waterfall view, and more! Here are 14 things you’ll see at the new Bird Paradise!
1. Winged Sanctuary
Explore Bird Paradise and look out for Winged Sanctuary, a space showcasing rare and predatory birds of high conservation value, including Brahminy Starlings and Santa Cruz Ground Doves, as well as Maleos and Philippine Falcons.
2. Penguin Cove
Penguin Cove is a cold salt-water habitat designed for our penguins, located beside the Winged Sanctuary. In addition, it offers a dining experience with mouthwatering buffet spreads with penguins in an underwater environment at its Penguin Cove Restaurant.
3. Heart of Africa
Taking you through Africa’s forested valleys with colourful birds living in towering trees, you will find Heart of Africa, the largest walk-through aviary in the world. The park also has a Bee-eater’s Cliff, where you can watch bee-eater birds catch insects in the air, as well as Congolese pavilions and a viewing tower that offers a great viewpoint of the African-themed habitat.
4. Wings of Asia
There are pheasants in the undergrowth and hornbills in the trees at Wings of Asia, which is a habitat created especially for Southeast Asian creatures. A Balinese-inspired gate, pavilions, and water-based sound sculptures are also fun cultural elements to explore and photograph.
5. Crimson Wetlands
You’ll be enchanted with the strikingly colourful display of Scarlet Ibises and Roseate Spoonbills flying over “marshy wetlands set against the backdrop of a floating village in South America” at Crimson Wetlands. There is a clay lick wall where macaws feed, a waterfall (reminiscent of the Jurong Bird Park waterfall aviary), and the Crimson Restaurant, a restaurant with lovely views of the waterfall and area.
6. Amazonian Jewels
At Amazonian Jewels, you’ll meet unique bird species like the Amazonian Motmot and Chestnut-eared Aracari, and see iconic Amazonian rainforest ficus trees, large buttress roots, and more.
7. Songs of the Forest
Walk-through aviary Songs of the Forest features Bali Mynas, Straw-headed Bulbuls, and Asian Fairy Bluebirds as musical symphonies. The riverine forests of Southeast Asia inspire this tranquil haven with its large overhanging leaves and glistening streams.
8. Mysterious Papua
Mysterious Papua continues its fun and discovery with flamboyant courtship dances from Birds of Paradise of New Guinea. You can observe Papuan birds like the Southern Cassowary, North Papuan King Parrot, and Palm Cockatoo up close in the longhouse-style bird hideout!
9. Australian Outback
You’ll find different species of Lorikeets, endangered Lorikeets, and flocks of pigeons in the Australian Outback, a dry, simulated forest environment.
10. Lory Loft
A suspended bridge inspired by the ethnic treehouses in Papua can be climbed at Lory Loft (an updated version of the original Lory Loft at Jurong Bird Park) and you can have a close encounter with beautiful lories and parrots. There are also nectar cups available to visitors, which will entice the birds to come up close and even to perch on their wrists and shoulders if they are offered a nectar cup.
11. Sky Amphitheatre
Does Jurong Bird Park’s Kings of the Skies or High Flyers presentation appeal to you? In a familiar yet upgraded format, the Sky Amphitheatre will host two new avian presentations – Predators on Wings and Wings of the World – that will showcase the amazing talents of both the birds and their trainers.
12. Feeding sessions
For just S$8 per session, you can get up close and personal with new breeds like African Hornbills, Barbets, Pelicans, and Lories from the different zones. It’s also for a good cause since all proceeds from animal feedings are directed towards Mandai Wildlife Group’s conservation projects.
13. Keeper-led experiences
For a more intimate experience, why not take part in a Bird Discovery Tour, where you’ll get an insider look at the most charismatic of our feathered friends, or book a Backstage Pass, which gives guests a sneak peek at Avian Healthcare and Research Centre?
Bird Paradise will open on 8 May with special admission rates until 26 May
The Bird Paradise will be open for visitors from 9 am to 6 pm, with the last admission at 5 pm, on 8 May 2023.
There is a special rate of $38 for adults, $23 for children (ages 3 to 12), and $20 for seniors for the soft opening period from 8 May to 26 May 2023.
The public can pre-book admission tickets here and any other add-on programmes starting 24 April 2023.
As of 27 May 2023, the adult price for Bird Paradise tickets will be $48; children’s prices will be $33; and senior citizens will pay $20.
There are eight large walk-in aviaries at Bird Paradise, each themed after a different part of the world. These habitats range from the dense rainforests of Africa to the wetlands of South America.
There are also walk-through aviaries themed after paddy fields in Southeast Asia and eucalyptus forests in Australia.
A part of Bird Paradise will also be feeding sessions with the birds. Feeding sessions will be available at Heart of Africa with Starlings, African Hornbills, and Barbets, at Kuok Group Wings of Asia with Pelicans, and at Lory Loft with Lories.
Bird Paradise Singapore Address:
20 Mandai Lake Rd, Mandai Wildlife Reserve,
Singapore 729825
Since you’re here, why not read Get 50% off admission to Singapore Zoo & River Wonders until May 14
(Credits: Mandai Wildlife Reserve, Luke’s Lobster)
