Jurong Bird Park was formerly an aviary and tourist attraction in Jurong, Singapore between 1971 and 2023. The largest such bird park in Asia, it covers an area of on the western slope of Jurong Hill, the highest point in the Jurong region. It was one of the parks managed by Mandai Wildlife Reserve, which are also the managers of Singapore Zoo, Night Safari and River Wonders.
In 2016, the Mandai Wildlife Group announced that the Jurong Bird Park would be relocated to a much larger park at Mandai Lake Road by 2020, consolidating with the three existing wildlife parks together with a new Rainforest Park to form an integrated nature and wildlife precinct known as the Mandai Wildlife Reserve. In 2021, the group announced that the park's successor in Mandai would be named Bird Paradise. In 2022, it was announced that Jurong Bird Park would close on 3 January 2023 to finalise its move to Bird Paradise at Mandai.
History
The idea of a permanent aviary was first conceived by the late Dr Goh Keng Swee, then Minister for Finance, in 1968. During a World Bank meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Dr Goh visited its zoological garden and was impressed with its free-flight aviary. He set out to ensure that Singaporeans would have a place where they could escape from urban life and relax with nature.
Work on the aviary started in January 1969. A 35-acre site on the western slope of Bukit Peropok in Jurong was chosen for the project. The bird park was expected to be completed by the end of 1969.
On 3 January 1971, Jurong Bird Park, built at a cost of S$3.5 million, was opened to the public.
Jurong Bird Park became a world-famous bird zoo holding specimens of magnificent bird life from around the world, including a large flock of flamingos. At the time of its closing in 2023 it was the world's largest bird park in terms of the number of birds, and second largest both in the number of bird species and land area (after Germany's Weltvogelpark Walsrode). There are 5,000 birds of 400 species in Jurong Bird Park, of which 24% are of threatened species, the highest percentage in any zoo worldwide.
In 2006, Jurong Bird Park completed a S$10 million makeover. As a result of the upgrade, the park got a new entrance plaza, a park-owned and managed Bongo Burgers restaurant, an ice cream parlour, a gift shop and a bird hospital.
Potential uses for the Jurong site after the bird park's closure include residential or recreational space. Memorable features such as the waterfall are expected to be retained.
Animals and exhibits
Penguin Coast
The Penguin Coast opened on 1 December 2010 as an upgrade of the outdated Penguin Parade habitat. African penguins live in an outdoor pool meant to recreate a South African coastline with artificially created waves on the lagoon. Inside a Portuguese galleon facade, gentoo penguins, Humboldt penguins, king penguins and northern rockhopper penguins are kept in a climate-controlled enclosure kept at 10-15°C.
Flamingo Pool
Caribbean flamingos and lesser flamingos live in two enclosures that opened in 1984.
Flamingo Lake
The park boasts a large flock of greater flamingos that have been breeding successfully since 1972.
Wings of Asia
500 birds from 135 species are housed in this aviary. The aviary houses and has successfully bred many endangered birds, such as the Bali myna, black-winged starling, Edwards's pheasant, Malayan peacock-pheasant, Mindanao bleeding-heart, Santa Cruz ground dove and straw-headed bulbul.
Heliconia Walk
The Jurong Bird Park has the largest collection of Heliconias in Southeast Asia with over 167 species. Many different aviaries house a variety of rare and endangered birds.
Wetlands
Guests can observe a variety of waterbirds including black-bellied whistling ducks, black-faced spoonbills, boat-billed herons, cattle egrets, Eurasian spoonbills, hamerkops, Meller's ducks, roseate spoonbills, straw-necked ibises and white-faced whistling ducks. The park received a breeding pair of shoebills from Qatar. A wave machine prevents the build-up of algae in the water.
Royal Ramble
A series of three walkthrough aviaries with Victoria crowned pigeons and a variety of other birds.
Window on Paradise
This building has three free-flight aviaries for rare birds-of-paradise.