Flying High Bird Sanctuary facts for kids
| Date opened | December 2002 |
|---|---|
| Location | Bruce Highway, Corner Old Creek Road, Apple Tree Creek, Queensland, Australia |
| Coordinates | 25°13′07″S 152°14′21″E / 25.21861°S 152.23917°E |
| No. of animals | 3000+ |
The Flying High Bird Sanctuary is an amazing place in Australia. It's the biggest free-flight aviary in the whole country! This means birds can fly freely in a huge enclosed space. You can walk right inside and see over 2,000 birds flying all around you.
The sanctuary is located in Apple Tree Creek, which is in central Queensland, Australia. It's about 50 kilometers south of Bundaberg. The sanctuary first opened its doors in 2002.
Contents
How the Sanctuary Started
The Flying High Bird Sanctuary began in December 2002. Back then, it was called the Flying High Bird Habitat. It started with just one main aviary and about 300 birds.
From School to Sanctuary
The land where the sanctuary now stands used to be a school. The Apple Tree Creek school closed in the late 1960s. After the school buildings were moved, John Woodall started building the bird sanctuary in 2001.
Growing Bigger and Better
By 2010, the sanctuary had grown a lot. More aviaries were added, and it even had a special area for breeding macaws. The number of birds grew to almost 3,000!
In March 2010, a new family took over the sanctuary. David and Anne Tocknell, along with their son Matt and his wife Leisa, became the new owners. They renamed it the Flying High Bird Sanctuary.
The sanctuary was sold again in December 2015 to Des and Cathy Watts. They have continued to make it even better.
New Animal Friends
Since 2010, the sanctuary has added new areas for other animals.
- There are now enclosures for kangaroos and emus.
- A special area was built just for the owls.
- They also have an animal nursery.
Visitors can have a real "hands-on" experience here. You can feed the birds and even bottle-feed baby goats! Meeting the baby chicks and ducklings is also a big highlight for many visitors. In March 2016, the first baby macaw for the new owners was born. His name is "Alpha," and he was hand-raised. Visitors can interact with Alpha and even take photos with him.
Exploring the Main Aviary
The main aviary at the sanctuary is huge! It covers more than 2 acres of land. The roof is over 7 meters (about 23 feet) high. Inside, there are 300 meters (about 984 feet) of walking trails. You can explore these trails through a beautiful rainforest setting. The aviary is home to birds from Australia, Asia, and South America.
Helping Birds Thrive
The sanctuary does more than just show birds to visitors. They also have important breeding programs.
Breeding for Pets
They breed and hand-raise birds for the pet industry. This includes colorful birds like harlequin and Catalina macaws.
Protecting Wild Birds
The sanctuary also runs special breeding programs for native Australian birds. These birds are raised in captivity. The goal is to release them into the wild. This helps to increase the number of birds in their natural habitats.
Future Plans
The Flying High Bird Sanctuary has exciting plans for the future. They want to add even more exhibits and features.
- A special enclosure for koalas.
- A wetland area to attract more wildlife.
- Separate free-flight aviaries for South American and Asian birds.
- A picnic area for visitors to relax.
- More enclosures for emus and kangaroos.
- A raptor aviary for birds of prey.
These new features are expected to be completed in the future, making the sanctuary even more amazing!
