Imagine walking along meandering paths through 28 acres of gardens and lush natural habitats filled with over 2,000 exotic birds from North America, South America, Eurasia, Africa, and Australia. Every turn brings new delights – more ducks with more color combinations and distinctive features than one can fathom; the incredibly brilliant plumage of birds in Wings of the Tropics aviary; the growing Flamingo chicks; the endangered Whooping Cranes, one of the world’s rarest birds and North America’s tallest bird; the adorable Inca Tern sporting a moustache; the Cassowaries, the flightless Dinosaur of birds.
As a writer, I love to find people and incidents from past history that are not well-known and weave them into novels or feature them in picture book biographies. I feel similarly about the state that I love – my home state of North Carolina. I like to go to lesser-known places and find out what excitement they may offer.
Last summer, my husband, sister, two of my grandsons, and I discovered Sylvan Heights Bird Park in eastern North Carolina in the town of Scotland Neck. It is a Must Stop if you are ever in the area. The wildlife is amazing as are the Keeper Talks (which introduce you close up and in person to one of the park’s bird species and the person who cares for them). In fact, park personnel are scattered throughout the park and are willing and enthusiastic to answer questions and bestow additional knowledge.
One of the park’s best features is saved for last – the Landing Zone Aviary. Come on in and feed parakeets and flamingoes and other birds. Be warned! Once you take a popsicle stick covered in bird seeds, the colorful and friendly parakeets will fly right up to you and nibble away. If they really like you, they will check out your hair and watches and shoe laces – just ask my grandson James!
All of us highly recommend the Sylvan Heights Bird Park for a thoroughly enjoyable day! A beautiful setting, interesting and incredible birds, a chance to learn about these special creatures and the importance of conserving them in our world – it all awaits you.