Wings from Down Under - Special Exhibit
May 23 through September 7

Wings from Down Under

A bit of the Australian outback comes to the Midwest as the Milwaukee County Zoo opens “Wings From Down Under” sponsored by Lowe’s on May 23, featuring three species of parrots commonly found in the wilds of Australia.

This unique interactive exhibit features three colorful and curious parrot species: Cockatiels, Eastern Rosellas and Grass Parakeets. These free-flying birds are displayed in two aviaries depicting the landscapes and environments of their native Australian habitats. Visitors are encouraged to go “face to feather” with more than 1,000 striking birds, and even feed them from millet seed sticks included in the exhibit cost.

The continent of Australia is home to 55 of the world’s 330 parrot species. The three featured exhibit species are all seedeaters. Seedeaters generally have short, cone-shaped beaks uniquely adapted to remove the outer protective coverings of seeds.

As visitors stroll through two mesh-enclosed aviaries, they’ll see exactly “who’s who:”

Parakeets, known as budgies in Australia, are the smallest of the three (7 to 8 inches from head to tail feathers) and vary in color from blue to green and yellow;

Cockatiels are gray, with a large orange spot on their cheeks and a tall crown of feathers on their heads;

Eastern Rosellas are easy to spot, as their vivid red, yellow and green feathers stand out from the flock.

Each of the three species is unique in its appearance and behavior.

With more than 9,000 species around the world, birds are truly everywhere. They have adapted to live in all imaginable habitats, from desert to snow-capped mountains, grasslands to rainforest, open ocean to crowded city.

Through the exhibit, visitors will learn birds are excellent travelers. Migratory birds set out on remarkable journeys every year from summer breeding grounds to winter feeding grounds and back.

The exhibit birds will be fluttering (and landing) around visitors through September 7 in the Zoo’s Otto Borchert Family Special Exhibits Building. Exhibit cost is $2.00 per person, and includes one food stick; additional food sticks can be purchased for $1.

Special thanks to our Wings from Down Under exhibit sponsor:
Lowe's