It is an eggciting time this Easter at Bourton-on-the-Water's Birdland, from 28 March – 12 April, with eggs under watch and cracking Easter activities planned.

Birdland has eggcellent captive breeding programmes, and families can discover the different breeding strategies that animals have adopted to survive in the avian world as well as watch Birdland's Hatchery to see real Easter eggs hatching and the new chicks taking their first steps.

Visitors over the Easter Holidays can also meet the newest chick to hatch at Birdland. The first emu chick ever to hatch at the park is being hand-reared by keepers and is thriving. Families will enjoy meeting the dinosaur-like arrival in the Hatchery.

Keepers are also expecting more emus to hatch over the Easter period, with 7 eggs currently being looking after by the male emu in the nest.

Say hello to the cute, fluffy King Penguin Chick who is residing with its extended family in Penguin Shore, and look-out for the nesting Humboldt penguins who have laid 5 eggs so far!

Families can join in the Easter Challenge Quiz, from 3 – 12 April. Children must hunt to find ten eggs around the site and answer some ornithological questions.

All the family can learn even more eggcellent bird facts at the daily feeding talks and get to meet the Keepers who look after all the birds in the park. At the indoor Discovery Zone, visitors can meet animals that lay eggs from fish to amphibians and reptiles to mammals and even get up close in the Close Encounter zone.

Egg-tastic Facts that you may discover on a visit this Easter:

• Burrowing Owls burrow underground where several eggs will be laid, away from prying eyes.  
• The Flamingos build a nest cone of mud up to a foot high to protect their single egg from flooding.
• Female pheasants make a scrape on the floor and lay up to 8 eggs which they will incubate and hope that their dull coloured plummage will help camouflage them
• Pigeons build a flimsy nest on a platform of twigs and lay 2 eggs.
• Parrots will find holes in trees in which to nest.
• Female Cassowaries are possibly one of the laziest of bird mothers, she will lay eggs in the nests of several males then leave them to incubate and rear the young.  
• Possibly the most committed mother is the female Trumpeter Hornbill, she will seal herself into a cavity in a tree (or a nest box at Birdland) using mud, droppings and saliva.  She will leave a narrow gap through which the male can feed her for the following three months whilst she lays eggs, incubates them and hatches the chicks.  Once the chicks are full size they will then break out

Contact:

• Alistair Keen, Head Keeper on 07772 971287 or 01451 820480
• Simon Blackwell, Manager on 01451 820480 / 07850 929 828

Editors Notes:

• Birdland is situated in the beautiful Cotswold village of Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire.
• Established in 1957, Birdland was one of the first bird encounters to open in the UK.
• The Park and Gardens cover an 9.5-acre site situated around the River Windrush.
• 7 acres are dedicated to the Bird Gardens featuring over 500 exotic and rare birds, 140 species in 50 aviaries including everything from flamingos , pelicans, owls to hornbills, touracos and cassowary.  Temperate and Desert Houses are home to delicate species.  Birdland has the only breeding group of King Penguins in the country.  Spike the King Penguin, who was hand-reared, is a popular resident with his own Facebook and Twitter following.
• There are a number of rare species at Birdland and the team are actively involved with global breeding programmes.
• The 2.5-acre Marshmouth Nature Reserve is a secluded trail where many indigenous species from kingfishers to otters are regularly spotted.
• Birdland is open daily from 10am, Closed Christmas Day only.
• Find us at: Birdland, Rissington Road, Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucester, GL54 2BN
• Admission:  £8.95 Adults / £5.95 Child (3-15) / Senior £7.95 / Family £28.00 (2+2)

For more information visit: www.birdland.co.uk