Birds, Birds, and More Birds!

     I have a confession to make - I'm not a fan of birds. I don't hate them per se, I just don't love them either. It has to do with having had bird poop in my hair three times. So when I decided to go to the Jurong Bird Park, I had to think carefully about whether I was willing to put myself in the line of fire. Having nothing else to do last Tuesday was the clincher, so I took the risk and went to the park.
     The bird park's slogan, "Where Color Lives" is certainly true. Rainbow-colored macaws noisily greet park visitors near the entrance. Next to their island, there's a pool of pink flamingos padding around looking for food. Lorikeet Landing, which is said to be home to 1,000 lorikeets, could be a wonderland of color - that is if one can find more than a few lorikeets in all that jungle green.  In the Waterfall and Jungle Jewels Aviaries, sunset-colored sun conures, metallic, emerald green starlings, and arresting, red-eyed pigeons flit back and forth.  The red ibis enclosure has birds in about every hue of pinkish-red imaginable.
     While I was delighted by the vivid rainbow on display, I have to say that there were a few things about the park that took me by surprise. For one thing, some birds are featured in more than one enclosure. There are two flamingo pools. Sun conures are found in two to three different enclosures. Macaws are also found in two different areas. It's almost like they ran out of bird species to fill their spacious park, even though they boast several rare bird species (Here again my bias against birds may be working against me). Furthermore, the "High Flyers" show was just okay, while the "Kings of the Skies," a show about birds of prey, felt somewhat stilted. I was surprised by this as the animal shows at the Singapore Zoo and the Night Safari, which are also run by the same company, were excellent. There's also a fantastic bird-themed play area for children. It's a wet play area, so it's best if you bring a change of clothes for the kids or put them in a bathing suit. Mom and Dad, you might also need a bathing suit.  
        Overall, I think that there are more impressive sights to see in Singapore than the Jurong Bird Park, but if you need to waste away an afternoon, and especially if you have children, the bird park is a pretty pleasant way to do it. Oh, and I'm pleased to report that I did not get pooped on (although I did see someone else who had bird poop running down his back). Still, I don't think birds are going to be my favorite animal anytime soon, even if there are some very pretty ones.