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The next complex you come to is the
Australasian Complex, but be careful entering this complex you are
confronted by a nosey group of White cockatoos, mainly long &
short billed Corellas. With these is a great collection of Australasian
parrots and cockatoos, including everything from the bush budgie, to
the Greater Sulphur Crested. Along with these were Goffin’s,
Ducorp’s, Umbrella, Citron Crested, & Salmon Crested
Cockatoos. Many parrot species are found here as well including all
types of Rosella’s, King Parrots, Superb Parrots, Port
Lincoln Parrots, Mulga Parrots, Swift Parrots, Horned Parrots,
& Eclectus Parrots. Note: No Black Cockatoos were seen here or
anywhere else in this park.
The next complex consists of birds from the
continent of Asia; this complex has a great collection of chicken birds
& pheasants, along with parrots, cranes, & storks. Some
of these birds were simply amazing, with their perfectly tight
feathering and brilliant colours, they are truly striking birds.
Parrots such as Derbyans, Malabars, Blossom Headed, Slaety Headed, Plum
Headed, Long Tailed, & Moustache Parrots were seen in this
collection, along with some of the most attractive Pheasant species I
have ever seen. It truly is a remarkable show, how they flare up as
they strut their stuff to other males in cages next to them.
The next and last complex belongs to the
native birds from Europe, this is also the newest complex made totally
from wood constructions. In here you find large Owls, Hawks, Finches,
and songbirds. It is built in the same style as a European bush land
setting, with beautifully constructed planted aviaries. I mentioned
large Owls were in here, these were the biggest Owls I have ever seen,
they were truly huge birds. As well as the larger birds seen here,
there are some of Europe’s smallest birds including Gold,
Green, & Chaff Finches. The park has a large souvenir shop, as
well as a cafeteria, a large area for children to play, and some
interesting animal species from all over the world. The admission to
the park costs 7.30 Euro, which is around $13.50 Australian. We spent a
good part of the day wondering around taking in the great atmosphere,
and the arrangement of birds and sites available, for any bird lover,
this park is a must to see if traveling to Europe.
After a day of relaxation in Germany it was time to cross the border
into the Netherlands to visit relatives and set up our base camp.
PRIVATE
BREEDER, THE NETHERLANDS: The second place to visit, to do
with birds was to a private breeder in Wertz, which is 30kms south of
Eindhoven. Joe DeGraef, who is a personal friend of my fathers and I,
is a breeder of Amazons, African Greys, Large Macaws, Cockatoos, as
well as Jardine & Senegal Parrots. His complex is a large
construction, with only the Macaws, Amazons, & Cockatoos being
open to the elements.
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