If you enjoy seeing the most exotic
and magnificent bird species with outstanding close up opportunities in a natural
environment, then you will definitely love the visit to Foz Tropicana Bird Park.
The Foz Tropicana is a World-Class Bird Park located just meters away from the
main entrance to the Parque Nacional do Iguaçu (Brazilian side of the falls) and
it is the most important bird preservation park in Latin America. You will have
the chance to come into very close contact with many rare and colorful birds in
large naturally landscaped walkthrough aviaries within a beautiful Atlantic Rain
Forest natural environment. The Bird Park covers an area of 16 hectares; however,
only 5 hectares are so far developed, the rest is presently kept as a conservation
area.
This tour will allow you to get acquainted with and admire more
than 150 different species from all around the world, one third of them in danger
of extinction. You will follow an approximately 1 mile (1500 meters) path which
winds through the forest and large walkthrough aviaries.
Expect colorful
birds flying and passing above your head, and friendly Toco toucans.
In
addition you will also admire Caiman Crocodiles, Boa Constrictors, Marmosets monkeys
and Butterflies. There are 25 species of butterflies which coexist in the
same environment with humming birds, which can only find in the American Continent.
There are many species of humming birds, Brazil has 80 of them. They are the only
birds which can fly in all directions including sideways, backwards and upside-down.
While hovering, the wing beat rate in smaller humming birds averages 70 - 80 wing
beats per second. Their heart beats over 1000 times per minute during aggressive
encounters with other humming birds. Humming birds' principle source of energy
is plant nectar, and the major protein intake comes from arthropods (small insects
and spiders). Before the introduction of the humming birds, spiders were a great
problem in the butterfly house. They spun webs in every corner and caught the
butterflies in large numbers. Two humming birds were introduced and proceeded
to destroy the spider population by taking newly hatched spiders out of their
webs before they were big enough to become a threat to the butterflies. It proved
to be an accidental but very successful example of biological control!
The construction of this bird park had to be carried out carefully in order to
prevent any damage to the native forest. The overriding theme of the exhibits
was to provide environmental enrichment for the birds by giving them as much space
as possible in naturally landscaped aviaries. The Bird Park has more than 900
birds of 150 species. Two thirds of the birds are native South American and the
other third were imported subtropical species from other continents.
All
birds seen in the Park originate from zoos, breeders authorized by IBAMA (Brazilian
Institute of Environment) or rehabilitation centers. The Bird Park does not accept
birds of unknown origin. All animals are registered and an annual report is given
to the Brazilian Zoological Society and IBAMA.
Duration: 1 hour approximately
(can be more depending on the time available)
Guide:
self-guided
Transfer: private vehicle
Includes: transfers + entrance
ticket
