London Zoo, London NW1 4RY

Bird Safari

Zoo

Place photograph

4.6

Wildland

Under 1 hour

Time

Paid

Cost

Atmospheric

Feel

Urban historicFamiliesYoung childrenWildlife loversPhotographers

Why it's Wildland

4.6

Step into a walk-through habitat where scarlet ibises, turacos, doves and pheasants bring a vivid collection of birds close at hand. The experience is as much about noticing their behaviour as their colour: watch for emerald doves bobbing in courtship and learn why the Zoo’s Vietnamese pheasants matter to conservation.

Bird Safari offers a close-up, immersive encounter with an unusually varied collection of birds, including species the Zoo says are extinct in the wild or have gone unrecorded in the wild for decades. Its strongest appeal is focused wildlife observation rather than a wild landscape.

Atmospheric

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London Zoo, London NW1 4RY

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The experience

Walk through the habitat at a gentle pace, look for the named species and pause to observe their colours, movement and behaviour. The Zoo describes the habitat as an immersive birdwatching experience.

Things to do

Spot the habitat’s named birds

Look for scarlet ibis, Abdim’s stork, red-crested turaco, great argus, emerald dove, Socorro dove and Vietnam pheasant as you move through the walk-through habitat.

Watch for emerald dove courtship behaviour

The Zoo notes that male emerald doves bob their heads in a courtship dance. Take time to observe rather than simply pass through.

Learn the conservation stories

Read the habitat information about the Vietnam pheasant, for which the Zoo says there has been no recorded wild sighting in 25 years, and the Socorro dove, described by the Zoo as extinct in the wild.

Make a day of it

Quick escape · Under 1 hour

Quick bird-spotting visit

01
Walk through Bird Safari at an unhurried pace.
02
Look for the species named by London Zoo, including scarlet ibis, red-crested turaco, emerald dove and Vietnam pheasant.
03
Pause to watch for the emerald dove’s courtship head-bobbing.

Verified history

Bird Safari opened in 2004, replacing part of the former Stork and Ostrich House. The Zoo says part of that earlier building is still used to house species from the habitat. London Zoo describes the redesigned space as providing an expansive habitat for birds and bringing visitors closer to wildlife.

Hidden details

A habitat with a long-running predecessor — Bird Safari replaced some of the old Stork and Ostrich House when it opened in 2004; part of the older structure remains in use for species from the habitat.

The turaco’s unusual green — The Zoo says turacos are the only birds with truly green pigment, produced by a copper-based pigment.

When to go

· No specific time of day is given by the supplied source; check current visitor information.

The supplied source describes the habitat and its resident species but does not identify a seasonal highlight.

The source does not specify whether the walk-through is sheltered or provide weather guidance. Check before visiting.

What to look for

Look for scarlet ibis, red-crested turaco, emerald dove, great argus, Socorro dove, Abdim’s stork and Vietnam pheasant. The Zoo notes the emerald dove’s courtship head-bobbing, the great argus’s display behaviour and the conservation importance of its Vietnam pheasants and Socorro doves.