Bird Garden Conservation

Over 90 species of threatened and exotic species are housed in sympathetic environments. Their habitats in the Harewood Bird Garden are as close as possible to the conditions they would normally live in. By raising awareness and essential funds for conservation, we’re having a significant positive effect on the future survival of many bird species and the conservation of their habitats.

Over 30 of the species are classed from near threatened to critically endangered in the wild in the IUCN listings. Another 61 different birds in the Bird garden are classed as lower concern in the wild, which still means there is some concern over their future safety, or even that there is very little known about their numbers or status in the wild.

Around 30% of the species in the bird garden are part of a captive breeding programme. Another 25% of the species at Harewood are closely monitored by specialist groups so that the populations do not fall to a lower level.

Harewood Bird Garden is a full active member of BIAZA (British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums) and EAZA (European Association of Zoos and Aquaria), and as such follows their guidelines and regulations, regional species collection plans and breeding programmes.

Bird Garden Aims: To protect species and habitats from extinction.

Many problems cause species to decline in the wild and these include habitat destruction, the pet trade, hunting and conflict with introduced species.

How the Bird garden aims to help

• We are part of several active European & UK Breeding Programmes and breed different birds which go to other carefully monitored schemes around the world. At Harewood many of the birds you will see are in these kinds of programmes, such as Waldrapp Ibis, Peacock Pheasants, Liocichlas, Vietnamese Pheasants and the Bali Starling.

• Some of our birds, such as the Mountain Peacock Pheasants & Waldrapp Ibis, are part of continuing reintroduction programmes, which aim to increase the population numbers in the wild by carefully releasing captive bred animal's back in to their natural environment.

• Harewood has begun a series of education programmes to make people more aware of conservation issues both here and abroad. Our purpose is to inform visitors about conservation issues, about how they canbe involved and about how the zoo is contributing to the success of national and international projects. At Harewood we provide workshops, talks and information panels in the Bird Garden.

• We have long-running research studies and projects, aimed at studying the behaviour and habitat in the Bird Garden and gaining useful knowledge about the birds. We have many students who are studying the birds as part of projects, and they have made many interesting discoveries into the behaviour of Harewood species.

• We raise funds by the use of collection boxes and funding from workshops, presentations and walks and talks in and around Harewood. Through these activities we aim to increase people’s knowledge and raise awareness of the issues and problems that affect birds and their habitats, in the UK and abroad.

• The money raised goes towards in situ conservation projects, so local experts and wardens work with local people in areas of high conservation status to educate them and persuade them to protect the species that they live alongside.

As participants in the BIAZA & EAZA Zoo campaigns, we support a varietyof conservation initiatives including the European Carnivore, or Amphibian Ark projects.

Read about our Conservation Programmes.