about avifauna

Our goals

Birdlife keeps moving. We develop into an innovative, modern and distinctive zoo of the future, with Vogels as special specialty. In our park we spend explicit attention challenges the well-being of our animals and the experience of our visitors. At the base of this mission and vision our ideal goals, about which we would like to tell you more below.

BIRDS
AND ZOO

Non-profit foundation

Vogelpark Avifauna makes itself in all sorts of waysen strong for nature conservation and naturalducation. We'll take that one social responsibility very serious en makeom we have dthese activities then invested in a separate foundation non-profit. We work closely with other zoos and zoos on a national and international level organizations to help nature.

We like to share our knowledge

Education is the raison d'être of a modern zoo. By showing birds and other animals in their natural environment and teaching visitors something about nature, the realization grows that we worldwide have to take care of our beautiful, but fragile flora and fauna. In our park we show so not only the beauty of native and exotic nature, but also the threats. When people experience how beautiful and precious nature is, they are more inclined to protect it.

Park education: animals in their natural environment

In Birdlife we house animals as much as possible their natural environment, so that they can also show their natural behavior there. animal species similar habitats are placed together, in a matching natural decor. We use the accompanying signage around je cloud solutions nice, concise way to learn more about the animals and their way of life. Of course you can do that too our feed presentations of the bird demonstration visits. And have you the Kwetterkar seen already? Our volunteers drive it around through the park and to tell je please more about the various natural materials (such as eggs, feathers and skeletons) that they keep in the Kwetterkar.

Nature and Environmental Education: Avifauna at school!

Avifauna is active as a center for Nature and Environmental Education (NME) for the municipalities of Alphen aan den Rijn, Kaag & Braassem and Nieuwkoop. This means that we are the right partner for primary education in these municipalities to teach children about nature, sustainability and the environment and to lay a foundation for understanding and love for nature. We are the only zoo in the Netherlands that fulfills this role. Our NME package consists of excursions, guest lectures, material packages and teaching boxes. This range includes topics such as biodiversity, climate, animal welfare, nutrition and green schoolyards.

Nature needs our help

In 2012 we set up a separate foundation for nature conservation activities: the Avifauna Foundation for Nature Protection and Nature Education Fund. This foundation supports nature conservation projects worldwide, but in recent years has increasingly focused on projects in the Green Heart. The foundation collects money for these projects and seeks cooperation with other parties. Together we can achieve more than alone, so we we invest a lot of time and energy in building a solid network.

Global collaboration

Birdlife is a member of the European Association of zoos and Aquaria, de umbrella organisation qualityzoos and -aquariums in Europe and the Middle East. Not only animals are exchanged, but also a lot of effort, experience and expertise. Avifauna participates in more than 50 conservation programs designed to preserve vulnerable or endangered species. We even act as coordinator for three of these European programmes, namely for the double hornbill, the helmeted cassowary and the white-headed vulture. This is not only important for the zoo collections; zoos to work also actively cooperating with nature conservation organizations to the conservation of wildlife. De International Union for Conservation or Nature – the world's largest nature conservation union – is an important partner for us in this.

Heart for the Green Heart

In addition to the international nature conservation projects we the also important to make a difference in our immediate environment. Into nature the Green Heart it also has a hard time. Together with local partners, we tackle projects that promote local biodiversity. And also in our own park we give nature space and we protect local animal and plant species. A visit to ons park is not only a nice outing, but also made a real nature experience.

Healthy animal and plant populations

With our special bird collection and the expertise of our employees, we contribute to the conservation of biodiversity. We do this by breeding birds and other animals in the park, and then exchanging them with other official zoos. Because we no longer want to take animals from the wild, we are constantly working with each other to develop a balanced collection policy feed. For example, all zoos work with the same administration system in which pedigrees and relationships are kept. Together we contribute to healthy animal populations. Where possible, we reintroduce the birds and other animals into nature.

How is the local nature doing?

Vogelpark Avifauna also wants to maintain and stimulate native biodiversity. The varied planting of the park attracts birds, insects and other animals from the area, and our investments in water quality also contribute to biodiversity.

In order to test and subsequently monitor the effects of our efforts in this area, observations of wild flora and fauna are recorded. We regularly keep track of how many wild plants and animal species occur in our park, and we receive a lot of help from specialists, visitors and local residents. Since this count has been kept, more than 1200 species have been recorded.

A home for intercepted birds

Rare birds are a valuable collector's item for many enthusiasts. The flip side of this is that an illegal circuit is active, in which birds are unfortunately traded as contraband or live in poor conditions. When these animals are intercepted by customs or enforcers, the government hands them over to Avifauna. We then give these birds the necessary specialist care and provide good accommodation. That can, if possible, be in our own bird park or at other shelters or zoos.

Vultures as contraband

The group Ruppels vultures and white-headed vultures in our park are a good example of this state of affairs. They were intercepted by Italian customs when traders tried to smuggle them into Europe illegally. Because it's not possible was to put these birds back in nature, the government has started looking for a good shelter. The Italian government ultimately chose Vogelpark Avifauna. The animals have now been included in our own collection en they will receive in 2023 made a beautiful accommodation in the new vulture aviary which we are now realizing.

Interlocutor and advisor

Avifauna is also a discussion partner for the ministry at policy level. We give advice about the detection of illegal trade in birds and are a source of information for enforcers. Our expertise is regularly called upon, for example to identify a bird species or to provide background information. Avifauna regularly provides customs workshops on this theme.

Our contributions to scientific research

In the Zoo Decree, scientific research is designated as one of the functions of a zoo. This is also high on the agenda at Avifauna, so we frequently cooperate by making facilities, finances and expertise available. As an expert partner, Avifauna facilitates research into the behaviour, health and threats of birds and other animal species. We also investigate the effects of education for various target groups. We guide students in their research assignments and invest knowledge and money in various international research programmes.

Many different research questions

This may concern questions from the zoo world (think of all kinds of behavioral research or research into visitor experience), but also from science or society. In other cases, we try to answer questions about wildlife. We often fund research that is done on wild populations, but sometimes research takes place in the zoos themselves to learn something about conspecifics in the wild. The advantage of a zoo is that animals are more accessible and the research is much cheaper. In 2021, for example, we contributed to scientific research into the night heron and the stork.

Some examples

In collaboration with other zoos, colleges and universities we are always gaining More valuable knowledge about birds and their way of life. Avifauna has in the past five year for example contributionn delivered to made a behavioral research in helmeted cassowaries expats must register with the local municipality and obtain a food research among zoo animals. Vfor various scientific studies to have we DNA material donated from various bird species. En with Utrecht University do we have one oagreement signed at (in front of at least de upcoming ten years) practical facilities for behavioral research to the vultures in Avifauna.

Daily program & agenda

Map

Experiences

Our animals

Our nature

Route, parking & public transport

Prices, subscriptions & opening hours

Accessibility

Eat, drink & shop

Avifauna does more

Nature conservation

Avifauna renews

Careers

the origin

School trip

Out-of-School Care (BSO)