The Amazing Free-Flight Bird Show of Taronga Zoo

With over 800 species of birds in Australia, indigenous and endemic to the Australian ecosystem, Taronga Zoo's a perfect place for "birdwatching" in Sydney with the zoo's large collection of bird species in huge cages plus an amazing free flight bird show in the afternoon

Tutubi, a frustrated birdwatcher, arrived a little late at the bird show venue due to his return trips to the lair of the evasive tasmanian devil, a nocturnal creature that evaded him like the duck-billed platypus. Arriving late has it's advantage that he was able to position himself standing on the rim of the open amphitheater thus was able to move to get close to the action or a "bird's eye view" of the place.

Taronga Zoo's amphitheater for the free flight bird show

The free flight bird show was an interactive one that required audience participation to volunteer for various simple tasks like standing still at a certain part of the amphitheater or holding high a coin for birds to snatch. One of the first act was a an australian owl that landed on a volunteer girls arm when signaled by the bird trainer/host.

an australian masked owl about to land on the little girls arm
this little girl was brave enough to volunteer to be the target of this australian owl that perched on her arm

Taronga zoo's amphitheater with Sidney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House in the background

Succeeding acts were fly over by a wedge-tailed eagle while another show by Jojo and Jasper, a pair of galahs (rose-breasted cockatoos), wowed the audience when they snatched coins held by a volunteer but returned them to the volunteer when instructed to do so by the trainer. Other performing stars of the show were andean condors, black-breasted buzzard and black kites.

the coin-snatching cockatoo freely flying over the crowd

It's a good thing that Tutubi's strategy to stand on the outer end of the amphitheater enabled him to get close to the trainer and volunteers for close-up photos of the birds in flight.

Taronga's birds were so well-trained that they didn't try to escape; what's more they didn't try to eat the dragonfly, Tutubi, for their afternoon snack :P