The bird park Parque das Aves in Foz do Iguaçu

2019-04-12 Tanja Heinz Brazil

If I ask myself this question, honestly, I cannot give you a clear general „yes“ or „no“. Of course, I think that we do not have the right to capture and confine any wild animal in a small cage. But due to the fact that threats for animals in their natural environment seem to grow and grow and grow – be it habitat destruction, human-wildlife conflict or trade with wild animals (just to name a few) – isn’t it better to provide at least some animals a safe place in a small protected area?

If it is done right a bird park or zoo could promote the environmental education of people and create a place were people can feel closer to nature again. However, I will not tell you here what is right and what is not right, but introduce a bird park which is doing a great and important work in my opinion. And that is Parque das Aves in Foz do Iguaçú.

This bird park is located in a very touristic area just next to the Iguaçú Falls. I visited Parque das Aves, because this bird park is involved in several bird conservation projects. They also provide a home for those birds that came from animal trade or mistreatment.

With more than 800 thousand visitors every year Parque das Aves became a very popular destination for many people visiting Foz do Iguaçu (including more than 35 thousand school children). The people of the bird park claim to work for a better world and they say that they have created a place where people can live in peace with nature. They also want to save species from the brink of extinction. Do they reach their ambitious goals?

If you check their recent statistics, in my opinion they really do a great work, especially for birds of the Atlantic Forest. Consider that only less than 10% of the original Atlantic Forest remains, many bird species and other animals like for example the golden lion tamarins or the Southern muriquis are thus threatened due to the loss of their habitat. Therefore, it is important in my opinion that there are facilities like Parque das Aves that look after birds which loose their natural environment.

In 2017 about 70% of all birds in Parque das Aves came from the Atlantic Forest. Today the number reaches 85%, but their aim is to get over 95%. So, in the future they want to have a bird park with almost only native birds from the Atlantic Forest. They also have a list of 107 endangered bird species. Their focus will be on the protection of these birds. On this list is for example the jacutinga (Aburria jacutinga), the Alagoas curassow (Pauxi mitu) or the turquoise-fronted amazon (Amazona aestiva). In the following photograph you can see a jacutinga.

The bird park Parque das Aves was created by the veterinarian Anna from Germany and the entrepreneur Dennis from Zimbabwe. The whole journey started in the mid 70s when Anna moved to Zimbabwe where she met Dennis. They married and got two children, Anna-Luise and Carmel. Their life got a new direction when Anna received an African grey parrot which she named Pumuckl. Soon after that Anna got more and more African grey parrots to care for.

In the 90s the family moved to Isle of Man in Britain. However, as a friend of Dennis invited him to open up a crocodile park in Foz do Iguaçu, the family had itchy feet again. Dennis liked the idea, but he actually preferred birds, and thus, the family started with their plans for Parque das Aves.

They bought a large estate close to the Iguaçu Falls. For Anna and Dennis it was very important to carefully plan their park as they wanted to avoid cutting native trees. At the early beginnings the family led a life between the Isle of Man and Foz do Iguaçu. Dennis and Anna were very enthusiastic about their park. They spent all their savings for Parque das Aves. In November 1993 the construction of the bird park started.

The first birds in the park were donations, came from other Brazilian zoos or were brought to Parque das Aves as confiscated animals by Ibama (Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renováveis, English: Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources). In the early beginnings many bird species were from other continents. Today, the bird park focuses – as mentioned above – on native Brazilian birds in order to promote their conservation.

Parque das Aves opened in October 7, 1994. Unfortunately, Dennis became very ill only one year after the opening. Two years later he died on Isle of Man.

After his death Anna and their two daughters were alone, but they received a lot of help from other people to continue with the bird park. They needed their help, because more and more abused birds arrived in the park, including threatened species.

Thus, the family intended to expand their conservation work. Nowadays, their conservation work includes the rehabilitation of rescued birds and provide a home for those that cannot be returned back into their natural environment, but also research, education, training teachers and raising money for various conservation programs.

Today the bird park is led by one of the daughters of Anna and Dennis, Carmel. She is the CEO since 2010.

In the following paragraph you will read more about the bird species you can see in Parque das Aves.

The following map gives you an overview about the bird park.

If you enter Parque das Aves and follow the signs, one of the first parrots you will see are those of Parrots Island. At exactly this place you will learn more about one of the missions of the bird park: rescuing birds from illegal trade and mistreatment.

There is no cage or aviary at Parrots Island. The birds could fly away if they wanted to or could. Only a biologist stays close to Parrots Islands to inform visitors about threats parrots are exposed to. Most parrots that come from animal trafficking or mistreatment cannot be returned to the wild, and thus, get a new home in Parque das Aves. You can see some of them at Parrots Island.

At this place I learned that about 6 million animals are captured each year in Brazil and that it is a very profitable industry (900 million Dollars of profit each year). The saddest thing about all this is, that only 1 wild animal out of 10 survives.

On our walk through the park we saw the following birds at Parrots Island:

Guans and curassows are very typical birds in Brazil as these birds live in tropical and subtropical regions of Central and South America. I met one of these birds for the first time in the Itatiaia National Park where I observed some dusky-legged guans (Penelope obscura) just in front of a hotel.

In Parque das Aves I saw three different species. Razor-billed curassows, bare-faced curassows and black-fronted piping guans. Parque das Aves also provides a home for Alagoas curassows (Pauxi mitu) – a bird which is already extinct in the wild. The bird park works against the extinction of this bird species by participating in the program „Programa de Cativeiro do Mutum-de-alagoas“. Their aim is to increase the population in captivity to release them in future into the wild again. I did not see Alagoas curassows in Parque das Aves, just razor-billed curassows which look quite similar to Alagoas curassows.

Toucans are like guans and curassows restricted to tropical regions in Central and South America. They are very colorful birds, and thus, very conspicuous. I saw toucans in the wild in Brazil, but never that close like in Parque das Aves. I observed a saffron toucanet (Pteroglossus bailloni) and a red-breasted toucan (Ramphastos dicolorus) in the Itatiaia National Park and a chestnut-eared aracari (Pteroglossus castanotis) close to the Iguaçu Falls on the Brazilian side and toco toucans (Ramphastos toco) on the Argentinian side of the waterfalls. Furthermore, I met a channel-billed toucan (Ramphastos vitellinus) in the Botanical Gardens in Rio de Janeiro. In Parque das Aves I saw actually again a wild toucan or chestnut-eared aracari, respectively. The other two toucans lived in aviaries.

Burrowing owls are one of my favorite birds. Unfortunately I haven’t seen any of these birds in the wild in Brazil. If you know a good place to observe them, please let me know. I actually haven’t seen any owl in the wild during my journey through the south of Brazil. However, I also have to say that I was not on any night walk neither. Most owls are nocturnal (although burrowing owls sometimes hunt during the day). Nevertheless, I saw burrowing owls, but also striped owls, spectacled owls and barn owls.

Parque das Aves is located just next to the Iguaçu Falls, and thus, easy to reach by public transport. Bus number 120 runs regularly between the central bus station TTU (Terminal de Transporte Urbano) and the Iguaçu National Park. This bus will stop at the bird park, but also at the airport and at numerous bus stops along the Avenida Juscelino Kubitschek, Avenida Jorge Schimmelpfeng and Avenidas das Cataratas. Please check my previous article about South American coatis at the Iguaçu Falls to find more practical information with respect to accommodation and how to arrive in Foz do Iguaçu.

Parque das Aves opens daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Adults, both foreigners and Brazilians, have to pay 45 R$ per ticket. Children up to 8 years can enter the bird park for free (April 2019).

9 comments

Alison Hayes says:
2020-03-31 at 05:08
Hi Tanja,
Excellent as this park appears to be in most respects, it is very disappointing to see a Southern Cassowary here, albeit in a very good enclosure. I don’t know what information the park is giving, but this species is definitely from Australia only, and should not be in a Brazilian bird park. I live in Australia, and am aware that this bird is classified as seriously endangered. To keep a Southern Cassowary here would seem to be contrary to the principles that the park prides itself on.
Alison
Reply
1. Tanja Heinz says:
  2020-03-31 at 10:53
  Thank you very much Alison for your comment 🙂 And I understand very well your disappointment seeing a Southern cassowary in an enclosure anywhere else on a different continent! Maybe I would have come to the same conclusion if I wouldn’t have been there. And actually when we entered the bird park it felt more like a normal commercial zoo at the beginning. Especially as the Parque das Aves is in a very touristic place. I completely understand your concerns!
  When we visited Parque das Aves they had some birds not native to Brazil like the Southern cassowary, but also e.g. crowned cranes from Africa. They inform the people that these birds are not from Brazil.
  I do not know the individual history of this Southern cassowary, but as Parque das Aves started more like a typical commercial zoo, this Southern cassowary might be from the early beginnings or offspring from the first Southern cassowaries in the bird park, respectively. The shift to the conservation of Brazilian birds of the Atlantic Forest apparently happened only since recently. I guess this shift was also connected with the children of the founders…
  It does not feel good seeing animals like Southern cassowaries in enclosures, but at the end I think they contribute a lot to bird conservation in Brazil although it is of course not perfect (it is always better to see them in the wild, on the other hand is it better in the wild with less habitat for most animals? Very difficult topic…)
  Furthermore, as you said that the Southern cassowary is seriously endangered in Australia, I think the IUCN should adapt to this. I guess that bureaucracy is just too slow with that…
  I hope my answer was satisfying and thanks a lot for sharing your thoughts!
  Reply
2. Rose says:
  2021-02-05 at 23:27
  Hi, I am from Brazil myself and I guess there is some misinformation from both of you regarding the park. First of all, the Bird Park was never considered to be a commercial zoo, not even in the beginning when the major founder of the park, Dennis Croukamp, started to build it as a tribute to a rescued bird he adopted. Whoever thinks that this park is a zoo has no clue about how they operate and this is the problem with foreigners that know nothing about environmental regulation here, spend a couple hours in the park and think they have everything figured out based on their own views. The majority of the birds (more than 50%) in the park are there because they were rescued by the environmental police (IBAMA) from illegal trafficking, illegal possession/ poaching and ended up victims of mistreatment and injuries just like psychological trauma as result of those dynamics which made impossible for them to return to the wild (if you guys do not know, agents of the environmental police here are biologists and go through a demanding process of public exam to become one). The other birds that are in the park were born there and many of them are bred, trained and selected to return to the wild (they even use genetic studies for that). Some of the birds that are selected to return to the wild belong to species that are not only endangered but even extinct such as the Alagoas currassow. If the Southern Cassowary is in the park is because the environmental police apprehended it, took the animal there and surely the animal has no condition to return to its natural environment. Contrary to the statement made here, this species IS NOT exclusive to Australia but also to certain areas of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea and we all know that many exotic birds are trafficked out of those countries. The Bird Park is a sanctuary committed to the well being of abused and damaged birds in first place so even though its focus is on the species native to the Atlantic Rainforest, there are other species that were welcomed there including from other animals such as reptiles, for example. The entire structure and renovations of the park have been totally focused on providing the best environment possible for the birds. The park never claimed that all animals that are there are birds let alone that all of them are from the Atlantic Rainforest. What is the park supposed to do when an abused animal shows up in their door? Simply saying no and send the animal back to die? What is not right is leaving an animal no matter the species in suffering conditions without doing anything about it. Why doesn’t Alison contact Australian sanctuaries and ask them to get in touch with the Brazilian park and negotiate the transfer of the bird to one of them? This is how we change things instead of criticizing what we do not know in depth. In the city of Itabaiana in the state of Sergipe (Northeast of Brazil), there is another birds sanctuary with focus on birds of prey but the founder, Percilio, took several animals of other species in because HE LOVES BIRDS and they had nowhere else to go. He is the most skilled man with birds of prey that I have ever seen and I can guarantee you that I am not the only one to recognize that since experts in birds of prey from all over the world come here to learn with him, reason why he is known as the enchanter of birds, he is a very simple man but has much more applied knowledge than many people bragging about their Phds on the subject. Anyways, just wanted to rectify some incorrect info in both comments probably as a result of use of Google as source like most people do. Just because Google wrongly lists the park as a zoo and the Southern Cassowary as exclusive to Australia in its immediate search results, it does not mean those are correct.
  Reply
  1. Tanja Heinz says:
    2021-02-06 at 05:54
    Thank you very much Rose for your comment!
    Firstly, you have to understand that animals in a confined place is a very sensitive and complex topic. As an outsider (be it a foreigner or not!) it is not always easy to decide if a place is good or not. I know many people who say that they would never visit a zoo, because in zoos they have animals in cages for the pleasure of people. Well, I think there are good zoos and there are bad zoos. In my opinion a zoo is not necessarily bad, just because there are animals in cages. More and more animals do not have any place to live anymore. We destroy their habitats! Be it a foreigner or not, it is always difficult to see everything of the work a zoo or park is doing.
    Secondly, please indicate the text where I have written that Parque das Aves IS a zoo. I used the term bird park in the article, but yes, in the comment I wrote: “…Parque das Aves started more like a typical commercial zoo…”. “As they imported subtropical birds from other continents in the early beginnings” (as I wrote in the article), I wrote “started more like a …” (I did not say they WERE a zoo!). And yes, when I entered the Parque das Aves, I felt at first a little bit like in a zoo. Parque das Aves is close to a touristic magnet, many people where there, and then I saw some marmosets close to the entry area. But as we went through the Parque das Aves we realized that Parque das Aves is more than just a zoo (although I don’t want to disregard the work of many zoos here neither!). We have talked to the people of the park, biologists (Have you read this article?), and were just impressed by the work Parque das Aves is doing. I very admire that the Parque das Aves focuses on native bird species of the Atlantic Forest now like the jacutinga or the Alagoas curassow.
    I am actually a little bit disappointed to get a comment like yours. I really thought that I put Parque das Aves under the best light. I thought with my article I tell people that Parque da Aves is a good place. With a good place I mean a place which is really worth a visit and really worth to support!
    I ask you to please indicate the misinformation in my comment and/or article. I tried my best to inform the people as best as possible. Therefore, I really ask you to indicate the misinformation!
    But maybe you see misinformation as you haven’t read the article and you just have focused on the comments? If you would have read the article you would know that I wrote Indonesia, New Guinea and Australia as the natural/native origin of the cassowaries!
    I would be happy if you correct the misinformation in my comment. I just don’t get it! If it is about the individual history of the Southern cassowary, please let me know it and I can add it as I really do not know its individual history!
    It was by all means not my intention to “reduce” Parque das Aves to a zoo (although I think that a zoo is not necessarily bad).
    Again, I’m very disappointed to get such a comment. But given to the words in your comment I assume that you just have read the comments but not the article!?
    Sure, Google might not know everything, but behind Google is not only Artificial Intelligence, but also people who create all these algorithms. Although I have already found many advantages in them (e.g. on iNaturalist), it is always better to also take some time to thoroughly read texts, reflect and so on as an internet user…
    Nevertheless, I very appreciate your comment, as in your upset words I can perceive that you very care about birds and their conservation. More people should be upset about conservation issues and about our biodiversity decline on Earth…
    Thank you for your words and thoughts!
    Kind regards,
    Tanja
    Reply
    1. Rose says:
      2021-02-06 at 17:08
      Hello, Tanja. I am sorry you felt disappointed with what I wrote because that was not my intent. Yes, I have read the entire article and yes, overall you did a very good job in it, indeed if you reread my comment, you will see that I did not criticize your article. Instead, I specifically mentioned the misinformation in the comments because I have known this park from the very beginning and I know their work has never been one as of a zoo so the misinformation I referred to in your comment was specifically related to that statement. The other points I made was related to the misinformation of the other comment. I would like to emphasize that nothing that I wrote about foreigners was personally directed towards you, I actually said so because I have seen it over and over again from people that do not live here and do not know much about how things work and assume things based on what they look on the surface. I do not like zoos in general because even though some animals find shelter there, they are many times subjected to dynamics that are abusive, designed only to entertain humans. Only for you to have an idea recently I came across a video of a penguin parade in the US only to entertain people. This kind of practice does upset me. I had the opportunity to live in the US and many wild animals that people are allowed to own there, cannot be owned here in Brazil. Indeed, this is why many sanctuaries are packed with physically and psychologically damaged animals here: because people engage in illicit purchase/ ownership and end up having them apprehended by the environmental police (besides being fined and indicted for environmental crime) and this entity takes those animals to specialized sanctuaries. Now about Google, we will have to disagree because many many times I came across gross misinformation about places and services that were literally a major disservice. Listing this park wrongly as a zoo is only one of them. Yes, algorithms are created by people and people who follow protocols determined by the interests of these big tech companies, companies that always have an agenda related to promote and trash certain things, ideas, places, projects, depending on how much they conform to their interests. In fact, I rarely use Google as search mechanism to get accurate information because I have seen extensively how they manipulate search results providing info that not only is incorrect but many times is complete propaganda. There are many alternatives in the market that offer cleaner, unbiased search results. In this case, as a Brazilian citizen who has always been very connected to environmental themes, someone who knows the work of this park from the very beginning when almost no one knew about it, I felt the duty to leave a comment because the park has never been kind of a “commercial zoo“ at all. As far as I know, the park never bought birds from other countries to use them as a visual attraction/ entertainment. The birds that ended up there were sent by environmental authorities and institutions, even because in Brazil no exotic birds can enter the country without the express authorization of IBAMA/ environmental police (if you had traveled extensively throughout the backcountry of Brazil you would be able to see how much of untouched and preserved nature we still have despite the large amount of propaganda outsiders are getting all over the world via mainstream media). I am sorry you got so disappointed with my words that had only the intent of being a personal attack, but rectifying and constructive but even though I can understand why you felt that way, it is also good to remind ourselves that no growth and change take place in our lives if we are not open to different perspectives and criticism. Thanks for your reply because it is an opportunity to clarify things and eliminate misunderstandings that can be fueled by online miscommunication.
      All the best, Rose.
      Reply
      1. Tanja Heinz says:
        2021-02-07 at 08:42
        Thank you very much Rose for your answer!
        It really means a lot for me as I see that you really care about birds and Parque das Aves!
        I’m really on your side when you say that animals are not here to entertain people and I also think our world would be much better without zoos. If we would be in an ideal world…
        However, I think now I understand better what bothered you in the comment. Maybe the words “commercial zoo” were too depreciating, although I didn’t mean to do that with Parque das Aves! I didn’t mean to reduce Parque das Aves to a commercial zoo with animal shows. Of course, Parque das Aves is not such a place! I don’t think so that we are that far away in our opinion. I would consider a zoo with loud and popular animals shows like the Penguin Parade as well not as a good place to visit. That is artificial and doesn’t educate people of the animals’ natural behavior. In a good zoo animals can hide from people and their welfare stands over the entertainment of people. Compare such a zoo with Parque das Aves is of course not just! I didn’t mean it like that. And of course, I understand very well that these kind of entertainments upset you.
        I do not know Parque das Aves that well like you, but on the following website I read:
        “The first birds came from donations or loans from Brazilian zoos. They were confiscated animals sent by Ibama. Subtropical species from all continents were also imported.”
        https://www.parquedasaves.com.br/en/historia-do-parque/
        I think the last sentence can easily lead to a misunderstanding.
        The thing with Google… I don’t disagree what you write. Since I have this website I have read a little bit about SEO. And believe me, I rather prefer a boring title than a catchy clickbait title. And I don’t visit places just because they are in the mainstream media. I know, many write for google to be found by as many people as possible, and thus, I agree, there is a lot of misinformation out there.
        What I meant in my comment is, that the people behind Google they might have a broad technological knowledge, but do not know details about a topic (like e.g. nature topics, naming a place appropriate). They adapt to the broad public…
        Thanks again for your thoughts and also time!
        You are very lucky to live in a place with still much of untouched and preserved nature!
        Enjoy it and all the best Rose! 🙂
    2. Rose says:
      2021-02-08 at 20:40
      Hello, Tanja.
      I think we have similar perspectives and we are just expressing ourselves in different ways. I do not agree with animals being treated as commodities so this is why I said I do not like zoos in general: most of them are commercial institutions therefore animals are often used (and abused), unfortunately. I talked directly to one of the founders (Anna) directly in one of the many visits I made to the park years back, and she told me straight up that none of the birds that were there were bought or anything of the sort, including those that came from other continents. She mentioned that those birds were part of donations, relocation processes and exchanges for a variety of reasons but that no commercial operation ever took place. The link you sent to me is an automatic translation of the original page in Portuguese and if you go to this original page, copy the text and translate directly, you will see that no mention of importation (a sales operation) took place. This is the translation of the original text in Portuguese: ”The first birds arrived from donations or loans from other zoos, as well as confiscated animals that were sent by Ibama. At that time, many species were from other continents.”
      You can go to the history page to the section year 1994, translate it and see for yourself: https://www.parquedasaves.com.br/sobre-o-parque-das-aves/historia-do-parque/
      So I do believe that the word ”imported” in the English translation of the page is an unfortunate miscommunication issue we commonly see in translated versions of websites.
      I was in the park again last December, right after the Macaws Aviary was renovated and reopened to the public to see it. The park keeps up its improvement processes to offer the best possible to the animals that are there. I got some footage this time and just put a video together in Youtube. This is the link in case you are interested in checking it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7zUTfLZ8zI
      I just created the Youtube channel to share travel content specially from places in Brazil that many foreigners do not know about because there is no videos or enough information about them in English. Next month I am planning to go back to that park specialized in birds of prey here in Brazil, in the city of Itabaiana (state of Sergipe) and get some footage to put a video together as well because there is none in English. Everyone that goes to this Falcons Park gets a complete class about each of the birds that are there, why they remain there, their issues and why they are in a particular type/sized enclosure when they are in one. The founder is truly gifted when it comes to dealing with birds of prey, he also rehabilitates birds, breeds them in captivity and trains them to make sure they can go back to the wild. Those that cannot return to it, remain in the park but have a daily routine that includes bathing, sunbathing, flight and hunting exercises. Some of these birds even participate of environmental programs in partnership with government agencies and private companies in order to control the population of other animal species, insects using natural methods. If you ever travel here to the Northeast of Brazil, check this place out cause it is very worth it. These sanctuaries need our support because they do an excellent job to mitigate the destruction that many humans have been promoting.
      Anyways, I guess you have my email in case you ever come back here and would like to get in touch. Have a nice week and thanks again for the productive interaction.
      My best regards, Rose
      Reply
      1. Tanja Heinz says:
        2021-02-11 at 20:06
        Thank you very much Rose or sending me your beautiful video of Parque das Aves. So good to see a recent video of the place and the birds. It is already almost three years ago that I have been there, but I remember very well the birds I have seen there. It is a very special place surrounded by a wonderful lush forest <3
        That is really a very important information you gave me about the translation. I was not aware of it and I have to change it in the article. My Portuguese is not that good, therefore, I was reading only the English version of the website.
        There is indeed often little information in English about places in Brazil. The place you are going to visit sounds really very interesting and also worth to support. I have subscribed to your youtube channel and I'm looking forward to watch your video about your upcoming visit at the Falcon park.
        I hope to visit Brazil soon again!
        Have a good weekend and kind regards,
        Tanja
      2. Rose says:
        2021-02-17 at 18:49
        Thanks, Tanja! Wishes that you can travel very soon to where your heart wants to go. 🙂

The bird park Parque das Aves in Foz do Iguaçu

Should I visit a bird park?

Conservation of native birds

History of Parque das Aves

Bird species in the Parque das Aves

True parrots (Psittacidae)

Guans and curassows (Cracidae)

Toucans (Ramphastidae)

True owls (Strigidae) and barn owls (Tytonidae)

Flamingos (Phoenicopteridae)

Cranes (Gruidae)

Screamers (Anhimidae)

Rails (Rallidae)

Tinamous (Tinamidae)

Herons (Ardeidae)

Ibises and spoonbills (Threskiornithidae)

New World vultures (Cathartidae)

Hawks, eagles, kites, harriers, and Old World vultures (Accipitridae)

Crows, jays, magpies, and ravens (Corvidae)

Cassowaries and emu (Casuariidae)

Tanagers (Thraupidae)

Hummingbirds (Trochilidae)

More animals in Parque das Aves

How to get to Parque das Aves

More information about the bird park Parque das Aves

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