Enjoy Mother’s Day at the Bloedel Conservatory!

May 12, 2012 at 6:04 pm (Birds, Mother's Day)
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Red canary posing for the camera

The Bloedel Conservatory is now on Summer Hours – and just in time for Mother’s Day!

Why not treat Mom to a stroll through the magical Bloedel Conservatory, our green jewel at the highest point in Vancouver? Our chatty parrots and free flying exotic birds are sure to delight Mom and the whole family! That’s one of the surprising and best features of the Conservatory.  You can get up close to the stunning birds! See Clyde, the rare Eastern Rosella Parrot, while many of the Zebra finches, Laughing Thrushes, and colourful Chinese Pheasants wander along the pathway. Stop for a moment and listen, then see if you can spot the new Red and Bronze canaries. Their sweet melodies are truly enchanting and add a special touch to a special day. Oh yes, and we encourage you to stop and smell the flowers! The plumeria tree is now blooming!

Fragrant plumeria blossoms

The Bloedel Conservatory is fully wheelchair accessible, so it’s easy to sit close to the parrots and macaws and watch their antics or have a chat! Handy Bird Guides and Scavenger Hunts are available at the front counter. A trip to the Bloedel is a great outing for Mom and the whole family!

Bloedel Conservatory: Extended Summer Hours:

Monday – Friday: 9am – 8pm
Saturday & Sunday: 10am – 9pm

To round out the day, why not combine your trip to Bloedel with a picnic lunch at Queen Elizabeth Park or have brunch at Season’s in the Park Restaurant? With the best views of the city, exceptional service and Season’s Lobster Eggs Bennie, it’s a combo that that is sure to delight!

Happy Mother’s Day!

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Bird of the Month

April 22, 2012 at 11:35 pm (Bird of the Month, Birds)
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Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata)

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It’s Spring at the Bloedel Conservatory and the birds are in the process of building their nests! See our Youtube video showing a Zebra Finch busy putting on the final touches to her new abode: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYx7AqeT5ns

These adorable little finches love to eat often throughout the day and can usually be spotted at the feeding station in the Arid area of the Conservatory. Typically, they have ‘fawn’ spots on their wings, zebra stripes across their chests and the males have unmistakable orange cheeks. There are many colour mutations including ‘Chestnut’, ‘Black faced’, ‘Penguin’ and ‘Isabel’. Click here to see the markings and colourations of different varieties on this interactive chart: http://zebrafinch.info/colours/

Zebra finches eat seeds and are just over 3.5 inches (8.8 cm) in length and weigh only half an ounce (15 gms). They are native to Australia and are very good singers. In fact, an interesting study at McGill University studied the complexity of the song of male Zebra finches. This research found that the birds with the most intricate songs were also better foragers for food – making them a better ‘catch’ for the ladies because it ensures there will be food for the young! This research found that all birds have a special area of their brains that is responsible for creating songs.

Why not stop by Bloedel for a family outing, listen for the bird songs and see how many nests you can find? We guarantee you will be charmed by all of the birds and their antics!

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