A huge amount of work has been going on behind the scenes this winter and I am very much hoping it will bring some excellent, new things for you to see and do in the coming season. There has been so much change. Read on!

As 2016 marks the tercentenary of the birth of Capability Brown, we will be opening up the South Front to allow you to see the House and parkland from a different perspective. You will be able to have a closer look at the foundations of Gawthorpe Hall, the medieval manor which pre-dates Harewood House.

The House itself is naturally one of the best viewing platforms to see Brown’s amazing work. We will be making sure this is well interpreted through a series of exhibitions and displays providing both a historical and contemporary context. Please see inside for more details.

The House has been very busy over the winter period hosting a large ITV production. Filming is an important part of our income and we will have updates about what we’ve been working on this winter soon.

We have begun a three year programme of development in the Bird Garden which will re-launch this much loved area of Harewood.. We are developing a Himalayan theme within the bird collection and plan to introduce several bird species from the region later this season. This will sit very closely with the many plants, trees and shrubs that can be seen in our own Himalayan Garden. Alongside this work, we are creating a strong education and conservation message to best interpret the birds on display.

Across the wider Estate, Harewood has introduced many successful conservation initiatives. We felt it was important to show you some of these projects through fresh interpretation. Plans are in place to introduce this additional interpretation throughout the season. Restored areas of the Bird Garden will be devoted to indigenous species of birds, mammals and insects. We are also introducing a new minibeast trail too!

Not only will we be portraying our message about British wildlife, but also the importance of conservation worldwide. There will be a strong message about critically endangered species across the globe, and we will be advising visitors about how they can do their bit supporting animal conservation projects. Last but not least, our “old favourites”, the penguins, flamingos, owls and parrots will be better displayed and we will be telling you much more about them.

I hope that this project will create considerable interest and there will be opportunities for everyone, adults and school children, to get involved and engage with the Bird Garden at several levels.

For the first time we will be offering a Farm Experience geared to our younger visitors. There will be rabbits to pet, donkeys, goats and pigs, and maybe even alpacas! Please bring your children and grandchildren to see this exciting new attraction.

Our Visitor Information Centre and Visitor Experience Team are moving from the car park to the eastern side of the Courtyard where it will be co-located with the Gift Shop. The former space occupied by the Gift Shop will become overflow catering space on busy days. The Courtyard will be buzzing with things to see do and eat!

The old Information Centre is being redeveloped into an unmanned satellite Information Point which will be staffed on busy days. A new Yorkshire Dales ice cream kiosk is opening alongside the Yorkshire Larder and we hope that this will be popular with those who wish to picnic and play games on the North Front.

Our boat, The Capability, will be sailing again! Please check our website for details of the sailings.

There is much going on, exhibitions, events, new attractions, our second hand bookshop and last but not least the Adventure Playground. Please see inside this letter for the various details you may want and I really look forward to welcoming you back this year.

This winter, a mammoth effort has been made to modernise Harewood’s Bird Garden and to open up previously closed areas. The Bird Garden has been at Harewood since 1970 and needed a great deal of attention! Every member of Harewood’s team has been involved; from Gardens to Education.

Tree and shrub removal

The project, which is part of a three year development plan, has seen a great deal of tree work undertaken. Tonnes of overgrown trees and shrubs have been removed, reopening views across the Lake. It has taken 8 Grounds staff plus 10 volunteers 5 months to make this transformation happen. Visitors will notice the new landscaping forming part of this work. This is an ongoing project with more to come throughout 2016.

The aviaries have also seen changes. Overgrown ivy has been removed and the interiors have had a spruce ready for the breeding season.

Penguin Pool redevelopment

Working with Nautilus, a zoological enclosure specialist, large scale project works have been undertaken. Most significantly, the Penguin Pool has seen a total revamp. New rock work has been sculpted by the expert team and new burrows have been created for our Humboldt family.

Nautilus have also overseen the construction of a new Central Hub. The structure sits in the heart of the Bird Garden with views across the Lake. This area will be used for family activities, school groups and as a place to sit and relax.

Fresh interpretation has been written for the 37 species of birds cared for in the Harewood Bird Garden. This is a rolling programme of work with more to follow throughout 2016. The importance of conservation and protecting endangered species is at the core of the message.

Palm cockatoos

But that’s not all! We have reopened closed areas of the Bird Garden, giving you the opportunity to see the charismatic palm cockatoos. These entertaining birds boast iridescent black feathers and bright pink cheeks. Residing in the largest aviary at Harewood, these birds are a must see when you visit.

The collection plan has been given more focus, with dedicated themes tying in with the wider conservation initiatives and messages. Harewood’s connection with the Himalaya’s has been taken into account, with new species from the region joining us this year. The pekin robin is one bird you will be able to see from this part of the world in 2016.

Beyond the exotic species, a fresh initiative to represent our native wildlife has also been undertaken. A brand new minibeast trail has been created with plans to tell visitors more about the Red Kites, barn owls and water fowl coming later this year.

We hope to see you this year and we hope that you will enjoy all the changes that have taken place!

With blue skin, these are an unusual bird available to view in the Bird Garden

A penguin that brays like a donkey, a vulture that can reach heights of over 20,000 feet and a parrot that is one of the best mimics of the human voice. These are just three of the species staving off extinction thanks to the help of zoos and aquariums.

The British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) has compiled a report detailing the top ten birds most reliant on zoos and aquariums for their survival.

The African penguin, the Ecuador Amazon parrot and the Oriental white-backed vulture have all made it on to the list, which highlights some of the best examples of how zoos and aquariums are safeguarding the future of our planet’s wildlife and their habitats.

Dr Andrew Marshall, of BIAZA’s Field Programmes Committee, coordinated the compilation of the list with input from conservation experts based at BIAZA collections. He commented:

“More than one in ten species of bird is globally threatened; and the work zoos and aquariums do in protecting these wonderful animals is integral to the survival of many bird species.

“Zoo conservation work includes research, education, management of habitats and protected areas, improving human livelihoods in developing countries, breeding, reintroduction, environmental sustainability, and engagement with policymakers.

“As we continue to produce these lists, it is becoming more and more evident that the world’s zoos and aquariums are an essential source of funds and expertise for conservation of the natural world.”

The top ten list demonstrates the importance of zoos and aquariums not only for conservation breeding of safety-net populations, but also for their contribution to funding and management of conservation projects in the field, including research, education and support for local communities, as well as protection of crucial wildlife habitats.

Strict criteria were used to select the top ten. All the birds proposed had to be associated with current field initiatives by zoos and/or essential conservation breeding in zoos. Particular importance was given to initiatives which included a management role in the species’ conservation, rather than just providing funds.  Priority was also given to species listed as threatened on the international IUCN Red List of threatened species.

BIAZA’s top ten birds benefitting from zoos and aquariums are:

African penguin: Numbers are plummeting in the wild due to oil spills, overfishing, shifts in food availability and human disturbance.

Bali starling: These are seen as very desirable cage birds, and illegal trapping has brought them to virtual extinction in the wild.

Blue-crowned laughing thrush: The zoo population of this Chinese bird equates to 50% of the total global population.

Ecuador Amazon parrot: With fewer than 600 individuals left, its survival relies on the protection of remaining wild populations and their habitats.

Edwards’s pheasant: There is a small captive population, but it has never been seen or studied by a scientist in the wild.

Madagascar pochard: Just 20-25 Madagascar pochard now survive in the wild.

Northern bald ibis: Pesticide poisoning has had a devastating effect on their numbers but BIAZA members have contributed birds to a successful release programme and populations are slowly increasing.

Oriental white-backed Vulture: Traces of a toxic veterinary drug in farm animal carcases across Asia has decimated populations, but species restoration has been made possible by zoo-based expertise and funding.

Socorro dove: A classic island species, numbers have been devastated by man-introduced pests like rats, cats and goats. Captive breeding has saved it from total extinction.

Visayan tarictic hornbill: Two BIAZA zoos are actively supporting in-situ work to save and restore the wild habitat of this species.

(This list is in alphabetical order)

Harewood has a pair of African Grey Crane birds for visitors to see

During the winter months our Keepers were hard at work preparing the Bird Garden for the year ahead. Each aviary has been revamped with perching, ground cover and nest boxes, to provide suitable breeding environments. Many of the ducks prefer open grass and woodchip to dabble for insects, whereas the Laughing Thrushes and Wood Rails like the security of shrubs and trees for cover. Some of our single birds have been paired up with mates. The Red Crested Turacos, our African Grey Crowned Crane and the Nene Geese have all been found new companions. The incubation and rearing rooms housed in the Bird Garden have been given a spring clean ready for the breeding season. The first chicks likely to hatch are the small Pekins chicks which you will be able to visit in the Information Centre. When fully grown, these birds will be used as foster mothers, to hatch eggs and rear chicks for other species in the Bird Garden.

Some of these birds have been at Harewood since 1969

The Chilean Flamingos have undergone a health check looking for any problems. Some of the flock were  originally brought to Harewood in 1969. These older birds require a little more attention. Our experienced vet inspects their feet in particular. We keep a close eye out for age related issues such as arthritis, hip and eye problems. Whilst in the Bird Garden please also spare some time to look at our indigenous wildlife through the new vistas we have created across the lake. Join us in the Bird Garden to learn more about our nesting birds and plans for 2014.

We’ve finally got a name for our flamingo chick…who shall now be know as ‘Flimgo’!
Some of the suggestions we had were:

• Snowball
• Flimgo
• Flingo
• Harry
• Lucky
• Julian Clarey
• Pinky
• Pinkish
• Fluffy
• Fennella the flamingo
• Phoebie the Flamingo
• John’s little Miracle
• Alice (as in wonderland)

The little guy/girl is now approx 70cm high, fully stood up.

It’s been feeding itself from the lower food bowl provided for just over two weeks now, but is still also being fed by the parents. When they regurgitate the ‘crop milk’, it’s a bright pink colour, this will slowly be reduced by the parents as the chick gets older.

At the moment it still has its grey downy juvenile plumage, but has small primary flight pin feathers developing on its wings, and some pin feathers on its body. This means it’s gradually getting adult plumage, but will still be a grey colour until next year.

It can be seen resting on one leg as the adult Flamingos do and can now swim quite well.

It’s also now large enough to be tucked up overnight in the boat house winter quarters with all the adults, without the risk of it being trampled on, or pecked by other adult Flamingos.

Sponsor our flamingo chick or find out more about flamingos on our website.