Get up close with and even hold brightly-coloured macaws or exotic parrots at Maleny Bird World.
Have you ever seen a beautiful bright parrot or macaw and wanted the chance to pat or even hold one of these colourful characters?
They seem so cheeky and full of life, you just can’t help wanting to get closer to these beautiful bright birds.
In the Sunshine Coast Hinterland there is an aviary that offers you just that chance.
Step inside one of the three large aviaries at Maleny Bird World and within moments you will have macaws, parrots and any number of other colourful birds swirling around you and landing on your shoulder, head or outstretched arms.
Chippie feeding a parrot from his hand at Maleny Bird World.
Maleny Bird World
Maleny Bird World is part of the Maleny Botanic Gardens, a private garden set just off Maleny-Stanley River Road, with spectacular views over the Glass House Mountains and out towards the coastline.
It is open every day, 9am until 4.30pm, including public holidays.
The aviary underwent an extensive upgrade in late 2016, with two slightly smaller extra aviaries added alongside the original 1000sqm aviary which was first opened in November 2013.
Entry to the aviaries is available through a guided walk-through tour. The tours are conducted by friendly and experienced bird keepers who give you a brief introduction to the birds and pass out seed which encourages them to come and land on your shoulder our arm.
Tours last about 45 minutes to 1 hour, with times varying according to demand, but usually beginning at 10.30am daily and offered every 1.5 hours.
The aviaries house hundreds of birds with them separated by size. The bigger original aviary houses the larger birds, such as Australian cockatoos, exotic parrots and macaws.
Please note: Before entering the aviary it’s recommend that you remove all jewelry, as the birds love to remove and play with it. This didn’t happen to us, but I have had a friend tell me this happened to her. The cheeky birds also like to play with buttons, and have been known to try to steal the ones off the top of caps.
A friendly parrot at Maleny Bird World.
Our experience
Our family visited this wonderful zoo recently and all four of us had the opportunity to hold macaws and other Australian and exotic parrots.
We were given bird seed as we entered the aviary, but there was also more seed and a few dishes in various places around the aviaries to offer to the birds. The largest aviary is your best chance of having a bird land on your shoulder or feed from your hand.
Stand still for a few moments with some seed in your open hand and they’ll likely fly right up and land on your shoulder, arm or head. Don’t worry if it takes a little time, you will definitely get your chance to hold the beautiful birds and get an “Insta-worhty” photo!
At one stage, while I was admiring a parrot on another visitor’s arm, I suddenly had two macaws sitting on me, while the kids were also holding a parrot each. It was a truly amazing experience.
But be careful with some of the smaller parrots. Don’t try to pat them or your might get a little nip, as the kids and I found out. Ouch!
Feeding macaws at Maleny Bird World.
How much does it cost
Entry into both Maleny Botanic Gardens and Maleny Bird World is by admission fee. Entry into both costs $31 per adult (15+) , $10 for children (3-14 years) and $72 for a family of four.
If you see the Maleny Botanic Gardens’ brochure anywhere before visiting, be sure to pick a few copies up as many include a $2-off voucher. You can also usually pick one up and meet one of Maleny Bird World’s resident macaws at Eumundi Markets, which they regularly visit.
Another option is to keep an eye on discount websites like Groupon, which sometimes have special offers for admission to Maleny Botanic Gardens. (Please note, usually you have to pay extra for entry to Maleny Bird World.)
Inside one of the aviaries at Maleny Bird World
Where is Maleny Bird World
Maleny Bird World is part of the Maleny Botanic Gardens, a private garden set just off Maleny-Stanley River Road.
If you are visiting Mary Cairncross Reserve, turn right as you exit the car park and drive to the end of the road. Turn left, and Maleny Bird World is part of the Maleny Botanic Gardens are almost immediately on your left, down a steep driveway.
*Information correct at the time of publication.
