Birdworld Kuranda: Sixty Species and No Cages Between You

Birdworld is the loudest, most chaotic and most joyful member of Kuranda’s wildlife trio: a big free-flight aviary in the Heritage Markets where over 350 birds from almost sixty species treat visitors as furniture, perches and occasional snack dispensers. If you’ve ever wanted a macaw on your shoulder, this is where it happens without you having any say in the matter.

The residents

The cast runs from rainbow lorikeets and galahs through Amazonian macaws to the star: a southern cassowary you can observe at close (and safely managed) range, which for most visitors is the only chance they’ll get to study the far north’s famous giant properly. Feed cups are sold at the front counter, and holding one instantly makes you the most popular person in the building; brace accordingly, and take the jewellery off first, as the signage cheerfully warns.

The verdict

Forty-five minutes of pure, feathered entertainment, and the most interactive of Kuranda’s animal stops. Photographers should come early when the light through the canopy roof is soft and the birds are freshly fed and sociable. Combo tickets with Koala Gardens next door and the rest of the precinct are the smart buy.

What it costs, and the combo worth doing

Birdworld on its own is AUD $24 for adults, $12 for children and $60 for a family of two adults and two children. The combined tickets are where it gets interesting, because Birdworld and Kuranda Koala Gardens both sit inside the Heritage Markets, and the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary is on the same street at 8 Rob Veivers Drive, so you can walk between all three in a few minutes. Birdworld with Koala Gardens is $43 adult, $21.50 child, $107.50 family. Birdworld with the Butterfly Sanctuary is $46, $25.50 and $117.50. All three together, sold as the Kuranda Wildlife Experience, is $66 adult, $35.50 child, $167.50 family. There is also a Kuranda Explorer pass bundling Birdworld, Koala Gardens and the riverboat at $70, $35 and $175. If you are already up in Kuranda for the day, the three-attraction pass is the one that makes sense.

Opening hours and how long to allow

Open 10am to 4pm daily. Forty minutes is enough to walk it properly, an hour if you buy feed and let the lorikeets have their way with you. Most people build it into a Kuranda day around the Scenic Railway and Skyrail timetables, so the practical advice is to do Birdworld either side of lunch rather than in the last half hour before the train leaves.

What is actually in there

Birdworld holds over 350 birds from almost 60 species in a single large free-flight aviary, which it calls one of the largest collections in Australia. The headline resident is a male southern cassowary named Jimmy, kept in a secure enclosure rather than loose among the visitors, for reasons that become obvious the moment you see the feet. For most people this is the only proper look they will ever get at the bird the far north is famous for.

Feeding the birds

Feed is sold at the front counter, and holding a cup instantly makes you the most popular person in the building. Two pieces of practical advice that the signage gives you and everyone ignores. Take the earrings and anything shiny off first, because macaws are curious and beaks are beaks. And hand the cup to the smallest person in your group last, unless you enjoy watching a four year old get mobbed.

Getting there, parking and access

Birdworld is inside the Kuranda Heritage Markets on Rob Veivers Drive, a short walk from the village centre and from both the Scenic Railway station and the Skyrail terminal. Birdworld does not publish parking or wheelchair access details on its website. Kuranda village parking is on-street and free but fills fast on cruise ship days and school holidays, so if you are driving up the range, get there before ten.

FAQs

Will the birds actually land on you?
Almost certainly, especially with a feed cup. Remove earrings and shiny things first: macaws are curious and beaks are beaks.

Can you see a cassowary at Birdworld?
Yes, one of the most reliable close-range cassowary views in the region, safely managed inside the aviary.

How long does Birdworld take?
Thirty to sixty minutes depending on how long you enjoy being climbed on. It slots perfectly between the markets and the train home.

Is it suitable for young kids?
Very, with normal supervision: the birds are habituated but they’re still birds. The joy-per-minute rate for kids is exceptional.

Find it

Header photo: Jerrye & Roy Klotz MD via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.