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On Labor Day, Woodland Park Zoo visitors were able to experience Lorikeet Landing, the initial phase of the zoo’s new Wild Encounters area, for the first time. The interactive, educational exhibit allows families the opportunity to get up close with brightly colored, energetic parrots who freely flutter around the habitat, chattering noisily and sometimes even landing on guests’ outstretched arms. Coconut, Flores and Biak lorikeets are just a few of the tropical birds guests will be able to see. Kookaburras and Luzon bleeding-heart doves also live in the habitat.
What families can expect inside the aviary
Like me, you may remember when families could feed the budgies at Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma. My kids loved getting a craft stick topped with birdseed, stretching out their arms and waiting for the eager birds to land on them and nibble at the food. While that exhibit closed a few years ago due to declining numbers in the flock, Lorikeet Landing will give kids and families a similar activity.
Connecting visitors to animals through hands-on experiences so that they “care like keepers” is one of the design concepts of Wild Encounters. In Lorikeet Landing at Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, families can walk through the aviary and learn to identify the birds they see and read their body language using the educational signs posted throughout the space.
Unlike the budgies my kids fed, the lorikeets have brush-like tongues so they eat mostly nectar and pollen. Parents can purchase cups filled with nectar (the birds’ favorite food) for an additional fee so their kids can feed the gentle, friendly parrots by hand, a bonus experience of the new space.
What’s next for Wild Encounters
The Wild Encounters exhibit is a refresh of the former Family Farm area of the zoo. Lorikeet Landing is the first experience to open in the new space, and is part of phase one, which also includes the addition of two rescued female Aldabra giant tortoises.
Phase two is scheduled to open in 2027. It will feature flexible viewing habitats for the zoo’s ambassador animals including capybara, coati, three-banded armadillo, North American and African-crested porcupines, striped skunk, raptors, blue-faced honeyeaters and more.
Plan your visit to Lorikeet Landing at Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo
- When: Lorikeet Landing is a year-round experience so you can plan to visit in any season. The zoo is open in the fall from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
- Cost: Free with general admission or a zoo membership. Guests can purchase nectar cups: $7 for one, $10 for two or $18 for four. Zoo members save 20 percent.
