Sylvan Heights Bird Park tucked away in Scotland Neck

TTucked away between the cotton fields and forests of Halifax County lies one of eastern North Carolina’s unexpected surprises: a 28-acre avian conservation center housing more than 2,000 exotic birds from around the world.

Located just outside the rural farming community of Scotland Neck, Sylvan Heights Bird Park is designed to give visitors up-close encounters with waterfowl, parrots, toucans, flamingos and other colorful and charismatic birds.

Upon arrival, guests are greeted by a boisterous flock of Caribbean flamingos from the viewing deck behind the park’s Visitor Center.

From there, the avian adventure becomes even more immersive with spacious, walk-through aviaries that allow guests to enter the birds’ habitat and get face-to-beak with soaring scarlet ibis, talkative macaws, inquisitive Hawaiian geese and shimmering hummingbirds.

In the Landing Zone, one of the park’s more popular exhibits, children and adults alike delight in hand-feeding a flock of friendly parakeets in a rainbow of hues. Braver visitors may even try feeding the large and surprisingly gentle flamingos, which reside in their own private pool at the base of a waterfall.

The park’s aviaries are surrounded by tranquil gardens and lush natural areas, which immerse visitors in North Carolina’s native wildlife habitat. Wild songbirds, waterfowl, herons and turtles can often be spotted from the wetland overlooks and pathways.

Behind the scenes, Sylvan Heights Bird Park is working to ensure that populations of the world’s rarest birds are protected from extinction. The neighboring Sylvan Heights Avian Breeding Center conducts survival breeding programs for endangered species like the White-winged Duck from Sumatra, the Bernier’s Teal from Madagascar, and the Scaly-sided Merganser from China.

In some cases, fewer than 250 individuals of these species remain in the wild, and the collaborative captive breeding programs taking place here may be their last barrier against extinction.

Although the Avian Breeding Center is not open to the public, visitors can see many endangered species in the exhibits at Sylvan Heights Bird Park – and park staff hopes these birds will make a lasting impression.

“Understanding is the key to conservation,” says Mike Lubbock, Sylvan Heights Executive Director. “When visitors

– especially children – can see these birds so close and watch them swim, fly and behave as they would in the wild, we hope it inspires them to help save these species and their habitat.”

Sylvan Heights Bird Park is the culmination of decades of waterfowl conservation efforts by founders Mike and Ali Lubbock.

In 1981, the Lubbocks moved to the United States from England, bringing extensive waterfowl knowledge with them. They founded Sylvan Heights Waterfowl in the mountain town of Sylva, North Carolina, and began breeding rare waterfowl from around the world. In 1989, the Lubbocks moved the entire collection to Scotland Neck and established what is now the Sylvan Heights Avian Breeding Center.

As the collection at the Avian Breeding Center continued to grow, so did interest from conservation organizations, educational facilities, and the local public. In 2003, under the guidance of the North Carolina Zoological Society, the Lubbocks began planning a bird park that would allow the public to enjoy and learn about birds and waterfowl from around the world, without disturbing the important nesting birds at the Avian Breeding Center. Sylvan Heights Bird Park opened in 2006, and now receives nearly 60,000 visitors each year.

It is also possible to sponsor a bird at the park.

Be an owl ally! When someone sponsors an owl at Sylvan Heights Bird Park, their contribution will go directly towards the purchase of food for the owls and other carnivorous birds. In return, the park will send a personalized certificate and a plush owl (Great Horned Owl or Snowy Owl) to commemorate the donation.

Join the flamingo fan club! When someone sponsors a flamingo at Sylvan Heights Bird Park, their contribution will go directly towards care and food for our flamingo flock. In return, they will receive a personalized certificate and a plush flamingo to commemorate the donation.

A one-year flamingo sponsorship is $110, the same as an owl sponsorship.

Why is the donation important?

For the past 16 years, Sylvan Heights Bird Park has relied on a generous donor to provide food for the carnivorous birds, including owls, kookaburras, seriemas, ibis, eagles and more. That donor is no longer able to fulfill these needs for the park, so the park staff is asking for help to sponsor the cost of food for these birds.

Sylvan Heights Bird Park is open Tuesday through Sunday year-round. The park is closed on Mondays. Admission is $14 for adults, $12 for senior citizens and $10 for children, plus tax.

Guided tours are available by appointment for an additional fee, and the park also offers a variety of field trip options and education programs for school groups of all sizes.

Sylvan Heights Bird Park is located at 500 Sylvan Heights Park Way in Scotland Neck. For more information about Sylvan Heights Bird Park, visit www.shwpark.com, or call (252) 826-3186.

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