Hop inside our bird house—we promise you won’t get wet! The sky-lit, open-faced habitats of Aquatic Birds give visitors an up-close view of colonies of storks and starlings, ibises and avocets. Just as we may use shovels to dig in the sand, wetsuits to keep us warm in cold water, and flippers to jet through the sea, aquatic birds have built-in adaptations to help them navigate their watery world. Webbed feet or extra-long toes, bills shaped like chisels or spoons for eating seafood, and waterproof feathers are some of the unique traits characterizing these residents of marshes, lagoons, and coasts.

 

Don’t miss the laughing kookaburras, the world’s largest kingfisher, famous for its “ooh ooh ah ah ah” territorial call. You’ll be tickled by the tawny frogmouth, which looks just like the stubby tree branches it perches on. And stop by Sea Cliffs, where a colony of tufted puffins nest along rocky cliffs and swim through frigid water, just as they would in the northern Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea.