The Edward Youde Aviary () is a

aviary An aviary is a large enclosure for confining birds, although bats may also be considered for display. Unlike birdcages, aviaries allow birds a larger living space where they can fly; hence, aviaries are also sometimes known as flight cages. Avi ...

built over a natural valley at the southern corner of

Hong Kong Park The Hong Kong Park is a public park next to Cotton Tree Drive in Central, Hong Kong. Built at a cost of HK$398 million and opened on 23 May 1991, it covers an area of and is an example of modern design and facilities blending with ...

, which is located in

Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known a ...

at the bottom of the north eastern slope of

Victoria Peak Victoria Peak is a hill on the western half of Hong Kong Island. It is also known as Mount Austin, and locally as The Peak only generally. With an elevation of , it is the highest hill on Hong Kong Island, ranked 29 in terms of elevation in Ho ...

in Hong Kong. The Edward Youde Aviary was opened to the public in September 1992 and managed by the

Urban Council The Urban Council (UrbCo) was a municipal council in Hong Kong responsible for municipal services on Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon (including New Kowloon). These services were provided by the council's executive arm, the Urban Servic ...

. The

, largest in Southeast Asia, is named after the late

Sir Edward Youde Sir Edward Youde (; Cantonese: ''Yau Tak''; 19 June 1924 – 5 December 1986) was a British administrator, diplomat and Sinologist. He served as Governor of Hong Kong between 20 May 1982 and his death on 5 December 1986. Early years Youde w ...

, the Governor of Hong Kong from 1982 to 1986. The valley is bounded by an east-facing slope fully covered with natural vegetation and a west-facing slope previously occupied by a

barracks Barracks are usually a group of long buildings built to house military personnel or laborers. The English word originates from the 17th century via French and Italian from an old Spanish word "barraca" ("soldier's tent"), but today barracks are u ...

. It has a highest point of and a lowest point of above the valley floor. This walk-through aviary features a collection of 600

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweig ...

s representing 80 species indigenous to

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainland ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Gui ...

, and

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; id, Papua, or , historically ) is the world's second-largest island with an area of . Located in Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is separated from Australia by the wide Torres ...

. Ground-dwelling birds including

pheasant Pheasants ( ) are birds of several genera within the family Phasianidae in the order Galliformes. Although they can be found all over the world in introduced (and captive) populations, the pheasant genera native range is restricted to Eurasia ...

s, leafbirds,

partridge A partridge is a medium-sized galliform bird in any of several genera, with a wide native distribution throughout parts of Europe, Asia and Africa. Several species have been introduced to the Americas. They are sometimes grouped in the Perd ...

pigeon Columbidae () is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. They primarily ...

s and thrushes. Great argus pheasants proclaim their presence by ringing territorial calls and give one of the most elaborate courtship displays in the bird world. The entrance to the aviary consists of a small rectangular building. This building holds on display different types of eggs.

Waterfowl lake

The waterfowl lake linked with Edward Youde Aviary by an inner lake is landscaped to form a swamp to accommodate different species of

waterfowl Anseriformes is an order of birds also known as waterfowl that comprises about 180 living species of birds in three families: Anhimidae (three species of screamers), Anseranatidae (the magpie goose), and Anatidae, the largest family, which ...

. Some attractive species found in the waterfowl lake are the Australian pelican,

great white pelican The great white pelican (''Pelecanus onocrotalus'') also known as the eastern white pelican, rosy pelican or white pelican is a bird in the pelican family. It breeds from southeastern Europe through Asia and Africa, in swamps and shallow lakes. ...

and radjah shelduck.

Caged display area

White-crowned Hornbill (Aceros comatus) -pair-6a

Some of the characteristic birds cannot be housed in the main aviary. Large

hornbill Hornbills (Bucerotidae) are a family of bird found in tropical and subtropical Africa, Asia and Melanesia. They are characterized by a long, down-curved bill which is frequently brightly coloured and sometimes has a casque on the upper mandibl ...

s predate smaller birds, they can only be seen in the three smaller display cages. Three displays let visitors view at a close range. Two cages house the

white-crested hornbill The white-crested hornbill (''Horizocerus albocristatus''), also known as the long-tailed hornbill, is a species of hornbill (family Bucerotidae) found in humid forests of Central and West Africa. Taxonomy There are three subspecies, which ...

and the great pied hornbill, while the other holds various species of birds of the Malesian region.

Outdoor learning activities

During the school term, park staff will conduct educational programmes for school children. Staff will also arrange guided tours for groups. However, the organizer should make prior arrangements with the office.

Waterfowl lake

Caged display area

Outdoor learning activities

See also