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The Birds of Summer
Walk-through aviary is only one of its kind in Washington metro area: Bob and Shirley Johnson, owners of the Leesburg Animal Park just south of Leesburg, have raised the bar for zoos and animals parks in the entire region by housing legal immigrants in a facility that will allow visitors the chance to experience something they cannot experience anywhere else in the Washington metropolitan area.
These immigrants flew in from the Australasian area, including southeastern Asia, Polynesia and Papua New Guinea ?or at least their ancestors did.
They are called, depending on the variety, lories or lorikeets, They are of the parrot family, and resemble very large and very colorful parakeets.
These are birds that are very vocal, very friendly and completely at home with people of all colors and sizes. In fact, these are birds that have been taught, almost from birth, to really enjoy being around people, especially people who come bearing cups of nectar.
They land July 19 at the Leesburg Animal Park in this unique outdoor aviary that was constructed by the Johnsons' two sons, Aaron 26, and Dale, 22. For the price of admission to the park, patrons will be able to give the lories a very personal welcome to the area. For the price of a cup of nectar, the patrons can go one step further and have a feathers-on experience as the birds make themselves at home on any part of the person's anatomy that allows them easy access to the aforementioned nectar.
Actually, Shirley Johnson explained, the lories have been in residence at the Johnson home in Great Falls since early this spring. The Johnsons began thinking about expanding their bird population last summer. Finally, this year they traveled to Florida, talked to several breeders, purchased six babies, brought them home and hand-fed them.
“We've got six right now and four more coming,” Shirley said.
At night, the birds are in a cage. In the morning, Shirley or Bob releases them and they are free to fly around the kitchen as the Johnsons prepare the breakfast of commercial nectar and nuggets.
“Though I supplement it with different fruit,” Shirley said. “I give them cantaloupe and corn. It's just hand-raising them -- that's the secret to teaching them to like being around people. Every two hours, you are feeding them a little baby formula. We've pretty well weaned them off the baby food and have moved on to nectar.”
Shirley describes the birds as “very playful, very funny little birds, very animated.”
She said there will be benches inside the aviary where people can go and sit down.
The varieties, Shirley said, include two Perfects, one Ornate, one Violet Neck and two Green Napes. Four Blue Mountains will join the group in time for the July 19 opening.
When the weather turns cool, Shirley said, the birds will be retired to a heated indoor building at the back of the park.
In an official release about the opening, the Johnsons also make it clear that this walk-through aviary and its inhabitants are about more than just a way for lories and people to amuse each other:
“The park is supporting world-wide conservation efforts to educate people on ways to preserve these rare creatures.”
Contact the writer at ecarlton@timespapers.com
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