Following the initial success of Birdworld’s multi-million-pound redevelopment, the UK’s largest bird park’s General Manager James Robson and Conservation Education Team Lead Mandy Glass have shared insight into the mission behind the latest investment – and how it will support the birds in their care long term.

Delivered in phases, Birdworld’s redevelopment has focused on strengthening the Park as a sustainable, year-round destination, with investment spanning visitor facilities, education spaces and animal environments. Each stage has been guided by a clear principle: creating a resilient attraction that can continue to reinvest in bird welfare, conservation and long-term care.

Families and loyal long-standing visitors to the Park have already been introduced to Birdworld’s new Naturally Playful ethos – an approach that blends education with fun through nature-inspired play zones, newly upgraded enclosures, and a growing programme of seasonal events and attractions, including Love + Colour, Flamboyant Flamingos, Wetland Waders and the Dinosaur Trail.

Among the most eagerly anticipated elements of this investment were the new outdoor Treetop Adventures play area and the indoor Play Barn. Designed to encourage imaginative, accessible play and immersive exploration, these spaces allow children to connect with nature while forming a key part of Birdworld’s strategy to enhance the visitor experience and strengthen year-round appeal.

While Treetop Adventures and The Play Barn have quickly become firm favourites with families, James is keen to stress that developments like this are fundamentally driven by bird welfare and long-term investment in the living collections.

“By creating both indoor and outdoor play opportunities, Birdworld is ensuring families can enjoy the park in all seasons, attract new guests and help to stabilise visitor numbers while generating income that can be reinvested directly back into the birds and their environments,” he said.

“We’ve got an amazing Living Collections team here who spend their lives working with our animals and building really strong personal relationships with them. When you’re doing big developments like this, looking after the welfare of the animals has to come first.”

He explained that investment in visitor facilities enables Birdworld to go beyond basic requirements and continually raise standards across the site.

“We spend a huge amount of time and effort not just meeting zoo licensing regulations, but trying to lead the way,” he added. “We want to be ahead of the times and set examples of the best possible ways of looking after the animals in our care. Every time you visit Birdworld, you should see more things going in and around the animal collections as we keep improving, developing and staying as modern as possible.”

That investment also supports the enrichment work that forms a core part of daily bird care.

“Enrichment is about giving the birds things to do – games, tasks, activities that stretch their minds and their bodies,” James explained. “In many ways, it’s not that different to how we think about play for children. Keeping animals mentally and physically stimulated is a really important part of their welfare.”

This commitment was recently reflected in Birdworld’s successful Zoo Licence review, which highlighted high standards of animal care, welfare and site management – reinforcing that ongoing investment is translating into measurable outcomes for the birds.

Beyond the Park itself, Birdworld also plays an active role in sharing best practice across the sector. Team members regularly contribute to national initiatives such as the BIAZA Bird Working Group Conference. In addition, Birdworld proudly hosts and supports specialist organisations including the World Pheasant Association while working closely with conservation partners, including Surrey Wildlife Trust, supporting wider habitat protection, education and species conservation beyond the Park.

For Mandy and the team, the link between diversification, financial sustainability and conservation is clear – particularly given the number of endangered and critically endangered species cared for at Birdworld.

“We’ve got a huge collection of birds here, all different colours, shapes and sizes, and some of them are endangered – even critically endangered,” she said. “That’s why it’s so important that the finances we generate from beautiful play areas like this are put straight back into our exhibits and our breeding programmes.”

Mandy added: “Conservation is incredibly important to us – it’s at the heart of what zoos do. Our birds really are our priority, and diversifying the Park helps feed directly back into our conservation plans. We’re really excited about what this means for the future of our endangered birds.”