Zoo News


MillerCoors Oceans of Fun new sea lion, Harley.

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“Wings from Down Under”
May 23 – September 7
Sponsored by Lowe’s
Located in the Otto Borchert Family Special Exhibits Building

Wings from Down Under

A bit of the Australian outback comes to the Midwest as the Milwaukee County Zoo opens “Wings From Down Under” sponsored by Lowe’s on May 23, featuring three species of parrots commonly found in the wilds of Australia.

This unique interactive exhibit features three colorful and curious parrot species: Cockatiels, Eastern Rosellas and Grass Parakeets. These free-flying birds are displayed in two aviaries depicting the landscapes and environments of their native Australian habitats. Visitors are encouraged to go “face to feather” with more than 1,000 striking birds, and even feed them from millet seed sticks included in the exhibit cost.

The continent of Australia is home to 55 of the world’s 330 parrot species. The three featured exhibit species are all seedeaters. Seedeaters generally have short, cone-shaped beaks uniquely adapted to remove the outer protective coverings of seeds.

As visitors stroll through two mesh-enclosed aviaries, they’ll see exactly “who’s who:”

Parakeets, known as budgies in Australia, are the smallest of the three (7 to 8 inches from head to tail feathers) and vary in color from blue to green and yellow;

Cockatiels are gray, with a large orange spot on their cheeks and a tall crown of feathers on their heads;

Eastern Rosellas are easy to spot, as their vivid red, yellow and green feathers stand out from the flock.

Each of the three species is unique in its appearance and behavior.

With more than 9,000 species around the world, birds are truly everywhere. They have adapted to live in all imaginable habitats, from desert to snow-capped mountains, grasslands to rainforest, open ocean to crowded city.

Through the exhibit, visitors will learn birds are excellent travelers. Migratory birds set out on remarkable journeys every year from summer breeding grounds to winter feeding grounds and back.

The exhibit birds will be fluttering (and landing) around visitors through September 7 in the Zoo’s Otto Borchert Family Special Exhibits Building. Exhibit cost is $2.00 per person, and includes one food stick; additional food sticks can be purchased for $1.

Milwaukee County Operation Freedom
July 5

Operation Freedom

Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker thanks our Armed Forces members and veterans for their service. All Armed Forces members and veterans in Wisconsin are invited to bring their immediate families to enjoy the Zoo on Sunday, July 5.

Click here for more details.

News Archive

 

Zoo Hours 2009


January 2 through February 2009 / November & December 2009
Monday-Friday 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Saturday-Sunday 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

March 1 through May 22, 2009
Daily 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

May 23 through September 7, 2009
Daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

September 8 through October 31, 2009
Daily 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The Zoo accepts Visa, Mastercard and Discover.
Unfortunately, we do not accept personal checks.

Admission Rates 2009

January 1 through March 31, 2009
and November 1 to December 31, 2009
Adult: $10.75
Junior (age 3 to 12): $7.75
Child (2 and under): FREE
Senior Citizen (age 60 and over): $9.25

April 1 through October 31, 2009
Adult: $12.25
Junior (age 3 to 12): $9.25
Child (2 and under): FREE
Senior Citizen (age 60 and over): $11.25

Parking fees: $10 for cars, $14 for buses

Milwaukee County residents with I.D. receive $1.75 off regular Zoo admission everyday except Wednesday. On Wednesdays, Milwaukee County residents with I.D. are admitted at a reduced rate of $7 for adults and $4.50 for children (age 3 to 12).

For more information, call the Zoo at (414) 256-5466.