Visit some of the new born babies and new arrivals!

For great family entertainment, come and experience the wonder of the Montecasino Bird Gardens - the only bird park of its kind in Africa and Jo'burg's best kept secret.

Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae)
The Laughing Kookaburra is aptly named because of the distinct call they make. They are territorial by nature and will dispute boundaries with rival groups by sounding their calls in chorus as the rest of the family joins in song to claim their hunting grounds. They are passive hunters and will wait in the wooded areas of riverine areas in Eastern Australia but more recently, through introduction to various other parts of the Australian continent and also the island of Tasmania. They are related to the Kingfisher family and this is easily seen in their body shape and bill structure which allows them to successfully prey on various food types such as lizards, snakes, amphibians, large insects and on the odd occasion a fish.

Blue Wing Kookaburra (Dacelo leachii)
Another name used for this majestic kookaburra is the Howling Jackass. This is a coastal dweller occupying the coastal regions from east to west in the warmer and more northern parts of Australia. It is slightly smaller than it’s cousin the Laughing Kookaburra (D. novaeguineae). This arboreal species nests over 20m high in tree hollows and will sit and wait for prey to pass by. With a sudden swoop, they crush their prey with their powerful beaks. Their diet is as varied as that of the Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae) and may even include small mammals if the opportunity presents itself. This beautiful bird will produce 2 – 3 young per clutch and may produce a clutch up to three times a year, depending on food availability.

Caribbean Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber)
The Caribbean Flamingo is also known as the American Flamingo. These birds are some of the longer live birds that may reach forty years old. They are distinctly different to the Greater Flamingo by its dark plumage. This plumage is possible because of their carotene rich food supply of Zoo Plankton made up of many species of crustaceans and blue-green algae. They start laying eggs from May all the way through to August where a single egg is laid on a mud-mound. The egg will be incubated for approximately 28 days until a newly hatched chick emerges from under its parents feathers who take turns in the incubating process. They reach sexual maturity at approximately six years old. A major threat to their future existence is Habitat Destruction that can be curbed if we manage our natural resources carefully.

Keel Billed Toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus)
One of the smaller species in the family of toucans. They occupy rainforests in South America from lowland forests and may be found in regions as high as 1900m asl. This is a gregarious species and may be found in family groups as large as 30 members strong. They battle it out in the tree tops by tossing fruit to each other in order to establish a hierarchy amongst the flock. They sleep in tree hollows in the forest canopies where space is limited. They solve this problem by tucking their bills and tails tightly under their bodies. Their diets consist mainly of fruit and may sometimes include eggs and insects.

Cape Parrot (Poicephalus robustus)
This indigenous parrot is facing extinction unless drastic changes are made with regards to habitat preservation for these birds. They are one of Africa’s few parrot species and are fond of nuts, various fruit and berries. This species is sexually dimorphic, which means that the males and females are different looking. The female has a red or orange forehead while the male has a plain grey forehead.

Green Naped Pheasant Pigeon (Otidiphaps nobilis)
This terrestrial pigeon is found in the rainforest in and around New Guinea foraging on the ground for fallen seeds, nuts and fruit. They are very well adapted to life on the ground and even nest around the bases of trees and bushes where they will incubate an egg for approximately 30 days.

Violet Turaco (Musophaga violacea)
This West African bird species dwells in the climax forest canopies where it spends its time looking for fruit and berries. They are well adapted with strong legs and short, broad wings that allow them quick and easy access to prime perches in the tree tops. They are currently of Least Concern on the IUCN Red Data list. Their spectacular plumage is definitely one that demands viewing.

Marabou Stork (Leptoptilos crumeniferus)
The Marabou Stork is one that is well adapted to life of a scavenger. They will scavange of rotting carcasses on African plains, pecking at scraps of meat. They venture so far into carcasses that their heads get covered in blood. Their soft feathers will capture this blood and dry out. The soft feathers simply break off leaving them clean. Our Marabou Stork Clyde has retired from our ‘Flight of Fantasy’ and will spend the rest of his days pampered and pruned on display to our guests. Clyde is over 9 years old and may live to a good old age over 15 years in captivity.

Grey Peacock Pheasant
The Grey Peacock-pheasant, also known as Burmese Peacock is a large Southeast Asian member of the order Galliformes. It is rather closely related to the peafowl (Pavo), and like these - and like most other Polyplectron - has brilliant eyespots on its plumage. It is the national bird of Myanmar.

White-crested Laughing thrush
The White-crested Laughing thrush, is an Old World babbler. It is found in forest and scrub from the Himalayan foothills to Indochina. It formerly included the Sumatran Laughing thrush as a subspecies, but unlike that species the plumage of the White-crested Laughing thrush is rufescent brown and white, and the black mask is relatively broad.

Meerkat Babies
Our Meerkats had 5 more babies on 12th January 2010.

Brown Lemur Baby
Our Brown Lemurs had a baby in December. You can visit their enclosure, next to the sloths.

Emperor Tamarin
The Emperor Tamarin allegedly gets its name for its resemblance to the German Emperor Wilhelm II. They live in the tropical rainforest and also in open tree-covered areas. They are diurnal and walk or run quadrupedally (on all fours) through the forest, spending the majority of the day in the trees.

Red-Handed Tamarin - Twins!
Our Red Handed Tamarins had twins. They were born on Sunday, 20th September 2009. You can visit them in the Main Avairy.

Baby Ring Tailed Lemur
The dominant female of our Ring Tailed Lemur family had a baby. You can visit them in their enclosure, opposite the parrot stands.

Gang-Gang Cockatoo (Callocephalon fimbriatum)
The "Gang-gang" Cockatoo, is found in the cooler and wetter forests and woodlands of Austalia, particularly alpine bushland. Mostly mild grey in colour with some lighter scalloping (more pronounced and buffish in females) the male has a red head and crest, while the female has a small fluffy grey crest. It ranges throughout south-eastern Australia and Tasmania. The Gang-gang Cockatoo is the faunal emblem of the Australian Capital Territory. It is easily identified by its distinctive call, which is described as resembling a creaky gate, or the sound of a cork being pulled from a wine bottle. The name "Gang-gang" comes from a New South Wales Aboriginal language, either Ngunnawl or Wiradjuri.

Demoiselle Crane (Anthropoides virgo)
These are only arriving later in the year - not sure when Demoiselle Cranes breed in central Asia, with a few found in Cyprus and eastern Turkey, even far as western and norther Pakistan. The crane migrates to Africa and south Asia in winter. Demoiselle Cranes are the smallest and second most abundant crane species. They stand approximately three feet tall and weigh about 4-7 pounds. Body plumage is pale bluish gray. A light gray-feathered area extends from the based of the bill to the nape. A long, pure white feather plume stretches from behind the eye to well beyond the head.