The Aviary - Waddesdon Manor, Buckinghamshire, UK - Aviaries on Waymarking.com

Ferdinand de Rothschild built the aviary before 1889 after the building of the main house in this gorgeous estate. It is inspired from the aviary at his childhood home in Gruneburg near Frankfurt-am-Main. The subtle pale blue and yellow design weaves its magic into the collection of statues with its cast-iron limbs reaching around the curved pathways. In the centre is a small grotto with Italian statues including a figure of Minerva and around the immediate outside area are the pleasure grounds designed in 1966 by Lanning Roper. The aviary was restored in 2003 and its colours represent French and German pavilions.

Originally the aviary housed Ferdinand's bird collection from all over the world. It is a family tradition most notable in the Natural History Museum in Tring which displays birds and animals preserved in taxidermy.

Ferdinand's birds would feed from his hand and included species such as flamingos, ibises, African cranes and later the Kookaburra when Alice, his younger sister inherited the collection. World War II saw the aviary's demise until 1977 when it was restored and restocked.

Today this magnificent aviary houses breeding birds such as the Rothschild Mynahs which were named after Ferdinand himself. This bird became extinct in the wild in 2004 marking the importance of the aviary providing a suitable home here. A full species list can be found on the website below and include soft-bill birds (fruit and insect eating species) and a few of the rarer pigeons, doves and partridges.

Not only is the aviary important but the work of the Rothschild's extends to the native habitats of the birds in the Far East with managed conservation projects and breeding incentives.

Street Address: Waddesdon Manor Waddesdon Nr Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire United Kingdom HP18 0JH Admission Price: Free to National Trust members, House and gardens weekends: adult £15 (£13.50), child £11 (£9.85). House and gardens weekdays: adult £13.20 (£12), child £9.35 (£8.50). Website for the Aviary: [Web Link]

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Date Logged Log   09/11/2021 okc553 visited it