SAEDNEWS: Kish Bird Park — a three-hectare section of the island’s Dolphinarium complex in southeast Kish — is home to more than 57 bird species, from flamboyant flamingos and color-billed toucans to endangered African penguins, and even houses the native gando crocodile.
Strolling among the trees, listening to the calls of various birds, and observing their vibrant colors is an unforgettable experience you can enjoy at Kish Bird Park. This garden stands out as one of Kish’s unique tourist attractions and particularly appeals to nature lovers. The park’s different sections are filled with birds brought from various parts of the world.
That title might confuse you a bit. In reality, Kish Bird Park is part of the Kish Dolphins complex. This park, built in 2001 (1380 in the Iranian calendar), was Iran's first dolphin park and was established by Hossein Sabet, owner of the Dariush Hotel in Kish. Kish Aquarium and the Kish Dolphinarium Park are and have always been unique in their kind. In 2014 (1393), ownership of the park was transferred to Seyed Abdolreza Mousavi, owner of Zagros Airline. The Dolphinarium Park spans about 100 hectares and is located in the southeast part of Kish Island. The park is divided into several separate sections, with Kish Bird Park being one of them.
Kish Bird Park, one of the island’s attractions, occupies about three hectares of the Dolphinarium Park. More than 57 species of birds live in this garden. The park is divided into two main sections: the caged birds section and the free birds section.
The caged birds section includes wild birds and birds that, for various reasons, cannot be kept free. In this section a green and beautiful space has been designed where you can walk around either on the little train buses or on foot and view the birds inside the cages. A sign is installed on each cage that lists the particulars of the birds inside. These particulars include the species, their scientific name, habitat, diet, living conditions and their characteristics.
After passing the cages you reach an open area where free and domestic birds live comfortably and freely. A very high net is stretched above the area only to prevent the birds from flying away. The birds’ living environment is designed to be similar to their natural habitat and to provide suitable conditions for their breeding.
In this park more than 57 species of birds are kept, both in cages and in the open area. Types of peacocks, various green parrots, pavonine parakeets, swans, the morgh-e mozkhvar (referred to here as a bird-of-paradise), crowned cranes, ostriches, quelea-like birds, kea/large parrots (kasko), Chinese pheasants and Umbrella Cockatoos (white parrots) are all present. Most of these birds are native to Africa, but birds from other continents have also been brought to the park.
If you’ve watched the cartoon “Serneti Piti,” you might remember Pilapila — Pilapila is actually a type of toucan. The toco toucan is a black bird with a throat that becomes colorful or white. This beautiful bird has a very large, bright bill. These vivid colors make this bird special and attractive. You can see toucans at Kish Bird Park. This intelligent and playful bird has a friendly and calm demeanor and attracts everyone’s attention.
The African penguin is an endangered species that lives on Boulders Beach in Cape Town, South Africa. But you can also see this penguin at Kish Bird Park. These creatures are very cute and small — at most they reach up to your knees. These lovely animals, if they feel threatened, are not shy with anyone and can injure you with their sharp beaks. For this reason they are kept in an enclosed area.
In the middle section of the park there is a blue pond where you can see flamingos walking in the pond on their long legs like they’re dancing; grey and white pelicans ready to fish with their large beaks; the crowned crane showing off its golden crest; ibises; swans; and various storks such as marabou storks and saddle-billed storks.
If during your stroll through the bird park you spot monkeys or deer among the recreational areas of Kish, don’t be surprised. In this park, besides birds, some domestic animals are also kept.
In a section of the park there are also various reptiles, including different types of snakes, lizards and the short-snouted crocodile called the gando. The gando is the only crocodile native to Pakistan and Iran and is the largest reptile of these two countries; you can see it at Kish Bird Park. This reptile section of the bird park is opened for visitors when these reptiles have eaten and are calm and motionless, resting.
So that the bird park’s environment resembles the birds’ natural habitat, you will also see various plant species there. For example: lor trees, palm trees, eucalyptus, Benjamin ficus (Ficus benjamina), some flower varieties such as hollyhock, and 25 species of cacti.
Overall, if you enjoy being in nature, this place — like the Kish recreational pier and the Greek Ship of Kish — is very attractive and can entertain you for hours.
The entrance to Kish Bird Park is located in the southeast of the beautiful island of Kish, on Marjan Boulevard, in the Kish Dolphin Park complex. Kish Bird Park’s contact number is 076-44445237.
Most hotels in Kish offer tours to visit the island’s attractions such as Kish’s Jenni Castle and the Kish amusement park. A visit to the Bird Park is included among those tours. You can go see the Bird Park and the Dolphinarium of Kish with these tours.
The admission fee for this garden, like many Kish attractions, is half-price for children between two and four years old and free for children under two. The park’s opening hours are usually:
First half of the year: daily from 18:00 to 20:00
Second half of the year: daily from 16:00 to 18:00
Touring only this garden takes about two to three hours.
Keep in mind that since this garden is part of the Dolphinarium complex, other attractions on the park grounds — like the dolphin shows, the coffee shop, and the restaurant — might keep you busy and cause you to lose track of the Bird Park’s visiting hours. Therefore, it’s better to plan your schedule so you can see this whole beautiful area during the park’s opening hours. Also remember that when booking a Kish tour and visiting the Bird Park, you are not allowed to bring professional cameras. So if you want souvenir photos, turn to the professional photographers working in the complex.
