the aviaries at Kowhai Park in Feilding have been the subject of council discussion as to whether they should be renovated or demolished. The resulting decision - based on cost and desire of locals for at least some of the birds to remain - was that the native birds would go and the exotics would stay. These links are in order from earliest to most recent: Bird society riled by proposed closure of Kowhai Park aviaries (April 24) http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-sta...unity-opposes-closure-of-kowhai-park-aviaries (April 25) http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-sta...r-kowhai-park-aviaries-but-future-still-murky (May 10) http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-sta...parks-exotic-birds-safe-native-aviaries-to-go (May 18)
Fair enough, if they are small and crappy they would be better off moving the birds elsewhere (possibly the natives to the Palmerston North Esplanade, which is being rebuilt and will be an amazing free public aviary once complete). Shame it is only the natives moving though, hope the exotics have decent accommodation (unclear if this is the case or not). I lived so close to Feilding for four years, but never visited sadly... Apparently the exotic birds they have include Indian ringneck, Java sparrows, bare-eyed corella and sulphur-crested cockatoo.
