A legacy of conservation
Founded in 1989 by internationally renowned aviculturalists Mike and Ali Lubbock, the avian breeding center cares for more than 2,500 individual birds, including over 1,000 hatchlings reared each year. Adjacent to the breeding center is Sylvan Heights Bird Park, which together form the world’s largest waterfowl collection and the second largest bird collection in the United States. The center is also the avicultural training site for conservation-oriented avian biologists. Every year, wildlife professionals from the nation’s zoos and nature centers come here to learn advanced techniques through the Sylvan Heights Avian Husbandry Program.
Due to the fragile nature of the work conducted here, the Sylvan Heights Avian Breeding Center is not open to the public. However, tours of the facility are given periodically to upper level members of the Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Society. The annual Duckling Day celebration is the ideal opportunity for receiving a guided tour of the Avian Breeding Center. Invitations are sent to those with a current membership at or above the Aviculturist Level.
Survival Breeding Programs
The Sylvan Heights Avian Breeding Center is home to breeding populations of some of the world’s rarest waterfowl. In some cases, fewer than 250 individuals of these species remain in the wild, and the collaborative captive breeding programs taking place here and in other avicultural institutions may be their last barrier against extinction.
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