Nature & Parks· 1935· Iberia Parish

Jungle Gardens & Bird City

Edward Avery McIlhenny raised eight snowy egrets in 1895 — birds being hunted to near extinction for their plumes. He released them the following spring. They returned with dozens more. Bird City now hosts tens of thousands of nesting egrets and herons each spring. The 170-acre semitropical estate opened to the public in 1935. McIlhenny brought a 900-year-old Buddha statue from China and installed it in a sunken garden. The property's bamboo groves are among the largest outside Asia. Peak nesting season runs March through June. Arrive early morning for the most active rookery viewing. The full driving and walking loop takes one to two hours.

Quick facts

·In 1895, Edward Avery McIlhenny raised eight snowy egrets being hunted to near extinction for their plumes — and released them the following spring.
·They returned with dozens more. Bird City now hosts tens of thousands of nesting egrets and herons each spring.
·170-acre semitropical estate open to the public since 1935.
·Contains a 900-year-old Buddha statue McIlhenny brought from China and installed in a sunken garden.
·Bamboo groves on the property are among the largest outside Asia.
·Peak nesting season runs March through June — arrive early morning for the most active rookery viewing.
·Open daily. Admission charged. Allow 1–2 hours for the full driving and walking loop.