WWT SLIMBRIDGE WETLAND CENTRE

WELCOME

Welcome to "A Guide to Wildfowl & Photography at Slimbridge Wetland Centre".

WWT Slimbridge is a wetland reserve situated close to Slimbridge village near to Dursley, Gloucestershire. It was the first Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) to be opened, on the 10th of November 1946, due to the vision of Sir Peter Scott.

There are nine Wildfowl and Wetland Trust (WWT) Centres in the UK.

View from Sloane Tower. (©Nigel Key May 2017)

Slimbridge Wetland Centre cares for and studies ducks, geese and swans of the world and offers excellent opportunity for bird watchers and photography.



WWT Slimbridge covers 3 square kilometres of which 500,000 square metres has been landscaped and is open to the public.

As well as being a fantastic place to visit, WWT Slimbridge is very important to maintain and preserve Wetlands. They are essential for storing and cleaning water, helping to prevent floods and storms.

Freshwater Wetlands hold over 40% of all known species, covering just 6% of the Earth's surface and yet they store around 35% of the Worlds Carbon.

Over the last Century, half of the World's inland wetlands have been lost with 15% of wetlands bird species in decline and 30% of wetland mammals threatened.

Sloane Observation Tower. (©Nigel Key May 2017)

Sloane Observation Tower is positioned above the Visitor Centre giving amazing views of the Cotswold escarpment in the East and the Forest of Dean in the West. Click to view images.

Access to the tower is from the Visitor Centre by either stairs or lift. Entry is free but you will need to get a token from a member of staff to comply with their Health & Safety rules.

You can help to protect wetland habitats in the UK and around the World by becoming a member of the WWT, visit official WWT site for details.


WWT Slimbridge also offers the following activities: -

Welly Boot Land - visit the outdoor wet playground suitable for all the family.
RBC Rain Garden - visit the award winning Chelsea Show Garden.
Otter Feeds - visit the otter pool and listen to talks and watch them being fed.
Toad Hall Talks - visit Toad Hall in the visitor centre and listen to one of the amphibian talks.
Guided Walks - enjoy a guided tour of Slimbridge.
Canoe Safari - explore the one kilometre waterway by canoe. (extra charge applies)
Land Rover Safari - take a tour of the Slimbridge reserve from a covered trailer with a warden. (extra charge applies)

How to find WWT Slimbridge
Opening Times
November to March 9:30am - 5:00pm
April to October 9:30am - 5:30pm
Last admission one hour before closing.
Christmas eve 9:30am - 3:00pm.
Christmas Day - Closed.
Directions (Official WWT Slimbridge Website)
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WILDFOWL

This Website contains photographs, location and information on the many species of wildfowl (Ducks, Geese and Swans) found around WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre.

There are also Cranes, Flamingos, Screamers, as well as Coot and Moorhen.

Wildfowl are listed in alphabetical order on the Wildfowl Index and also for convenience grouped below:

A-B  | C-F  | G-L  | M-R  | S-Z

Wildfowl Lists
To aid finding and identifying wildfowl at WWT Slimbridge, various Lists have been compiled recording where and when the wildfowl were last seen during our various visits:-

Spotted Whistling Duck (Slimbridge May 2018)Pink-Footed Goose (Slimbridge November 2017)Whistling Swan (Slimbridge March 2019)
Duck List
Geese List
Swan List

WWT Slimbridge Zones
WWT Slimbridge is divided into various Zones and places of interest. The links below contain information on wildfowl that can be found in each Zone: -
Andean Flamingo Zone
Asia Zone
Australia Zone
Back From The Brink
Flamingo Lagoon
Geese Of The World
Lesser Flamingo Zone
North America Zone
Otter Pool Zone
Pampas Pen Zone
South America Zone
Swan Lake Zone
Tropical House
Tundra Zone
Wader Shore Zone
Caribbean Flamingo Zone

Wildfowl Hides
There are also numerous hides around the reserve to observe the natural wildlife.

Estuary Tower Hide
Hogarth Hide
Kingfisher Hide
Knott Hide
Lathbury Hide
Martin Smith Hide
Peng Observatory
Robbie Garnett Hide
Rushy Hide
South Lake Discovery Hide
Stephen Kirk Hide
Van de Bovenkamp Hide
Zeiss Hide



INFORMATION

Slimbridge Wildwatch
WWT publish very informative monthly Slimbridge Wildwatch videos, click below to view the latest:-
View previous WWT Wildwatch Videos




Arctic Adventure Experience
The Arctic Adventure experience is now open after being launched on Saturday 13th July 2019 by CBeebie's presenters Rory Crawford and Ferne Corrigan.
Arctic Adventure Experience (WWT Slimbridge July 2019)

Before you embark on your Global Adventure you can pick up your passport from base camp and start your first wetland challenge there.
Click here for more information from the WWT website.

Latest New Wildfowl
During our frequent visits to WWT Slimbridge should we see any new Wildfowl or a return of absent birds, we will post our sightings here.

Whistling Swan (©Nigel Key WWT Slimbridge March 2019)

Wildfowl: Whistling Swan
First seen: Spring 2019
Location: North America Zone


WWT Slimbridge Development
There is currently a considerable amount of development being carried out at WWT Slimbridge resulting in some birds being temporarily relocated to different Zones.

Development at WWT Slimbridge (©Nigel Key WWT Slimbridge July 2019)

Due to this some of the locations shown in this website may be inaccurate until the development is complete in 2020, though we will endeavour to keep up-to-date as much as possible.

Tropical House (©Nigel Key WWT Slimbridge May 2015)

Tropical House Demolition
The much loved 50 year old Tropical House is to be demolished and replaced with a 2,000 sqm (21,527 sqft) aviary. The WWT said it was "sorry" to see the tropical house go but its replacement will be "much better equipped".
Click here for more ....