Our Town

Would a “Parrot Tunnel” be an effective tourist attraction for our small town?

I live in Milford Delaware. In recent years, we have been trying to clean up the town by adding restaurants and other little attractions, however this upcoming summer, me and my dad plan to build a giant Parrot Tunnel, which will in turn be one of our towns biggest attractions. Would this prove effective?

Coming from a mid-size small town of about 80,000 that is birding destination for bird enthusiasts internationally, I can tell you that yes, some people will be drawn to see unusual birding events or collections of live birds, but you have to make it noteworthy. And it would be best if there were some regular pattern that the parrots follow such that crowds would come to see them at certain times when in higher numbers, perhaps at dusk when the parrots were getting ready to nest for the evening.

Cities like Austin, Texas, have become known for similar events, i.e. the daily flight of bats from the Congress Avenue bridge as they leave at dusk to forage for food. This has created a popular tourist attraction with tour boats and other services springing up around it. See link here: http://www.austincityguide.com/content/congress-bridge-bats-austin.asp

In Memphis, Tennesse, the Peabody Hotel is famous for the daily march of it’s ducks from the lobby fountain twice a day along red carpet path just for the ducks. It has become a “must see” attraction when in Memphis. See link here: http://www.peabodymemphis.com/peabody_ducks/index.cfm

So while some might scoff at the idea of your creating a tourist attraction out of a parrot tunnel, I think it has potential. But I would say it would depend on how many parrots one could typically find if they traveled to see this tunnel. And if you could jazz it up with something That Was a special daily event to come see the parrots, that would improve your ability to draw bigger audiences and create a real “industry” for your town.

I would also get in touch with any birding associations in your area and find out about their special events so your tunnel could become a part of their standard annual tours. Birds are migratory and follow certain annual patterns, so unless your parrots are captive, expect your tunnel business to be seasonal based on the migratory patterns of your parrots.

Iris Dement – Our Town