The creation of the lakes of
the Dombes goes back to the 12th century. Today a thousand
lakes cover an area of 10,000 hectares and are used following
a traditional cycle based on periods of the lakes being full
of water and their being dry and used for cereal crops. The
majority of the lakes are filled by rainwater and small streams.
Many of them form a chain of adjacent lakes which empty into
each other when they are emptied before the fishing season.
This emptying of lake is done by a valve called a "thou".
An amazing voyage
The Bird Park covers 23 hectares
(57 acres) almost half of which consists of water.
The ponds, aviary and enclosures are populated not only by
the native birds of the Dombes but also by species from Africa,
Asia, America and Oceania. Here the visitor may observe, admire
and photograph 400 of the world's 9,000 listed species - from
the imposing ostrich to the tiny hummingbird. In the heart
of the Dombes region with its thousand and one ponds, lies
the Villars-les-Dombes Bird Park, a harmonious symphony of
sound and colour.
Daniel
et Zdenka Back
735, route du Chatelard
01330 Villars-les-Dombes
- France-
Phone : +33 474 98 17 74
E-mail : backzd@msn.com Your suggestions
