Slimbridge Wetland Centre's new Soundscape Aviary, which officially opened in May 2026, is giving visitors the opportunity to slow down, listen and connect with nature through birdsong, rustling reeds and flowing water.
The new attraction has been created to showcase the positive impact wetlands and blue spaces can have on mental wellbeing – particularly in reducing stress and anxiety – with WWT highlighting that one in four people in England experience poor mental health each year.
Among the first residents are turtle doves, a species once commonly heard across the UK during the summer months after migrating from West Africa to breed. The bird is now the UK’s fastest declining species, with the last recorded sighting at Slimbridge taking place in 2006.
Recognisable for their tortoise shell patterned wings, turtle doves are known for their soft purring ‘turr turr’ call and lifelong pair bonds, which have made them a symbol of love and devotion.
The aviary is also home to two black-necked grebes, an amber-listed species in the UK with a small but stable population. Known for their striking red eyes and golden facial feathers, the birds were chosen for the exhibit because of their gentle, quiet calls.
WWT says the grebes’ subtle vocalisations are intended to encourage visitors to stop, focus and listen closely.
Simon Matthews, living collections manager at WWT, said: ‘The sound of the vocal turtle dove is being lost, along with the iconic call of the curlew and the song of many other declining species.
‘Birdsong can evoke memory of how the wetlands used to sound, and our hope is that they will sound this way again in the future.’
Phoebe Vaughn, deputy living collections manager for aviculture at WWT, added: ‘We hope that through the Soundscape Aviary our visitors connect more deeply with birdsong and the sounds of the wetlands, taking this experience with them around our site and beyond into their daily lives.
‘With the well documented benefits of blue spaces for mental health, visitors can come and spend time in the aviary to relax and enjoy listening to the magical sounds of wetlands.’
