Dinosaur lovers in Gloucestershire are in for a treat this bank holiday, as Birdland steps back in time to the Jurassic age.

Located in the picturesque Cotswold village of Bourton-on-the-Water, Birdland is known for its abundant collection of birds, including the only King penguin colony in England. It will be dinosaurs, not birds, that take centre stage this weekend though, as visitors are transported back millions of years to when dinosaurs roamed the earth.

“Dinosaurs have always been a source of fascination and wonder and Birdland is the perfect place to remind people that they never really died out; they simply evolved into birds,” said Birdland’s Head Keeper, Alistair Keen.

“Giant modern-day flightless birds like emus, ostriches and cassowaries are incredibly similar to their ancient ancestors and palaeontologists often study the way they move and the structure of their bones to provide insights in to the prehistoric world,” added Alistair.

Bank holiday visitors to Birdland can explore the park’s Jurassic-themed landscape which is home to more than 30 different dinosaurs; ranging from a metre-long baby stegosaurus to the enormous brachiosaurus which grew to more than five metres in length. Other dinosaurs on show include spectacular flying pteranodon, velociraptors, allosaurus, brachiosaurus and mighty tyrannosaurus rex.

There’s also the chance to spot complete dinosaur skeletons and younger visitors can even unearth a series of fossilised remains at a special prehistoric boneyard.

With its combination of woodland, riverside and gardens, Birdland features more than 500 birds, ranging from the UK’s only breeding colony of king penguins to birds of prey, parrots, cassowaries and cranes in a mix of free-flying and aviary displays. The river that runs through the park is home to a wide variety of aquatic life, including a collection of sizeable rainbow trout.

Birdland hosts daily flamingo and king penguin feeding demonstrations as well as ‘Meet the Keeper’ sessions, where visitors can get to meet some of the birds, find out more about them and ask any questions they might have.

At the Encounter Zone visitors can meet giant tortoises, pet rabbits and guinea pigs or come face-to-face with a snake. The park also incorporates indoor enclosures for a variety of exotic birds and other wildlife alongside a host of other features and attractions.