National Aviary

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National Aviary


Date opened	1952; 1991 (went private)
Location	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Number of Animals	600+
Number of Species	200
Accreditations/ Memberships	AZA
Website

Coordinates: 40.4533° N 80.0099° W The National Aviary in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is America's only independent indoor nonprofit aviary. It is also America's largest aviary, and the only accorded honorary "National" status by the United States Congress.

1 Location and features
2 Birds
3 History and funding
4 Gallery
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Location and features

The Aviary is located in Pittsburgh's Northside, within Allegheny Commons West Park in Allegheny Center.

The Aviary is open from 9 am to 5 pm every day of the year except December 25. Although some of the birds must be fed in private, almost all feedings (both vegetarian and carnivorous) are scheduled and viewable by visitors.

Recently, the Aviary added a series of interactive encounters for visitors. Some of these include: Penguin Connection, a private encounter with an African Penguin, Penguin & Me, a penguin encounter for toddlers and parents, Wings of the World, a free-flight, outdoor bird show, and Lories & Friends, a bird-feeding adventure. These programs are joined by various trainer talks, bird presentations, feedings and encounters that help to create an immersive experience for Aviary visitors.

[edit] Birds

The Aviary is home to 600+ birds of more than 200 species, many of which are threatened or endangered in the wild. This is one of the most diverse collections in North America (exceeding, for example, the esteemed National Zoo in DC [1], and Niagara Falls Aviary [2]).

As a result, the Aviary has many species that are rarely found in other zoos or aviaries, for example: the Bare-necked Fruitcrows, Paradise Tanagers, White-tailed Trogon, Scarlet-headed Blackbird, Yellow-throated Laughing Thrush, Blue-winged Mountain Tanager, Pompadour Cotinga, Blue-necked Tanager, and Lesser Green Broadbill.[3]

Among the most popular residents are Benito the hyacinth Macaw and his roommate Killer the Green-winged Macaw. Their spacious new room is the first exhibit on the right from the main entrance. Both are trained, and perform at occasional educational exhibitions. The Aviary has also had recent success in breeding;^[1] its Spectacled Owls had their first chick named Franklin (after Benjamin Franklin), who hatched in September 2006. Franklin can be seen in one of the Aviary's exhibits.

The National Aviary also takes part in breeding programs designed to increase the numbers of endangered birds like the Bali Mynah (nearly extinct in the wild) and the Red-crowned Crane.[4] Some of these birds will eventually be reintroduced into the wild.

[edit] History and funding

The National Aviary began as part of the Pittsburgh Aviary-Conservatory, built by the City in 1952. Pittsburgh's dwindling urban tax base forced the city to cease funding the institution in 1991.

In 1991, neighborhood leaders founded Save The Aviary, Inc. and began an intense public campaign to raise money and develop a plan to privatize the Aviary. Jill Sims, an active volunteer at the Aviary, became the first chairperson of the organization. Mark P. Masterson, a Northside community leader, developed a business plan and secured funding from the Buhl Foundation to produce a capital improvement plan and recruited additional board members.

Save The Aviary, Inc. took over the facility and began operations soon after the Board of Directors hired Dayton Baker as Executive Director.

In 1993, by declaration of the US Congress, the Pittsburgh Aviary was designated honorary national status and renamed the National Aviary in Pittsburgh. A successful capital campaign was undertaken in 1995 to raise funds for essential renovations, completed in 1997, that thoroughly modernized the facility. In January 2005 the National Aviary created the Department of Conservation and Field Research, which so far has mainly focused on restoring bird populations in foreign countries with histories of extreme environmental degradation.

In July 2006, the Pennsylvania state government granted the first $500,000 toward a $22.5 million project that will include a new education center and expanded exhibits, slated for opening in 2008.^[2]

In early 2007, Dayton Baker announced his intention to step down once a replacement Executive Director was found. Linda Dickerson was named the new Director and took over the facility in April of 2007.^[3]

Since 1999, annual attendance has consistently topped 100,000.[5]

[edit] Gallery

Franklin, the Spectacled Owl chick	A red-crowned crane	Steller's Sea Eagle	Bali Starling (also known as Bali Mynah)
A Grey-winged Trumpeter	A Wattled Curassow preens itself	Wattled Curassow	Hyacinth Macaw
A girl feeds worms to a Golden-breasted Starling