- National Aviary
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National Aviary 
The National AviaryDate opened 1952; 1991 (went private) Location Allegheny Commons West
700 Arch Street Pittsburgh, PA, USA 15212Coordinates Coordinates: 40°27′12″N 80°00′36″W / 40.4533°N 80.01°W Number of animals 600+ Number of species 200 Memberships AZA Website http://www.aviary.org The National Aviary, located 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.
Contents
Location and features
An African Penguin (Spheniscus demersus) at the Penguin Point exhibit.
The National Aviary is located at 700 Arch Street on Pittsburgh's Northside, within Allegheny Commons West Park in the Allegheny Center neighborhood.
The National Aviary is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. It is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, and Christmas, and closes early, at 3 p.m., on New Year's Eve. Although some of the birds must be fed in private, almost all feedings (both vegetarian and carnivorous) are scheduled to be viewable by visitors. Since 1999, annual attendance has consistently topped 100,000.[1]
The National Aviary has daily interactive experiences for visitors. Some of these include Penguin Point, a new exhibit featuring 11 African Penguins and unique underwater viewing; Penguin Connection, a private encounter with an African Penguin (for an additional fee); Little Peepers, a program for preschoolers; and the bird-feeding adventure Lories & Friends. These programs are joined by various trainer talks, bird presentations, feedings, and encounters that help to create an immersive experience for visitors.
In the fall of 2010, the National Aviary completed an $18.5 million expansion and renovation project that included the opening of a new café, classrooms, and the Helen M. Schmidt FliteZone Theater. The theater is currently home to "Wings!," and indoor-avian adventure featuring flighted birds and special effects. The Helen M. Schmidt Theater is the first indoor theater in the nation built specifically for bird shows.
Birds
The aviary is home to more than 600 birds of more than 200 species, many of which are threatened or endangered in the wild. It has one of the most diverse collections in North America (exceeding, for example, the esteemed National Zoo in Washington, D.C. and the Niagara Falls Aviary).
As a result, the aviary has many species that are rarely found in other zoos or aviaries, for example, Bare-necked Fruitcrows, Paradise Tanagers, Green-backed Trogon, Scarlet-headed Blackbird, Blue-crowned Laughingthrush, Blue-winged Mountain Tanager, Pompadour Cotinga, Blue-necked Tanager, and Lesser Green Broadbill.[2]
Among the most popular residents are Benito the Hyacinth Macaw and his roommate, Killer the Green-winged Macaw.[3] Both are trained, and perform at occasional educational exhibitions. The aviary has also had success in breeding; 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 in captivity including the Bali Mynah (nearly extinct in the wild), the Micronesian Kingfisher, and the African Penguin.
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 U.S. 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 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania granted the first $500,000 toward a $22.5 million project that would include a new education center and expanded exhibits, which was slated for opening in 2008.[4] In October 2008, the Aviary announced a $23 million renovation and expansion of exhibition space, the vast majority of which would be paid for by private foundations.[5]
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 2007.[6]
On January 22, 2009, in a letter to the board of directors, Dickerson announced her intention to resign from the National Aviary. Patrick Mangus, the National Aviary's former COO, took over as executive director in January 2009.
Gallery
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Franklin, the Spectacled Owl chick
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A Gray-winged Trumpeter
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A close-up of the Aviary's Victoria Crowned Pigeon
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An Inca Tern
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"Artwork" created by the feet of one of the National Aviary's African Penguins in 2009
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A girl feeds worms to a Golden-breasted Starling.
References
- ^ http://www.aviary.org/press/OverviewOfNationalAviary2008.pdf
- ^ http://www.aviary.org/press/AviaryOverview2006.pdf
- ^ Linda Wilson Fuoco (June 19, 2006). "Moves at aviary please residents and visitors alike". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06170/699367-85.stm. Retrieved November 17, 2010.
- ^ "Aviary gets state grant". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 2006-07-14. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06195/705882-85.stm.
- ^ Don Hopey (2008-10-28). "Aviary's $23 million upgrade features bird-show theaters". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. http://post-gazette.com/pg/08302/923429-100.stm.
- ^ "Linda Dickerson has been selected as the new chief executive officer of the National Aviary". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 2007-03-11. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07070/768344-192.stm.
External links
- http://www.aviary.org
- National Aviary (2008). "About the National Aviary, The Collection, History of the National Aviary" (PDF). http://www.aviary.org/press/OverviewOfNationalAviary2008.pdf.
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