Points in Pittsburgh

The National Aviary on Pittsburgh’s Northside

Owls that are active in daylight, condors, finches, flamingos, the beautifully colorful male ringed teal, bird feeding, and—this being Pittsburgh, of course—penguins (each has their own unique voice), Pittsburgh’s National Aviary offers a range of wondrous birds. The aviary, one of the few stand-alone urban aviaries I know of and billed as “America’s only independent indoor nonprofit zoo dedicated to birds,” yielded an opportunity for this bird novice to observe and study various small, stunning and majestic birds. With a team of knowledgeable guides and a three-feet and no feeding rule, overzealous visitors are thankfully discouraged from acting up.

The Northside aviary, located in Allegheny Commons Park, features a whole display of bats with a solid, reasonable explanation for why (as bats are mammals, not birds). The placards explore the facts, including the scientific names for each species of birds. I was fascinated upon my first visit to Pittsburgh’s National Aviary on Arch Street with family. I gained essential new knowledge for my fiction writing research during the three-hour visit. I plan to return.

The walk-through approach showcases bird habitats—such as wetlands and woodlands—which re-create an experience which is at once an up-close interaction between the visitor and free-flying birds. Volunteers were solicited during the supervised bird feeding to hand-feed and encounter “many species rarely found in zoos anywhere else in the world.” Claiming to house over 500 birds representing more than 150 species from around the world, the National Aviary is a national treasure indeed. No sooner than someone asked about whether any birds had escaped when a guide kindly told the story of Kodiak, a wayward bird that cut loose and flew free for about nine days in Pittsburgh until he was returned without major hassle.

With a staff of bird teachers, researchers and conservationists, this grand city of industry’s aviary does have a few flaws. There’s no printed guide for the tourist, visitor or student (it’s a popular field trip destination for area schools). Signage is decent, though the displays often show heavy-handed propaganda about endangered species tantamount to guilt induction and charity solicitations, though there probably are endangered bird breeding programs helping to preserve bird habitats. The aviary admits that it seeks to instill “a conservation ethic that teaches the responsibility we all share in being stewards of our planet.”

This may sound innocuous, but there’s more instilling than instructing on the written materials along the aviary’s walk-through. Sadly, the National Aviary also includes a racist national zoo organization disclosure on its website pledging to discriminate based on skin color that “[we] will amplify the voices of [b]lack birders, nature enthusiasts, and community members.” That said, Pittsburgh’s aviary provides a quiet, peaceful place for birds and those who take interest in them for an excellent zoological and natural experience affording true appreciation of birds.

My favorite part of the visit was the large area designated for the golden eagle (Aquila chysaetos). This well-known bird of prey in the world’s northern hemisphere was fascinating to observe. With proportionately large, strong, powerful feet and curved, sharp talons to hunt rabbits and squirrels, I’ve learned that the golden eagle can hold a domain as wide as 77 square miles. I stood and watched an eagle for a long time. At a certain point, he gently released the talons and curved, then spread, his wings. Watching the golden eagle’s movements, motions and flight was a singularly memorable and marvelous experience.

The aviary fulfills both its mission—to inspire respect for nature through an appreciation of birds—and its vision (to “advance global conservation of birds and their habitats through education, entertainment, ecological research, husbandry, and healthcare”). And, if you’ve never seen an eagle up close, the National Aviary in Pittsburgh delivers the perfect first time.

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