Colorfully distinguished as our country's sole National Aviary, a celebration of the past 50 years is underway. Its journey has been a saga of adventure and a testament to the dramatic heralds of both triumph and defeat. Ultimately, it was the collaborative efforts of a determined few that persevered the Aviary against the perils of near extinction and enabled it to sore above the mediocre to greater heights than ever thought possible.
The Aviary began in the late nineteenth century as Pittsburgh's first plant conservatory. It was destroyed in the late 1920's by a natural gas explosion.
In 1952, the city of Pittsburgh rebuilt and reopened the conservatory and included a few bird exhibitions within its indoor gardens. By 1968, the Aviary-Conservatory doubled in size when it introduced its largest exhibit, a newly constructed walk-through tropical marsh and six additional bird exhibits. The Aviary grew in reputable standing nationally as one of the first zoos to exhibit birds in recreated natural habitats with over 25,000 square feet of free-flight space. By 1980, the natural evolution of the Aviary as a haven for wildlife conservation led to the captive breeding of rare and endangered bird species. Ironically, the Aviary then became endangered itself in 1991 when the city of Pittsburgh proposed closing its doors due to municipal budgetary cuts.
This ultimately led to the Aviary's privatization in 1992 when a group of concerned citizens formed Save The Aviary, Inc., a non-profit cooperation that successfully rallied support from the community. Armed with only eight full-time employees and a handful of volunteers, the group set out to operate the entire facility and form a donor base of corporate and foundational support.
In the end, a board of 24 people initiated the road to financial stability, and had successfully campaigned for Aviary's honorary national status. In 1993, by declaration of the US Congress, the Pittsburgh Aviary was renamed the National Aviary in Pittsburgh... continued
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An American Bald Eagle on exhibit at the National Aviary. Photo by Paul A Selvaggio.
Melon, a Red-fronted Macaw, poses for a photo between shows. The National Aviary actively participates in conservation programs to help save the species.
