Above: Amelia the bald eagle
Amelia, April, Fleury and Dumbledore are the five new birds of prey at the National Aviary, introduced in time for the holiday season.
Director of education at the Aviary, Patricia O’Neill said The Aviar has become a tradition.
“Preparing for the holidays, we wanted to ensure that there were new birds on exhibit for our visitors,” she said.
Birds of prey are among the largest types of birds, usually meat eaters who use sharp eyesight and strong talons to catch prey.
A four-year-old Bald Eagle, Amelia can’t live in the wild after injuring the soft tissue of her wing. With their care, the Aviary hopes Amelia will thrive, said O’Neill.
Fleury, a Snowy Owl born at the New York State Zoo in 2010, was named for the goal-tender of the Pittsburgh Penguins. He has appeared in the Aviary’s production of Wings! and on the TODAY show.
April, a Red-Tailed Hawk, has worked at the Aviary since 1984, teaching thousands of children about Pennsylvania wildlife. Since developing arthritis, she’s retired to the Wetlands exhibit.
The last two birds are Eurasian Eagle-Owls named Dumbledore and X.
Located in Pittsburgh’s Northside, the National Aviary is a nonprofit zoo dedicated to birds. They have 600 birds of over 200 species from around the world, many that are threatened or endangered in the wild.
For additional information, visit www.Aviary.org.
-by Cara Nesi
