By Ashlee Green
On Friday, July 13, the National Aviary’s Tropical Rainforest exhibit reopened to the public after a $1.2 million renovation. The room is the Aviary’s oldest one and serves as an educational environment for guests of all ages to learn about natural rainforest habitats and how to protect them.
As part of the renovation, all 3,146 original glass panes that formed the walls and roof of the Tropical Rainforest were removed by hand and replaced with bird-friendly ones. The design of the new glass prevents bird collisions and maximizes the transfer of both natural and ultraviolet (UV) light to the plants and animals in the exhibit.
A Hyacinth Macaw, a Military Macaw, Bufflehead Ducks, and Superb Starlings were all added to the new Tropical Rainforest. Wookiee, a Linnaeus’s Two-toed Sloth, was also transferred to it from his former home in the Aviary’s Cloud Forest exhibit.
Hours of operation for the National Aviary are from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., seven days a week. For more information, including admission prices, check out the Aviary website or call 412.323.7235.
