African Grey Parrots, a medium-sized parrot native to the forests of central Africa, are some of the best mimics in the bird world. In the wild, this species often copies the sounds of other animals in the forest. Around people, they may learn to copy a variety of sounds including laughter, a phone ringing, whistling, human speech, and many other sounds. Two African Grey Parrots roosting in Zaire were reported by researchers to have a repertoire of over 200 different sounds, including nine imitations of other wild bird songs and even one of a bat! This species is widely believed the be one of the most intelligent bird species. African Greys can live to be 60 years old. While their charismatic personalities and mimicry make them popular, they can be very challenging to keep as pets. This species is vulnerable to the illegal wildlife trade and habitat loss and destruction.

African Penguins are native to the southwestern coast of Africa, and are one of the 18 species of penguins found throughout the Southern Hemisphere. They are also among the smallest penguins, standing about 18 inches tall and weighing 6 to 10 pounds. They are a temperate species comfortable in a wide range of temperatures, making them well-suited for life in Penguin Point at the National Aviary. African Penguins can’t fly, but they are extremely agile swimmers. They use their wings like paddles and their webbed feet like flippers to propel themselves through the water at speeds of up to 15 miles per hour! Sadly, this species faces many challenges, like overfishing and human encroachment on nesting grounds, and could be functionally extinct in the wild by 2035.

Weighing just over half a pound, the African Pygmy-Goose is the smallest species of waterfowl in the world! This goose inhabits swamps, marshes, shallow freshwater lakes, and slow-flowing rivers in Africa which have abundant aquatic vegetation. Here it feeds primarily on seeds, leaves, and flowers of various aquatic plants, and nests in a variety of situations. The African Pygmy-Goose is not globally threatened, but populations are adversely affected by introduced fish, like tilapia, and by the invasive aquatic water hyacinth, which tends to take over waterways.

The American Crow occurs in a wide range of habitats in North America and can be found in rural farmland, suburbs, and even urban and residential areas. This species requires little more than large trees for roosting and nesting, and open ground for foraging. Much of the success of the American Crow lies in its highly varied and flexible diet, which may include fruits, nuts, seeds, insects and other invertebrates, small vertebrates of many kinds, carrion, and even human food scraps. A member of the Corvid family, American Crows are known for their intelligence and cunning. Young have been observed playing with objects they find on the ground and “log-rolling”: running atop an object like an empty cup or soda can. Their nest is a large stick nest high in a tree. The American Crow is not of conservation concern.

American Flamingos have brilliant feathers that range from pale pink to a deep scarlet red, and get their coloring from the microscopic shrimp and algae in their diet. The depth of their pigmentation indicates how well a flamingo was eating as its feathers grew. Their long neck and legs allow them to wade and forage in water several feet deep. They use their curved bill to strain plankton and other small invertebrates from the water.

This spectacular bird, with its bright orange fan-shaped crest, is a resident of montane cloud forests, especially in ravines and along streams, in the Andes Mountains from Venezuela to Bolivia. The Andean Cock-of-the-rock feeds on fruits, large insects, and small vertebrates, and builds a nest mainly of mud lined with coarse vegetable fibers and attached to a rock face. This is a lekking species, with males performing elaborate ritual displays at a communal site where the females determine the winner. Males display in pairs, with each male perched 4–6 meters above the ground. Each bird performs ritualized bowing and head-bobbing displays towards the other, with much jumping, wing-flapping, bill-snapping, and calling; displaying intensifies when females approach. The Andean Cock-of-the-rock is not globally threatened, but it is very localized in its distribution.

Andean Condors are among the largest flying birds, with a body weight of up to 30 pounds and a wingspan of over 10 feet. They are mostly black with large white patches on their wings and the distinctive bald head for which vultures are known. Condors have no feathers on their heads which facilitates cleaning after they have been feeding on carrion (after a meal, condors can frequently be seen wiping their heads on the ground to clean themselves off). Their diet primarily includes large land mammals, but condors have been seen feeding on the carcasses of seals and whales near the coast. Andean Condors may travel 150 miles a day in search of food and they often feed in groups. As scavengers, Andean Condors act as a natural clean-up crew, eating dead animals before they become a health risk to humans. In addition, the direct exposure of their skin to the disinfecting properties of ultraviolet light helps eliminate any residual bacteria. The Andean Condor is the only New World vulture that shows obvious differences between males and females. Males have dark eyes and a fleshy crest, called a “caruncle”, on their heads, while females have bright red eyes and lack the crest. Andean Condors may live 50 years or more.

Although they are long-lived, Andean Condors reproduce slowly and are vulnerable to human persecution, including both intentional and secondary poisoning. Since 1989, over 60 of these spectacular birds have hatched in U.S. zoos, and some have been released in the remote regions of the Colombia, including a male chick named Kendall that hatched at the National Aviary in 2003. A female chick named Kachina, hatched at the Aviary in 2007, is currently part of a breeding program at another zoo to help the species’ population grow. The National Aviary currently is partnering with Bioparque Amaru, a zoo in Ecuador, where the population has dwindled to about 25 pairs of adult breeding birds and fewer than 100 condors in all. In 2022, the National Aviary celebrated the hatching of Marijo, the first Andean Condor to hatch in Condor Court!

The National Aviary is proud to welcome male Andean Condor Bud to our flock! At 43 years old, Bud comes to us from the Dallas Zoo (tag). Witness the majestic beauty of Bud and Lianni, the largest birds at the National Aviary, alongside their juvenile counterparts, Marijo and Illiman, during your next Aviary visit.

Augur Buzzards are one of the most numerous types of hawks in Africa. In the Americas, the term “buzzard” generally refers to vultures, but in the Old World, the word’s original meaning was “hawk.” Augur Buzzards are members of the Buteo genus, a group of hawks found all over the world and known for their broad wings, relatively short tails, and the ability to soar for long periods of time. Like all hawks, Augur Buzzards are strict carnivores and actively hunt a variety of animals, particularly reptiles. Augur Buzzards come in two color phases: dark and light. Dark individuals are uniformly chocolate brown, while light phase birds have a dark hood and back with a bright white chest and stomach. Both color phases have a rusty, brick-red tail, yellow legs, and dark eyes.

Baer’s Pochards have sleek dark gray and sometimes black head with hues of brown, red, and white on their sides. They have a distinctive white band on their wings which can only be seen when they have their wings open. It’s estimated that this species can reach depths of more than six feet under the surface of tehr water during mealtime and hold its breath for nearly 40 seconds at a time. 

Baer’s Porchards are one of the most Critically Endangered ducks in the world with an estimated 150 – 700 mature individuals in the wild. Their population has plummeted quickly in just the last 25 years, but the reasons are not well understood. 

The Bald Eagle is one of the most readily recognizable birds in North America. They are also one of the largest, with the biggest females reaching 13 pounds or more. And, since 1782, the Bald Eagle has been the national bird of the United States. Bald Eagles are also one of the most well known conservation success stories in the world. In the mid-20th century, Bald Eagle populations suffered a steep decline as a result of persecution, habitat loss, and the introduction of a pesticide called DDT. Large predators, like Bald Eagles, ended up with high concentrations of DDT in their bodies, affecting the birds’ ability to lay eggs with properly formed shells. By 1978, only an estimated 400 Bald Eagle pairs remained in the continental U.S.

Under the protection of the Endangered Species Act, and with reintroduction efforts and the ban of the use of DDT, Bald Eagle populations recovered. In 2007, the Bald Eagle was officially removed from the federal Endangered Species list. There are more than 200 known breeding pairs in Pennsylvania, including two nests in the greater Pittsburgh area, at the Hulton Bridge in Harmar and the Keystone Iron & Metal in Hays.

The Bald Eagles at the National Aviary sustained injuries in the wild that would limit their chances of survival in the wild. They have a comfortable home at the National Aviary where their every need is met, and they serve as ambassadors for their species.

The Bali Myna is a Critically Endangered endemic resident of Bali and surrounding small islands, where fewer than 100 individuals remain. Habitat destruction and capture for the illegal wildlife trade have significantly impacted this species. Community-based conservation efforts are underway to help save this species, as is a robust breeding program in zoos through the Species Survival Plan. In its native habitat, the Bali Myna prefers open woodlands with grass understory, where it frequents the overstory, but the Bali Myna avoids closed forest. This species feeds mostly in the trees, pursuing seeds, fruits, insects, and even small vertebrates such as geckos, but they have been known to perch on the backs of ungulates (mammals such as rhinoceros, tapirs, and boars) to feed on flies and other insects made available by the movements of the large animals. The Bali Myna nests in a natural tree hole or old woodpecker hole which it lines with dry twigs.

A relatively common Nearctic owl, the Barred Owl inhabits mature mixed deciduous-coniferous forests, often near streams or wooded swamps. This owl nests primarily in cavities, with both parents helping to care for the young until the autumn. Barred Owls have a varied diet of small mammals and birds. Barred Owls are, unfortunately, susceptible to collisions with automobiles as the owls may attack prey on roads passing through their forested territories. But, this species has been expanding its range from eastern North America all the way to the West Coast.