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FUN FACT
The Victoria Crowned Pigeon was named in honor of the British monarch, Queen Victoria.
Named for the British Monarch Queen Victoria, the Victoria Crowned Pigeon is without doubt a royal bird. Its dusty blue-grey feathers may remind one of the pigeons found on any city street, but the Crowned Pigeon’s elegant blue lace crest, scarlet eyes, and rakish black mask are unlike anything you’ll find pecking around in the city park. Add in the fact that this largest of all pigeons is nearly the size of a turkey, and you know you’re seeing something special.
Victoria Crowned Pigeons like to be in pairs or small groups, wandering the forests of New Guinea in search of the seeds and fallen fruits that make up most of their diet. Males will sometimes spar with each other during the breeding season — flaring their wings and puffing up their chests to look larger and more impressive for the females — but they tend to live peacefully together the rest of the year. Groups of Crowned Pigeons spend most of their time on the ground, only flying up into the branches of trees when startled, or when they want somewhere safe to roost overnight.
Hunting and habitat destruction have already extirpated the Victoria Crowned Pigeon from many of its traditional territories in New Guinea. And the population continues to fall. Based on current estimates, there are only 10,000 – 20,000 Victoria Crowned Pigeons left in the wild.
Habitat
Prefers unbroken swamp and sago palm forests, sometimes drier forests, principally in lowlands
Diet
Fallen fruits and seed, especially figs
Status
Near Threatened
Breeding
Males present females with sticks, which she weaves into a nest for a single egg. Incubation lasts about 30 days. Both parents care for the chick for four weeks in the nest and another 13 weeks after it fledges.

FUN FACT
Vietnam Pheasants are a dimorphic species. This means the male and female have different markings to easily tell them apart. Male Vietnam Pheasants are known for having bright and even metallic blue feathers and a white crest (a group of feathers on the top of a bird’s head). This coloring helps them to attract mates. Female Vietnam Pheasants are a dark, chestnut shade of brown, perfect for blending into a forest setting, and do not have a crest.
The Vietnam Pheasant, also called the Edwards’s Pheasant, is a little-known species which may be Extinct in the Wild. It has not been observed in the wild since 2000 and is currently listed as Critically Endangered. Much of the species’ potential habitat was destroyed as a result of herbicide use during the Vietnam War, and subsequent logging and clearing of land for agriculture further contributed to the loss of suitable habitat. Hunting has also been a problem for the species.
The Vietnam Pheasant is considered by many to be the most endangered of all pheasant species. An elusive bird not seen in Central Vietnam’s dense, evergreen forests since 2000. While it’s is currently listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as Critically Endangered, but many believe the species could be Extinct in the Wild.
The National Aviary is part of a collaborative effort to save Vietnam Pheasants.
Learn MoreHabitat
Non-mountainous terrain covered by secondary lowland evergreen forest that has a dense undergrowth of lianas, palms, rattan, and bamboo
Diet
Invertebrates including isopods, earwigs, insect larvae, mollusks, centipedes and termites as well as small frogs, drupes, seeds and berries
Status
Critically Endangered
Breeding
Females incubate 4-7 eggs, which hatch after 21-22 days.







FUN FACT
Pittas are highly territorial; they sing a loud doubled flutelike whistle almost constantly, even through the night.
A very colorful and terrestrial bird of the forest understory, the Western Hooded Pitta occurs in a wide range of habitats in Southeast Asia, including primary riverine forests, secondary forests with heavy understory or scrub, and wet or dry forests. This species can also be found in commercial plantations such as overgrown rubber or coffee plantations, orchards, and old gardens.
A little smaller than an American Robin, Western Hooded Pittas have a chunky body, large head, short tail feathers, and long legs. Both the male and female have a green body, a mostly or entirely black head (with a chestnut crown of variable extent), bright blue wing coverts, bright red belly, and large white wing patches that can only be seen when in flight. While the species is minimally dimorphic, females may average a slightly duller color underneath and have smaller white wing patches.
The Western Hooded Pitta eats many kinds of insects that it finds among the dead leaves and litter of the forest floor, such as beetles, ants, termites, cockroaches, and their larvae. Earthworms and snails are also included in their diet. They are usually very terrestrial, but when they fly they show a startling bright white wing patch, a possible predator defense. Their large nest is a flattened dome on sloping ground made of twigs, dead leaves, rootlets, and moss, and often has a short “walkway” of leaves and twigs leading up to a side entrance.
Habitat
Wide range of habitats occupied: all types of forest, especially primary riverine forest, secondary forest with heavy understory or scrub, wet or dry forest; also peat swamp-forest, kerangas, dense bamboo jungle, overgrown rubber or coffee plantations, various other commercial plantations, orchards and old gardens.
Diet
Insects of many kinds, e.g. beetles, ants, termites, grasshoppers, cockroaches, true bugs, and various larvae; also earthworms and snails. Often a pair feeds together on the forest floor among dead leaves, 5–30 meters apart, probing the litter, and flicking and tossing aside leaves looking for food.
Status
Least Concern
Breeding
Both sexes build a football-sized nest that is a flattened dome on sloping ground, made of twigs, dead leaves, plant fibers, rootlets, and moss, lined with finer material, and often with a short “walkway” of leaves and twigs leading up to side entrance. Both sexes incubate a clutch of 3-4 eggs for 14-16 days. Both sexes also feed and tend to chicks, the male perhaps taking the greater share of duties. The young fledge at 15 - 16 days, and may begin to feed themselves 12 - 16 days later.
FUN FACT
Turacos are the only birds in the world whose green feathers derive from a pigment, turacoverdin, which is named after the birds.
A beautiful multicolored bird with flashy white cheeks, the White-cheeked Turaco is native to Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia and Eritrea, where they inhabit higher elevation Podocarpus and juniper forests, as well as tall gallery trees and thick bush along watercourses at lower elevations. Here the turaco favors the fruits and berries of Podocarpus trees and junipers.
Habitat
Typically occurs in high elevation Podocarpus and juniper forest (2200-3200m); also in tall gallery trees and thick bush along watercourses at lower elevations
Diet
Fruits and berries of Podocarpus trees and junipers
Status
Least Concern
Breeding
The White-cheeked Turaco's nest is a thick but very loosely constructed platform of dry twigs built some 7–10 meters above ground. Both sexes incubate 2 eggs for 22-23 days. Hatchlings are covered in black downy feathers. They begin to explore the branches around the nest at 18-19 days, and can fly at 25-26 days.







FUN FACT
White-crested Laughingthrushes live up to their name: flock-members combine to produce sudden, outbursts of extended cackling laughter, typically involving rapid chattering and repetitive double-note phrases, which fade out as suddenly as they started, sometimes with a single individual continuing to mutter some subdued notes.
The White-crested Laughingthrush occurs in broadleaf evergreen forest and mixed deciduous forest in Southeast Asia and in the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains. It will also inhabit disturbed forests, secondary forest and gardens. This is a very social and vocal species, often foraging on the ground in groups of 6 to 20 individuals while looking for insects and other invertebrates in the leaf litter. The White-crested Laughingthrush nests cooperatively, meaning the nestlings are fed by a group of birds including the genetic parents and their previous offspring. These helpers take over attending the fledglings once they leave the nest, freeing the parents to begin nesting again. This species is generally common and not globally threatened.
Habitat
Broadleaf evergreen forest and mixed deciduous forest, including disturbed, secondary, and regenerating forest; scrub, bamboo-jungle, overgrown plantations, and gardens near forest
Diet
Forages in groups of 6-20 or more birds; usually on the ground, searching for insects and other invertebrates in the leaf litter, and sometimes small vertebrates, berries, seeds, and nectar
Status
Least Concern
Breeding
White-crested Laughingthrushes build a large, shallow cup of coarse grasses, bamboo or other dead leaves for a nest in shrubs or low trees, and lay a clutch of 2–6 eggs. Eggs are incubated for about 14 day, and nestlings are fed by all group members (parents and any previously fledged young); they fledge in just 10–12 days and are fed for another 3-4 weeks, primarily by genetically related helpers, freeing the parents to begin nesting again.







White-headed Ducks lay very large eggs in relation to female body size. In fact, egg mass in the genus Oxyura (estimated at 13.7% of the female body mass), is the highest value recorded in the “Anatidae” family.
These birds are unique in that the females look different than the males, showcasing the beauty of dimorphism. But that’s not all – their prominent bills and gorgeous plumage make them a sight to behold.
White-headed Ducks are also impressive divers! They engage in extensive feeding at night, feasting on mideg larvae, and can remain underwater feeding for up to a minute before resurfacing!
Habitat
Open water and marshes, both freshwater and brackish
Diet
Feeds mainly on the larvae of midges (Chironomidae), which it dives under the water to reach. It also eats crustaceans, zooplankton, other aquatic invertebrates. Other foods include seeds and the green parts of aquatic plants.
Status
Endangered
Breeding
Clutch size is 5-10 eggs, laid in a well-concealed cupped platform of stems and leaves. Hatching occurs after 25 days of incubation by the female. She broods and cares for the chicks for up to another three weeks.
FUN FACT
The song of this species is very complex and melodious; so much so, in fact, that it long was believed to be a member of songful thrush family of birds, Turdidae. Now it is classified instead as an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae.
The White-rumped Shama, also called the Common Shamma Thrush, is native to southeast Asia, India, and some Indonesian islands. This species prefers dense greenery and uses its long tail to change directions easily as it flits about in dense thickets. It has a melodious and complex song and was once thought to be a member of the thrush family Turdidae. The White-rumped Shama was introduced to the Hawaiian Archipelago in 1931 and is now common on the islands of Kaua’i and O’ahu. Unfortunately, in Hawaii, the White-rumped Shama is a reservoir for avian malaria which threatens endemic birds on the islands. While not globally threatened, the illegal wildlife trade has led to marked declines in the species’ population.
Habitat
Dense undergrowth of many kinds of forest, forest clearings, treefall gaps, stream thickets, overgrown rubber tree and oil palm plantations, and mangroves; primarily in lowlands, but in places up to 1750 m; sometimes also found in villages where appropriate dense vegetative layers are present.
Diet
Forages on the ground and among low branches, usually by gleaning, but sometimes will hawk insects aerially; diet includes mainly arthropods, such as ants, caterpillars, moths, beetles, flies, grasshoppers, centipedes, and spiders; also worms and berries
Status
Least Concern
Breeding
Predominantly a cavity nester, the White-rumped Shama nests in hollows in trees (including old woodpecker holes) and bamboo, and will use nest boxes, and even discarded items such as shoes and bags. The nest itself is a pad of leaves, topped with a nest cup constructed of leaf petioles, bits of grass, and fern fronds. A clutch of 3-5 eggs is incubated by the female for 13-15 days; both parents feed the nestlings, which fledge in 11-13 days. The young continue to receive parental care for 3-4 weeks post-fledging.







FUN FACT
The White-throated Bee-eater is a long-distance, intra-tropical migrant. It travels in noisy flocks by day, moving between its semi-desert nesting grounds in the Sahel region of Africa and its wintering grounds in the equatorial rainforests from southern Senegal to Uganda.
White-throated Bee-eaters are colorful, social birds, named for their ability to pluck honeybees (and other insects) from the air with amazing agility using their long, curved bills. Found throughout central Africa, they breed in the dry sub-desert steppe and winter in woodland areas and farmlands. They are the only bee-eater species that has an elaborate aerial courtship display: they alternate gliding with their wings held high with bursts of loud calls. They are not globally threatened.
Habitat
Sparsely wooded sub-desert steppe, sandy waste ground, dry stream beds, arid thorn-scrub; winters in large clearings, savanna woodland, orchard-bush, farmland and large suburban gardens; also mangroves
Diet
Mostly ants, as well as honeybees, beetles, flies, dragonflies, other insects, and occasionally small lizards
Status
Least Concern
Breeding
White-throated Bee-eaters nest solitarily or in small, loose colonies. Nearly all pairs have helpers that assist with nest duties. The White-throated Bee-eater is the only bee-eater with distinctive aerial courtship flight. They excavate a burrow of about 1-2 meters and lay 5-6 eggs.
FUN FACT
Pigeons and doves are among the very few birds that drink by sucking, rather than by scooping and tilting their beaks skyward to swallow.
The White-throated Ground Dove is a little known species from the Northern Mariana Islands of the Pacific Ocean. It occurs in all types of forested habitats on several islands in the Mariana Islands chain, and is most abundant on the island of Rota. This species is frugivorous, meaning it primarily eats fruits. Unlike other birds in the genus Gallicolumba, the White-throated Ground Dove forages in bushes and trees, and does not on the ground. Like other birds in the Mariana Islands, the White-throated Ground Dove is vulnerable due to the introduction of an invasive species, the brown tree snake. The White-throated Ground Dove was extirpated (meaning eliminated from a specific area, but not extinct) from Guam in 1986.
Habitat
All types of forested habitat, including native forest and secondary or agricultural forest
Diet
Primarily fruits but also eats seeds and flowers, and occasionally leaves
Status
Near Threatened
Breeding
Not much is known about the breeding of White-throated Ground Doves. Both adults have been observed building nests, and one clutch of 2 eggs has been recorded.







Wood Thrushes are often thought to have the most beautiful and complex songs of any songbird in North America. Their song sounds like a flute, with a soft, dreamy quality. Each male Wood Thrush can sing many different tunes, and each tune has a few parts that can be mixed and matched in different ways. So, a male can create dozens of unique songs, all made up of variations on three main musical pieces.
The Wood Thrush is a medium-sized songbird found primarily in forests across eastern North America. Recognizable by its rich, flutelike song, it has a distinctive appearance with a reddish-brown back and spotted breast. These thrushes are primarily migratory, spending their winters in Central America and returning to North America to breed.
One of the most notable features of the Wood Thrush is its haunting, melodious song, which is often considered one of the most beautiful among North American songbirds. They prefer dense, mature forests with a mix of tree species, where they build their nests in low branches.
Unfortunately, the Wood Thrush has been experiencing a decline in population due to habitat loss, especially from logging and the destruction of forests. Fragmentation of their forest habitat makes it harder for them to find suitable nesting areas. Climate change and the increasing presence of predators like raccoons and nest parasitism by brown-headed cowbirds also contribute to their struggles. As a result, the Wood Thrush conservation efforts are focused on protecting and restoring forest habitats to help stabilize their numbers.
Habitat
Prefers large, unfragmented mature or second growth deciduous and mixed bottomland and upland forests with a well-developed understory and abundant leaf litter; highest breeding densities are often associated with riparian (near streams) forests.
Diet
Feeds on the ground on a wide variety of soil invertebrates during the breeding season; its diet in migration and winter is supplemented with a wide variety of berries and other fruits.
Status
Least Concern
Breeding
Wood Thrushes build bulky nests made of leaves, grasses, shreds of grapevine bark, mud, and rootlets, often in the fork or crotch of a low tree or understory shrub at a height of about 6-15 ft. above the ground. Females lays 3-4 bluish green eggs, which are incubated for 12-13 days. Nestlings fledge in 12-15 days; often double-brooded, completing two nesting attempts in a single season.
FUN FACT
A male attracts a female to one of his nests using a flight song and display in which he parachutes down toward the nest in the grasses while singing with his wings held stiffly.
The Yellow-hooded Blackbird occurs in northern South America where it favors marshes with emergent aquatic plants such as cattails or bulrushes, as well as humid savannas, mangroves, and agricultural land where it can forage in newly plowed fields. Yellow-hooded Blackbirds also frequently forage in grass and vegetation for seeds and insects, including caterpillars and weevils. The blackbird’s reproductive strategy includes harems or successive polygyny, with many Yellow-hooded Blackbirds nesting colonially in large groups of up to 100 pairs. The Yellow-hooded Blackbird is not globally threatened.
Habitat
Marshes (permanent and seasonal) with emergent aquatic plants such as cattails, bulrushes, and similar; also in várzea grasslands, humid savannas, mangroves, and agricultural land--particularly abandoned rice fields. Forages in newly plowed fields
Diet
Forages mostly in grass and vegetation and occasionally on the ground for seeds (cultivated rice and wild rice) and insects (caterpillars and weevils)
Status
Least Concern
Breeding
Harem or successive polygyny is this species' usual mating system. Harems are small (2–5 females). Yellow-hooded Blackbirds nest colonially, in groups up to 100 pairs, but some nest solitarily or in semi-colonies. Males build a cup-shaped nest from wet plant material attached to emergent vegetation or, rarely, in a low tree or shrub near water. Females line the nest, and the male stays with her until the second day of incubation. Females incubate 2-4 eggs for 11-13 days. Sometimes males assist with feeding the chicks, which fledge after 11-12 days.
FUN FACT
Mated pairs of Yellow-naped Amazons give vocal duets on their breeding territory, which is thought to enhance territory defense from other amazons.
The Yellow-naped Amazon is an Endangered species of the Pacific coast of Mexico and Central America. It inhabits semi-arid woodland, arid scrubland and pine savannas, and treefall gaps in tropical deciduous and swamp forests. Often found in large and noisy flocks, they feed on a variety of seeds and fruits. They nest in hollows of trees. The Yellow-naped Amazon suffers from extensive poaching of nestlings for the pet trade, perhaps more than any other Amazona parrot, and its population is in steep decline.
Habitat
Inhabits semi-arid woodland, arid scrubland and pine savannas, treefall gaps in tropical deciduous and swamp forests; occasionally in second growth in otherwise agricultural areas
Diet
A variety of seeds (including from pine cones) and fruits; often observed in large, noisy flocks
Status
Endangered
Breeding
Yellow-naped Amazons nest in the unlined hollow of living or dead trees. They lay 2–3 eggs, but little is known about their incubation and fledging. In one study, nest success rates were very low -- only about 12%.
The National Aviary is home to more than 500 birds and other animals representing 150 species; some of which live in behind-the-scenes habitats. To enhance our guests’ educational experience, and with regard to individual bird preferences, different species may spend time in various public-facing habitats.
In The News
2 African penguin chicks hatch at National Aviary | MSN
The National Aviary is welcoming two new adorable African penguin chicks.
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Guests can see Gouda daily at 3:15 p.m., except when the Aviary is closed on Tuesdays, for the skunk painting encounter.
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WATCH NOW: The National Aviary is welcoming two new adorable African penguin chicks.
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The National Aviary on Pittsburgh’s North Side is “overjoyed” to welcome the arrival of two baby penguins.
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