Our Birds
- Birds & Habitats
- Our Birds
FUN FACT
Inca Terns will sometimes nest in abandoned Humboldt Penguin nesting burrows.
This dark tern with its reddish-orange beak and feat, and striking white moustache, is a resident of the coasts of Peru and Chile where it catches fish in the Humboldt Current. The Inca Tern nests along the Pacific coast on rocky cliffs or guano islands, sometimes utilizing the old nest of a Humboldt Penguin. Reduction of nesting habitat as a result of guano harvesting may affect population dynamics. However, Inca Terns are very flexible and successful in using any kind of coverage (natural or artificial) for nesting. They can nest inside abandoned buildings and huts on guano islands, and in any pile of wood and metal slabs. Inca Tern populations may be affected by the reduction of anchovy stocks due to commercial fishing, and by reduced breeding success caused by the presence of rats and cats on some islands.
Habitat
Inshore “guano islands”; along rocky coasts and where sandy beaches are flanked by cliffs
Diet
Fish
Status
Near Threatened
Breeding
The Inca Tern breeds on inshore (and occasionally offshore) islands and rocky coastal cliffs. Nests are placed in suitable fissures, burrows, caves and cavities, sometimes the old nest of a Humboldt Penguin One or two eggs are incubated for about four weeks, and the chicks leave the nest after seven weeks.
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FUN FACT
There are over 200 breeds of canary. Canaries have been bred for color, song type, and form. Most canaries sold in pet stores are not of any specific breed, and are often called ‘common canaries’.
When most of us think of the canary, we think of a cheerful, bright yellow bird in a decorative cage. In reality, this common canary (Serinus canaria domestica) is the domesticated cousin of the “true” Island Canary (Serinus canaria), native to the Canary Islands just off the northwest coast of Africa.
Spanish sailors first brought the canary to Europe in 1478, where it was prized among those wealthy enough to afford one for the male canary’s silvery, twittering song. The brilliant yellow color that we associate with modern domestic canaries is the result of a genetic mutation that suppresses the melanin in the birds’ feathers, effectively “erasing” the dark banding and streaking found on wild birds. For the next century, the Spaniards controlled availability of canaries by only selling male birds to the rest of Europe. When a shipping accident in the 16th Century allowed a shipment of the birds to escape to Elba Island in the Tuscan Archipelago, the Italians were quick to take advantage of the situation. Soon canaries were being bred and sold all over the world outside of Spanish control.
The ready availability of domestic canaries made them ideal candidates when, in the late 1890’s, pioneering physiologist John Scott Haldane recommended the use of small, warm-blooded animals as “sentinels” for the build-up of toxic gases in coal mines. A build-up of toxic gases following “firedamp” and coal dust explosions was known to be what killed most miners, but reliable gas detectors were hard to come by. The flame of a “safety lamp” could be used to detect rising levels of methane and “chokedamp” (a combination of gaseous nitrogen and carbon dioxide), but no mechanical means of measuring carbon monoxide existed. With their small body size and faster metabolism, animals such as mice and canaries would succumb to a build-up of carbon monoxide more quickly than a human. Canaries came to be preferred over mice because the birds more visibly demonstrated signs of distress in the presence of even small quantities of carbon monoxide gas. This few minutes of warning gave miners time to put on protective gas masks, or even to leave the mines entirely. In their capacity as sentinels, canaries saved the lives of thousands of miners during the nearly 100 years they were in use. Today, we still use the phrase “the canary in a coal mine” when we talk about species who are biological indicators for the health of an ecosystem – species who, like the canary for the miners, begin to suffer and die as an early sign that something is wrong. Changes in the function, health, or population of these indicator species can reveal such things as the accumulation of pollutants (lamp shell brachiopods), changes in overall air quality (milkweed and some strains of white pine are sensitive to ozone), and the threat of rising ocean temperatures (corals and marine fishes worldwide).
Habitat
A wide variety of habitats from forests to sand dunes and frequently is found in parks and gardens
Diet
Mixed seeds and fresh greens
Status
Least Concern
Breeding
Wild Canaries lay two or three clutches of 3-5 speckled light blue eggs each year. Domestic Canaries are usually housed in pairs to control the genetics of resulting offspring. Females begin laying when exposed to at least 12 hours of daylight -- something which can happen naturally, or be artificially induced with selective lighting. The female lays 4-5 eggs on successive days, and incubates for two weeks. During that time, she never leaves the nest, and depends on her mate to bring her food. Chicks leave the nest about 18 days after hatching, and the parents continue to feed them for up to a week afterward.
FUN FACT
Javan Pond-Herons sometimes nest in very large (and very loud) colonies numbering tens of thousands of birds!
The Javan Pond-Heron is a wading bird found in Southeast Asia. Described as “stout,” this heron is sometimes mistaken for an egret with similar plumage. It inhabits swamps, marshes, and flooded plains, where it forages for crabs, insects, and fish by remaining motionless for long periods of time before snatching food from the water. This species is not globally threatened and its numbers may actually be increasing.
Habitat
Freshwater swamps, ponds, lakes; also rice paddies and other flooded areas; sometimes uses coastal habitats, including mangroves and reefs.
Diet
Fish, crab, and insects
Status
Least Concern
Breeding
Little is known about the nesting behaviors of Javan Pond-Herons. They can be solitary, or nest in groups numbering in the thousands and sometimes including other wading bird species. The nest is a small stick nest on leafy branches situated over water. They typically lay three eggs.
FUN FACT
The Keel-billed Toucan is the national bird of Belize.
With its bright bill boasting a rainbow of colors, the Keel-billed Toucan is a recognizable bird that stands out in the forests it inhabits throughout southern Mexico and Central America. Keel-billed Toucans primarily eat fruit and seeds, and occasionally supplement their diet with animal proteins such as small lizards and insects. The call of a Keel-billed Toucan is very loud and can carry more than half a mile! While not considered globally threatened, their populations are declining due to habitat loss and hunting.
Habitat
Humid lowland forests, primarily in the canopy; also in second growth woodland, cacao and coffee plantations, and along rivers and streams in dry forests
Diet
Fruits, seeds, insects, invertebrates, lizards, snakes, and small birds and their eggs
Status
Least Concern
Breeding
Keel-billed Toucans use tree cavities for their nests, laying 1-4 eggs which both sexes incubate for 15-20 days. Young are fed by both parents for 8-9 weeks, which allows time for their bills to fully develop before they fledge.
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FUN FACT
King Vultures have one of the strongest beaks out of all the American vultures, being able to open a carcass that the others cannot. This is why they often eat first, with the other vultures eating what remains.
The third largest of the vultures of the Americas, the King Vulture has one of the strongest beaks out of all the American vultures and is able to open carcasses that the others cannot. While some of its food may be dead fish or lizards, other times it feeds on sloths, monkeys, or cattle. This is a vulture of the tropical lowland forests of Central and South America. Like other vultures, the King Vulture requires variety in its habitat so that it combines open areas where carrion can be found, isolated nest sites such as rock outcrops, and undisturbed stands of large trees for roosting. Although not considered threatened at this time, there are few data on population trends and some concern that the King Vulture may be declining as a result of habitat destruction.
Habitat
Lowland dry or humid tropical forests and other wooded areas, as well as more open areas adjacent to forest, and generally well away from human habitations
Diet
Feed on carcasses of many sizes ranging from dead fish, lizards, sloths, and monkeys up to cattle. They have been reported to occasionally kill small reptiles, wounded animals, and newborn calves.
Status
Least Concern
Breeding
One egg is laid directly on the ground or the bottom of a tree cavity or rock ledge anywhere from ground level to 70 meters up on a rock ledge; the species has been documented nesting within Maya ruins.
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FUN FACT
Lanner Falcon pairs hunt together. Males flush out prey for females to fly in and capture it.
Lanner Falcons are strong, stocky birds with long wings and a relatively short tail, very similar to the North American Peregrine Falcon. Males and females of this species tend to look the same, but females are slightly larger. Lanner Falcons have been used in the sport of falconry for centuries, and are prized for their ability to capture other birds such as pigeons. Lanner Falcons are fast, agile flyers that use both a vertical stoop and a horizontal hunting style to pursue their prey. They can fly low over the ground at speeds of up to 90 miles per hour.
Habitat
Open terrain and rocky cliffs
Diet
Primarily other birds and small insects
Status
Least Concern
Breeding
Lanner Falcons take over abandoned nests or nest of ledges, laying 3 or 4 eggs. Both parents share incubation duties.
FUN FACT
The name Kookaburra comes from Wiradhuri, an Australian Aboriginal language.
You may not think you’ve heard the rollicking call of the Laughing Kookaburra, but you almost certainly have. The Kookaburra’s loud “laugh” — that echoing koo-koo-koo-koo-KA-KA-KA! in the background of every jungle movie ever made — actually comes from a squat, unassuming bird who would never be found anywhere near a jungle. In fact, the traditional home of the wild Laughing Kookaburra is the wide-open eucalyptus forests of Australia.
The Laughing Kookaburra is the largest member of the kingfisher family. But while many kingfishers are brightly colored and famed for their dramatic dives down into the water in search of fish, the brown-and-beige Laughing Kookaburra prefers dry woodlands and city parks, not to mention a more practical sit-and-wait style of hunting. Kookaburras will eat almost any kind of meat they can get hold of — insects, small mammals, hotdogs, snakes. Once caught up in the Kookaburra’s strong beak, prey is carried up into the trees and whacked repeated against a branch to kill it and soften the insides up for easy eating.
When they’re not stealing food from picnics or beating up snakes, Kookaburras use their distinctive call as a territorial marker. Everywhere you can hear their laughter belongs to them! Unfortunately, they like nothing better than to sound off first thing in the morning. This tendency to wake people up, whether they want to or not, has earned the Laughing Kookaburra the local nickname “The Bushman’s Alarm Clock.”
Habitat
Eucalypt forest and woodland; riparian corridor along major watercourses; woodlots and cleared farmland, city parks and suburban gardens
Diet
Small mammals, large insects, lizards -- and snakes! Kookaburras are famous for eating even venomous snakes that are longer than their own bodies.
Status
Least Concern
Breeding
Laughing Kookaburras breed during the summer months (which in Australia are October - November). They cooperate in the excavation of a hollow tree or arboreal termite mound where the female will lay her 2-4 eggs. Chicks hatch after about 27 days, and remain in the burrow for up to a month. When they are finally coaxed out of the nesting burrow, chicks are already able to fly and join in the raucous family chorus. Previous seasons' offspring will often stay within the family group, helping to raise the next year's brood.
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FUN FACT
Sloths do everything upside down! They eat, sleep, mate, and even give birth upside down.
Linnaeus’s Two-toed Sloths are expert climbers. When you visit the Tropical Rainforest, you may catch Wookiee hanging upside down high in the canopy, or moving slowly along branches and vines. They have two claws on their hands and three claws on their feet, all measuring about 4 inches in length, that help them to hang. Sloths only come down from the trees once every week or so to defecate. Sloths live life in the slow lane, moving about 0.2 miles per hour in the trees, and sleep upwards of 15 hours each day! Sloths are anything but lazy, though. All of this sleeping helps them to conserve energy—an important thing for an animal whose diet of leaves, shoots, and barks is not very nutritious. They have a large, multi-chambered stomach that can hold huge quantities of food. It can take up to a month for a sloth to digest one meal!
A symbolic sloth adoption is a great gift, and helps us care for our flock!
Adopt Today!Habitat
Tropical lowland and mountain rainforests
Diet
Leaves, twigs, buds, fruits, flowers, and occasional insects
Status
Least Concern
Breeding
Two-toed sloths have a 10-month gestation period and give birth to a single offspring.
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FUN FACT
The Luzon Bleeding-heart, like all pigeons, drinks by sucking quickly and continuously, not lifting its head up to swallow, a unique ability among birds.
The beautiful Luzon Bleeding-heart gets its name for the scarlet markings on its chest. Found throughout primary and secondary forests in the Philippines, the Luzon Bleeding-heart feeds on seeds, berries, and insects along the forest floor. Their call is a mournful coo. The species is generally considered rare or scarce, and is considered to be Near Threatened. It is vulnerable to habitat destruction and hunting.
Habitat
Primary and secondary lowland forest with well-developed understory
Diet
seeds, fallen berries, and insects, worms and other invertebrates on the forest floor
Status
Near Threatened
Breeding
Luzon Bleeding-hearts lay 2 eggs with an incubation period of 17 days. Young fledge at 12 days.
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Malayan Flying Foxes play a crucial role in pollinating and dispersing seeds in our ecosystem. They spit out fruit seeds or pass them through their digestive systems, allowing them to grow new trees and plants. This is especially important for birds, who rely on the trees for nesting and feeding.
Malayan Flying Foxes are the largest member of Pteropus! With their striking red or russet heads that turn deep orange during breeding season, these bats are a true wonder of nature. They have large, well-developed eyes for flight navigation and form feeding groups of up to 50 and roosting colonies of up to 20,000 individuals. And let’s not forget about their unique ability to hang effortlessly upside-down in trees with their long, sharp, curved claws. As the world’s only flying mammals, these bats truly are a sight to behold.
Despite their impressive size and territorial behavior, the Malayan Flying Fox is facing a decline in their population. In some areas, colonies of up to 52,000 individuals have been reduced to only 3,000.
Distribution
Native to Southeast Asia
Habitat
Forests, swamps, small islands near coasts
Diet
Primarily fruit but will also consume nectar, flower, pollen, and leaves
Status
Near Threatened
Breeding
Gestation is 180 days; females give birth to a single pup and raise their young for 3 to 4 months.
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FUN FACT
Mallards are the source of all domestic ducks except for Muscovy Ducks.
A very common dabbling duck of the Nearctic region, and introduced elsewhere where it is sometimes considered an invasive pest, the Mallard occurs on almost any body of shallow water, but especially those with submerged or floating vegetation. In the breeding season the Mallard eats mostly animal foods such as aquatic insect larvae and snails, but at other times of year they favor seeds, aquatic vegetation, and cereal crops. The Mallard usually nests near water but on the ground in upland areas, with the nest hidden under overhanging vegetation.
Habitat
Can occur on almost any body of shallow water, preferably with submerged, floating, emergent and riparian vegetation; commonly found in public parks that have ponds.
Diet
Eats mostly animal foods, including insects such as midge larvae (Chironomidae) and other aquatic insect larvae, snails, freshwater shrimp, and terrestrial earthworms. Outside of breeding season, diet is predominately seeds, tree mast (e.g., acorns), aquatic vegetation, and cereal crops (e.g., corn, rice, barley, wheat). Mallards often take human-provided food, such as bread, which is very unhealthy for them.
Status
Least Concern
Breeding
Mallards usually nest on the ground in an upland area near water, under overhanging cover or in dense vegetation for concealment. Urban Mallards use a variety of additional cover types, including evergreens, ornamental shrubs, vines, gardens, woodpiles, and artificial structures such as docks and boats. Clutch size is usually between 5-10 eggs, and eggs are incubated for an average of 28 daays. Young can fly (and fledge) about 50-60 days after hatching.
Marbled Teal have particularly well-developed lamellae, comb-like fringe on the inside edges of the bill, that enable them to filter out tiny zooplankton from water, silt and mud.
The Marbled Teal is a duck of the Mediterranean region, particularly fond of shallow brackish and freshwater pools with abundant emergent vegetation. This is an omnivorous dabbling duck, eating seeds, roots, tubers, and green parts of aquatic plants, as well as aquatic invertebrates like midge larvae. The Marbled Teal is threatened by over-hunting, and by climate change which is causing droughts in an already arid region, reducing the shallow marshes that this duck depends on.
Habitat
Shallow brackish and freshwater pools and marshes with abundant emergent and submergent vegetation.
Diet
Omnivorous--eats seeds, roots, tubers and green parts of aquatic plants, as well as aquatic invertebrates (especially midge larvae). Feeds by dabbling at water surface, upending and diving in shallow waters.
Status
Vulnerable
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The National Aviary is home to more than 500 birds 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
Juvenile African Penguin at National Aviary receives new name inspired by love story | WPXI
A juvenile African Penguin that joined the National Aviary flock in October has received a new name.
Read More »Their “Kids” Will Return to the Wild | Outside My Window
Two Guam kingfisher chicks hatched at the National Aviary began their journey back to the wild.
Read More »Threatened with Extinction, Rare Birds Get Flight Upgrade at PIT | Blue Sky News
Guam kingfisher chicks catch Delta flight, prepare for reentry into wild thanks to National Aviary.
Read More »Party in July with the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden, National Aviary and Vintage Grand Prix | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
A Night in the Tropics: Island Oasis to benefit the National Aviary on the North Side. There will be food and drinks from 19 area businesses and live entertainment by No Bad JuJu, Mariachi by Miguel, Guaracha and Marlon’s Dancers.
Read More »How you can see Red the Macaw at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh | CBS News
The National Aivary's Avian Medicine program is providing cutting-edge care to our feathered friends, including Red the Macaw. She was here with Dr. Pilar Fish, the senior director of advancement in avian medicine at the National Aviary.
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