National Aviary visitors enjoy immersive experience with beautiful birds
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The National Aviary offers enhanced safety measures and new experiences that bring visitors close to beautiful birds from around the world. When visitors head to the National Aviary, they will be treated to an immersive experience. With a limited number of guests and tickets booked in advance at shop.aviary.org, guests can expect an experience that is intimate and personal with amazing opportunities for close interactions with the National Aviary’s flock of more than 500 birds. Plan your visit here.
With each visit, enjoy the chance to get a glimpse of the National Aviary’s experts in action. As visitors roam through habitats full of lush greenery and brilliant birds, they can see staff feeding birds in front of the impressive waterfall in the Tropical Rainforest or on the walkway of the Wetlands. They may catch a bird meet and greet or a bird training session in the Helen M. Schmidt FliteZone Theater, where they can watch experts working with vultures, owls or even a Grey Crowned-crane. Clover the Grey Crowned-crane has a remarkable 6-foot wingspan and helps to remind guests to keep 6 feet between themselves and other bird lovers! Watch this video of Clover the Grey Crowned-crane during a flight demonstration in the Helen M. Schmidt FliteZone Theater.
Caring for birds and mammals is still the top priority during these uncertain times. Through your donation or membership, the aviary can continue to provide for animals as well as sustain educational programming. Consider helping today.
Explore the newly renovated Grasslands habitat, a peaceful habitat home to dozens of small songbirds. In this light and airy space, small finches and sparrows chirp cheerily and sing from perches just feet away, and sunlight from skylights above creates a quiet space to relax and connect with nature.
This time of year is always exciting at the National Aviary. For many birds, nesting season takes place during spring and summer. Take some time to explore the Tropical Rainforest, a large, immersive habitat where visitors will find a family of glamorous Victoria Crowned Pigeons. Their squab—or chick—fledged the nest not long ago and is tagging along with the proud parents. The National Aviary is also celebrating the hatching of another Guam Kingfisher in its state-of-the-art breeding center. This species is extinct in the wild, and every chick is important.
For visitors wanting to take their National Aviary experience further, the Animal Encounters experience is a great way to get close to different bird species and even to a sloth. There are new and expanded opportunities to meet animals up close, including a new Family Penguin Encounter for bird lovers of all ages and a new Falcon Encounter. These small-group experiences put you close to birds like penguins, owls, hawks and flamingos under the guidance of a knowledgeable National Aviary expert. These encounters are specially designed to offer plenty of space to physically distance from other guests and include hand sanitation and mask-wearing practices for both guests and staff. Animal Encounters now includes general admission. You can prebook your Animal Encounters experience by emailing info@aviary.org.
To plan a visit to the National Aviary, check out available timed entry tickets, which can be purchased in advance at shop.aviary.org.