Preventative Medicine

Preventative Medicine

The National Aviary’s skilled veterinary team provide a high level of care to meet each individual’s needs and to keep every animal who calls the National Aviary home thriving and healthy. Birds, like any other animal, require regular, routine care for their wellbeing through all stages of their lives.

Caring for a flock of over 500 birds is no small undertaking. The National Aviary’s veterinary team perform annual exams on birds as large as a Steller’s Sea-Eagle to those as small as a Guam Kingfisher, from flightless birds like African Penguins to long-legged shorebirds like American Flamingos. Annual health screenings involve a physical evaluation, vaccinations, special treatments, and checkups of any pre-existing conditions.

Veterinary staff customize routine care for each species and each animal’s individual needs. For example, to examine Southern Three-banded Armadillos, the veterinary team uses mirrors to view the armadillos’ underbodies—this keeps the armadillos’ comfortable and prevents them from curling up into a ball, which is a natural behavior. Examining a large bird, like an Andean Condor, requires multiple veterinary team members coordinating closely to complete assessments quickly.

A Ruddy Duck chick receives a wellness checkup in the National Aviary’s Avian Hospital.

In The News

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Missing Spooky Season Already? Check Out This Halloween-Inspired Wedding | Pittsburgh Magazine

The ceremony and reception were held at the National Aviary, infused with nods to Halloween!

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Have your photo taken with Santa and a penguin at the National Aviary | PennLive

The Holiday Happenings seasonal event at the National Aviary includes an opportunity you are not likely to get anywhere else.

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One Tank Trip: National Aviary | Fox8

Bird-watching is a popular activity around Northeast Ohio; one of the best places in the country to see our fine-feathered friends is only a One Tank Trip away.

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New African penguin arrives at National Aviary | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A new African penguin is waddling around the National Aviary.

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National Aviary welcomes new penguin to its flock | CBS News

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The National Aviary welcomed a new African penguin to its flock.

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