!

Reminder

Arch Street will be closed in both directions beginning Friday, June 2 at 1 pm and all of Saturday, June 3. Please follow posted detour signs when traveling to the National Aviary. Alternate Routes

Close Announcement

Senior Care

Teaching Hospital: Senior and Special Needs Care

Birds are fragile creatures. Their hollow bones can easily fracture, and their delicate respiratory systems leave them prone to infection. Birds are also incredibly resilient, and with veterinary care and attention, they can thrive and live long lives. The National Aviary’s Teaching Hospital is home to birds who require extra nursing care for conditions related to age or a disability.

Just as humans face challenges as they get older, birds can also develop common age-related conditions, such as arthritis and cataracts. Female birds can become “egg-bound,” a condition that prevents them from passing eggs naturally and requires immediate medical assistance or surgery to save their life. Some birds develop kidney conditions as they age which can lead to gout, but can be treated successfully with human-grade prescriptions modified for each bird’s needs.

Each year, more than 50 pre-veterinary and veterinary technician students from around the world come to the National Aviary to train in the Teaching Hospital. In this setting, the students care directly for senior and special needs birds while gaining invaluable experience in avian medicine. Students learn to administer medications, prepare and feed meals to the birds, perform husbandry, and assist with check-ups.

The National Aviary’s Teaching Hospital strives to provide the best possible lifestyle to its residents, and to give them the habitats and nursing care that they need to continue thriving into old age, while training the next generation of avian veterinarians.

Brad, a Crested Cuoa, is one of the residents of the National Aviary’s Teaching Hospital.

In The News

See All News

National Aviary summer season includes ‘Superheroes of the Sky’ | Herald-Standard

New daily activities included with admission allow guests to get close with a league of Avian Superheroes!

Read More »

Superheroes of the Sky Launches at the National Aviary, Offering a Summer Full of Avian Adventures | National Aviary News

New daily activities included with admission allow guests to get close with a league of Avian Superheroes!

Read More »

New Peer-Reviewed Paper from Project Principalis Published in Ecology and Evolution Suggests Ivory-billed Woodpeckers Survive in Louisiana | National Aviary News

Project Principalis has released new evidence in Ecology and Evolution supporting the persistence of Ivory-billed Woodpeckers in Louisiana.

Read More »

The National Aviary’s Wetlands Renovation Win Prix Lumière Award | Association de vitrerie et fenestration du Québec

The National Aviary's Wetlands project won the Prix Lumière last night for the Institutional Commercial Project Category.

Read More »

Things to Do This Weekend | Pittsburgh Magazine

Top Pick: Up Close and Personal With Swooping Birds at the National Aviary

Read More »