The disjointed veterinary hospital spread across three wings of the National Aviary’s North Side campus can no longer sustain the group’s efforts in conservation and medical research.
That’s not to mention the daily business of vaccinations, routine checkups and neonatal exams for the 500 birds, mammals and reptiles that make their home at the country’s largest indoor aviary along Arch Street.
“Being spread across three separate, inaccessible areas on our campus has created significant challenges for staff operations and fragmented care of our birds,” said Laurie Nicholl, senior director of philanthropy.
Aviary officials are eyeing a pioneering facility that will elevate animal wellness and train future avian care professionals. Renovations will be done to the facility on the North Side campus.
Plans got a boost this month with $500,000 through the state’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program. The money will help advance construction of a centralized facility to boost efficiency, as well as the capacity for research, education, breeding and reintroduction programs, Nicholl said.
“The proposed project is a significant step in the National Aviary’s vision to serve as a leading resource for information and experiences that advance global conservation,” she said.
State Sen. Wayne Fontana, D-Brookline, whose district includes Allegheny Commons Park where the aviary is situated, said he was pleased to support the efforts.
“It’s a regional asset and renowned throughout the nation,” Fontana said. “It draws people from everywhere, and I’m happy to see this moving forward.”
The aviary, founded in 1952, showcases free-flying bird habitats and immersive exhibits. It was called the Pittsburgh Aviary-Conservatory until city funding ended in 1991. Private efforts saved the institution and it became the National Aviary in 1993 by an act of Congress.
The aviary’s newest resident, a rare harpy eagle named Dariena, arrived from the Miami Zoo before Memorial Day. Harpy eagles are one of the largest and most powerful raptors in the world.
The National Aviary is the only place to find one in the Northeast.
It is among only 20 Association of Zoos and Aquariums in the country to house a harpy eagle like Dariena, which serves as an ambassador for the aviary’s conservation efforts.
“The National Aviary is known for our immersive, hands-on experiences that are offered at the North Side campus, but few know of our leadership in avian conservation and medical research,” Nicholl said. “The aviary plays a critical role in endangered bird breeding, reintroduction programs and global work to protect essential bird habitats.”
The veterinary team is a trailblazer in the specialized and underrepresented field of avian medicine, developing and teaching techniques that are adopted worldwide, she said.
Over the past decade, the aviary campus has flourished with more than $30 million in facility upgrades. But Nicholl said the hospital project invests in the critically important, behind-the-scenes work of protecting birds, saving habitats and advancing avian medicine.
The proposed site is expected to provide streamlined emergency, reproductive and preventive avian care customized for birds of all sizes and life stages, from hatchlings to seniors.
Last year, the aviary’s veterinary department performed routine checkups — like a human going to their primary care physician — for all of the campus birds, mammals and reptiles.
There were neonatal exams on 43 hatches, representing 15 species, including the aviary’s first-ever black kite hatchling and two critically endangered African penguins — all of which are now healthy and thriving adults and juveniles.
The staff administered 182 vaccinations, gave 74 terbinafine oral treatments and 102 protective nebulization treatments to prevent the development of fungal pneumonia.
Nicholl said 15 veterinary professionals were trained in the site’s teaching hospital.
Plans for the veterinary hospital have cleared two hurdles: schematic design and design development. Construction documents have begun.
At the same time, fundraising and preconstruction is underway for the $17 million National Aviary S. Kent Rockwell Conservation Center on property that formerly housed the Shady Side Academy Middle School in Fox Chapel. A groundbreaking is expected next year.
The aviary grant was among nine Pittsburgh initiatives to receive more than $7.7 million, expected to drive the economy through cultural, recreational and historical improvement projects.
“This new state-of-the-art veterinary hospital will make Pittsburgh a global destination for avian veterinary care, education and conservation, drawing in people of all ages who are committed to preserving our environment and threatened and endangered species,” said state Sen. Lindsey Williams, D-West View.
“I’m proud to support this project and am thrilled to see it being built here in Pittsburgh, the home of Rachel Carson, who is widely regarded as the founder of the global environmental movement. The National Aviary is carrying on her proud tradition of making conservation accessible to everyone.”