Member Highlight Video - Tracy Aviary
USEE Web
for more, visit the USEE Member Highlights page
USEE’s quest to understand more about our members brought us to the exciting world of Tracy Aviary. Tracy Aviary is located in the southwest corner of Liberty Park in the heart of Salt Lake City, carrying approximately 400 birds representing about 135 species, many of which are rare or endangered. Those numbers don’t include the native birds that come to hang out around the Aviary as well. Now where else can you see a collection of 400 rare birds in the middle of a city?! The Aviary is set up to imitate many different landscapes including their newest owl exhibit, which includes a forest of conifer trees that produce the aroma of walking through a deep evergreen forest.
We had the pleasure of talking with Tim Brown, the Executive Director of Tracy Aviary who described the importance of birds to the state of Utah. As we learned in our last member highlight with FRIENDS of the Great Salt Lake, Utah is an important stopover location for thousands of migratory birds, which is why conservation of Utah’s landscape is so critical. Brown stressed that the purpose of the aviary is not to be a one time show, but an educational launching pad for viewers to recognize the rare birds in the wild in Utah.
The Aviary also provides educational experiences for groups and special events. Some of the summer shows include the “Eat or Be Eaten Bird Show” demonstrating how birds find their food and avoid becoming prey, the “Eggsmasher Bird Demo” demonstrating the structure of bird eggs, and “Beat the Heat Bird Show” every Monday demonstrating ways that birds keep cool. Additionally, they offer feeding encounters of Pelicans and birds of the Amazon. More activities include birthdays, field trips, guided tours, scout programs, and summer camps. The Aviary is open every day of the year, except Thanksgiving and Christmas so you can enjoy the exhibits year round!
Tracy Aviary strives to uphold conservation efforts including Species Survival Plans (SSP) focused towards conserving threatened or endangered species. Around the Aviary are rainforest parking meters to collect loose change to go towards rainforest conservation. Tracy Aviary also upholds recycling and composting programs. We enjoyed our afternoon of discovery and education in the heart of the city and we hope you will get a chance to stop by!
Learn more and plan your trip to the Tracy Aviary at http://www.tracyaviary.org/






