Deep in the heart of Africa birds squawk, coo, and whistle.  Deep in the heart of Africa at the North Carolina Zoological Park…birds do the same thing.  The NC Zoo is very lucky to have the bird-holding facilities that they attain.  Most zoos only have one aviary, but the NC Zoo has one on exhibit and two off-site.  The off-site holding areas are full of enriching technology, natural environments, and amazing birds.

            Spring is always busy for the NC Zoo Aviary keepers.  When May rolls around, so do new baby birds.  To help ensure the best for the baby birds, the keepers have recently installed “nanny cams.”  The video cameras allow the keepers to keep an eye on new hatchlings and make sure the parents are taking appropriate care of their offspring.  There are four cameras to monitor the new baby Red Cap Cardinals. The keepers are able to closely observe the cardinals’ behavior without harming them or getting in the way. The keepers have also just hatched two Hottentot Teals.  This is the first time the NC Zoo has artificially incubated bird eggs.  The keepers used an incubator that imitated the way a real Hottentot Teal parent would take care of its baby.

            Walking into the aviary at the NC Zoo, a real tropical rainforest environment emerges.  The off-site holding areas are not as vast but very good for caring and observing birds.  The off-site propagation buildings are used for pre-transportation holding of exotic birds, holding for sick or injured birds, and holding for birds waiting to go on exhibit.  Each cage stretches from floor to ceiling with outside access.  The birds can go freely inside and outside the holding facilities. Some birds are from a tropical region and enjoy basking in the sun as well as enjoying a good rain bath. Some birds are in a “mixed species” area.  This is where birds have 30-40 feet of flight space but share the space with other species of birds.  The propagation buildings also hold retiring birds.  “As long as the birds have good quality life and are eating and being active and we have space for them, we want to keep them and let them live their lives,” says aviary keeper, Wendy Wadsworth.  Also, thanks to generous contributions, the birds have trees to fly, nest, and rest in that the zoo couldn’t normally afford.

            There are beautiful birds inside the zoo’s aviary, but there are some very unique birds in the propagation buildings.  A very unique bird is the Abyssian Ground Horn Bill.  This bird is native of North Africa.  The NC Zoo has one female and one male for breeding purposes. The Abyssian Ground Horn Bill is endangered, and the zoo wants to help with conservation of the Horn Bills.  The Horn Bill’s have huge castes on their bills and long eyelashes with the female having extremely long eyelashes.  The males also have a red throat whereas the females are all black.

            With all the new advances in technology and resources, the NC Zoo has been able to create an exceptional bird program.  The birds at the NC Zoo are well taken care of and encourage bird research.  The keepers instill a lot of pride into their program. Their hard work is shown throughout the NC Zoo.