Tracy Aviary

01/25/2025

01/25/2025

We are excited to introduce a new program for 2025—First Friday Fono! Join us each month as we explore the legends of the Pacific Islands and other important topics. These discussions will take place around a bowl of kava every first Friday of the month at 6 p.m. at the Nature Center at Pia Okwai.

https://tracyaviary.org/nature-center/event-calendar/first-friday-fono/2025-02-07/

01/24/2025

Join us on February 15 for Let's Go Birding Together!
This month we will be snowshoeing at Spruces Campground!

Registration is required for all participants. If you’d like to carpool with our educators from the Nature Center at Pia Okwai, be sure to select the carpool ticket when you register.

Please register here: https://tracyaviary.org/nature-center/event-calendar/lets-go-birding-4/

01/23/2025

Don't miss our Career Panel happening on February 15! Learn about the diverse career paths and daily responsibilities of our talented staff across departments, including Bird Show, Aviculture, Facilities, Horticulture, Events, Education, Conservation, and Guest Experience. This is a unique opportunity to ask questions, gain insights into the rewarding work we do, and explore how you might join the world of conservation, education, and animal care. Don’t miss this chance to connect, learn, and be inspired!

Registration is required. Learn more here: https://tracyaviary.org/liberty-park/event/career-panel/

01/22/2025

Ruddy ducks, like this male, are extremely aquatic. Their legs are located close to their tail which makes them excellent divers even as fresh hatchlings. This leg position, while an excellent adaptation for life on water, gives them difficulty walking on land.

01/20/2025

There are only a few spots left for our next guided birding trip to the Rio Grande Valley, TX in April of 2025.
Experience the staggering bird diversity of sub-tropical South Texas, catch Mexican rarities attracted to the region, and enjoy northbound migrant shorebirds, raptors, and passerines passing through the area.

Learn more: https://tracyaviary.org/conservation/special-events/guided-birding-trips/

Image Description: A group of birders stand on a beach looking through binoculars and cameras. Next to them is a large white passenger van.

01/20/2025

Aheéhee, Fa'afetai tele lava and gratitude for you Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Your actions and voice are in the steps we are taking here at Tracy Aviary and Tracy Aviary’s Nature Center at Pia Okwai.

Today many of us are working, some of us are resting, rejoicing, and celebrating. May we all carve out space for a moment of reflection in nature. Sit by water, listen to the birds, feel the wind on your face today, next month, and throughout the year. Every day, we honor you, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. We are deeply grateful for your vision of love that teaches us to breathe, soar, and rest.

Photo courtesy of Bernice King, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 's daughter. Coretta Scott King, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and their family resting and sharing a meal.

01/18/2025

Check out our new downloadable wallpapers! A new image will be released monthly! Look for them mid-month.
This month we are featuring the female bufflehead in honor of World Waterfowl Day!
Download your wallpaper today: https://tracyaviary.org/blog/post/wallpaper/

01/17/2025

Today is World Waterfowl Day! This is the inaugural World Waterfowl Day. Sylvan Heights Bird Park designated January 17th as World Waterfowl Day in memory of Mike Lubbock, one of the world’s leading waterfowl conservationists.
Check out these fun Waterfowl Facts! You can learn more fun facts at: https://www.waterfowlday.org/learn/

01/16/2025

Learn how to better identify waterfowl with Tracy Aviary's Conservation Ecologist, Bryant Olsen.
Join us tomorrow, January 17th for World Waterfowl Day! Learn about when and where to find waterfowl species, import identification tips to differentiate between birds, their ecological roles and behaviors, and the evolutionary relationships between species.

Learn more: https://tracyaviary.org/liberty-park/event/waterfowl-day/

Bryant’s passion for birds and over twenty years of birding experience have made him one of the most well-respected bird authorities in the state of Utah, and he was the recipient of the 2017 Utah Birder of the Year Award. Bryant spends his time leading field trips, teaching bird identification classes, and training volunteers for local conservation projects. On top of his extensive bird expertise, Bryant has in-depth knowledge about many subjects, from general natural history to geology, astronomy, and more.

01/15/2025

Are you ready to celebrate waterfowl this weekend?
Join us at Tracy Aviary at Liberty Park on Friday, January 17 for special presentations and keeper talks. Then stop by the Nature Center at Pia Okwai on January 18 for fun birding opportunities!

01/14/2025

Kick off the year with Wine Takes Flight on January 23! This event includes three beverages, a special arrival pour, and food pairings sponsored by Beehive Cheese. We will be featuring sparkling, crisp white, and rich red wines; this is a great event for those who don’t drink to feature non-alcoholic wines at your next gathering. All while raising a glass to the birds at Tracy Aviary!

https://tracyaviary.org/liberty-park/event/damp-january-a-side-by-side-comparison-of-non-alcoholic-and-traditional-wines/

01/13/2025

This week at Tracy Aviary is our staff appreciation week for our Conservation Team!
Tracy Aviary’s Conservation Science Program helps conserve birds and their habitats through community science.
Discover our ongoing conservation projects and learn how you can get involved here: https://tracyaviary.org/conservation/our-projects/

Image descriptions:
A Wilson's Phalarope being banded.
Tracy Aviary conservation team conducting a snowy plover survey.
The construction of a Motus Wildlife Tracking tower.

01/11/2025

Save the date for our Birds & Brew: Birds and the Bees Valentine’s Event! We're bringing back this fan favorite on February 7! Tickets are now on sale!

https://tracyaviary.org/liberty-park/event/birds-and-the-bees-valentines-event/

Image Description: Photos from a past Birds and the Bees Valentine’s Event. Guests enjoy food and drinks while listening to presentations on the unique and strange breeding behaviors of birds, and participate in a fun photo booth!

01/10/2025

Get ready for the Every Kid Outdoors Adventure Challenge! The 2025 kick off event will take place on January 24 at Millcreek Commons. Learn more: https://recreation.utah.gov/eko/

01/09/2025

Join us in celebrating World Waterfowl Day on January 17!
2025 will be the inaugural World Waterfowl Day. Sylvan Heights Bird Park designated January 17th as World Waterfowl Day in memory of Mike Lubbock, one of the world’s leading waterfowl conservationists.
Learn more: https://tracyaviary.org/liberty-park/event/waterfowl-day/

01/08/2025

Scaly-sided mergansers, like the trio pictured here, are our earliest nesting waterfowl. While most other waterfowl species start to nest once the weather warms up, these mergansers often begin to lay eggs as early as the beginning of February!

01/07/2025

Tracy Aviary is proud to sponsor Field Inclusive to offer a $2000 Travel Award to help a marginalized or historically excluded student to attend any conference, workshop, or training opportunity in a natural sciences field for Summer 2025.

Learn More & Apply: https://www.fieldinclusive.org/student-travel-awards/

Applications due April 1st, 11:59 ET.