Coming soon: the new Grigsby Aviary

Things have been busy at the Zoo recently with planning for a new aviary. The Zoo recently received a donation to build this aviary, and if you have been here recently you will have noticed that construction is now underway to get it built. We are extremely grateful for the generous donation that made this project possible, as well as the fantastic job that the construction team is doing to make this project come to life. The Bird Team is really looking forward to sharing this amazing new space and the birds that will be living here with guests very soon!

However, there is a lot that had to happen before the construction could even begin. This process started months ago when we first had to finalize our budget on how much this was going to cost. Everything moving forward had to be planned with this budget in mind. Then came all the meetings and site walkthroughs with the construction team, designers, and the Bird Care Team to figure out the size and layout of the aviary. After we got our first draft of blueprints, this step was repeated to make sure the necessary changes were made to include everything that the Zoo and the team wanted to make this aviary the best it could be for the birds. Once we had our final blueprints, the construction team could begin to gather all the supplies needed for the actual construction. The space where this aviary is being built used to be the site of an older aviary that had to be demolished to make room for this bigger and better aviary. Once all these steps were completed, the construction could begin.

This brings us to the point we are at now. The construction team has been working for a couple of weeks and it is amazing to see all the progress they have made. Once the construction team is finished with all their work on the aviary, the Bird Team still has to make a few additions before birds can be moved in. We need to put in new plants and trees to fill the aviary for these birds to interact with. We also need to put up perching branches so all the birds we move here have places to roost. Once all these steps are completed, then we will finally be able to move birds into their beautiful new aviary.

Ryan W.
Keeper I, Birds