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In 1938, local banker Russell Lord Tracy donated to Salt Lake City his collection of 200 birds, including several exotic and unusual species. At the time, the city's Liberty Park had many empty bird cages because the zoo had recently vacated the property to move to its current location on Sunnyside Boulevard.
Tracy donated the birds with the hope that children and families would be able to enjoy them. His dream has come to pass more fully than he could have imagined. Tracy Aviary is the now the oldest and largest aviary in the United States. Tim Brown, executive director of Tracy Aviary, says it sits on eight acres within downtown Salt Lake City's Liberty Park. It is home to 135 different species represented by 400 individual birds.
One of the aviary's recent exhibits is Destination Argentina, which allows visitors to see the exotic birds visited by the hundreds of Utah birds who fly south to Argentina for the winter. Visitors can walk through a free flight zone with noisy monk parakeets, curious guira cockatoos and flashy red-crested cardinals as well as elegant black-necked swans and Chilean flamingoes.
The Kenncott Wetland Immersion Experience gives a personalized look at Utah's wetland habitats. It includes birds such as the long-billed curlew, American avocet and black-crowned night heron. In June the aviary will open an exhibit featuring tropical birds from South America.
Tracy Aviary is currently undergoing a complete renovation intended to make it even more fun and exciting. Tim says the master plan calls for exhibits featuring birds from all over the Western Hemisphere. The new features will also have walkways with no separation between visitors and the birds. Tracy Aviary is different from other zoos or animal exhibits in that it focuses entirely on the birds and teaches about the local birds you can find right in your own backyard.
