Archai (pronounced ark-ee) and Rusty are among dozens of passerine and wading birds in the 35-foot high enclosure recently opened at the RiverQuarium. And while the two aren’t rehabbed birds like all the others — they were raised by humans and can’t be released into the wild — they are right at home in their new surroundings.
“They were found and raised by people and don’t know they’re birds,” said Amanda Margraves, who serves as the RiverQuarium’s aviculturist, a specialist in raising and caring for birds, especially of wild birds in captivity. “They chase each other around and steal each other’s stash.”
In addition to these two showstoppers, the aviary includes about 15 species of non-releasable birds you can see around the Flint River and have come from a number of wildlife rehab centers from North Carolina to South Florida, including the Suncoast Sea Bird Sanctuary in Tampa, Florida.
“Because the Flint goes into the Appalachicola, a lot in the collection are gulf birds,” said General Curator Richard Brown, naming the species which include quail, blue heron, Canadian goose, great egret, mallard, white ibis, snowy egret, cormorant and black and yellow crowned night herons.
“Almost all are rehab birds with some minor injury that you can’t even tell to look at them, but they wouldn’t be able to survive in the wild,” Margraves said. “They’re happy and well fed. We’re not bringing birds out from the wild, trapping them or anything. It gives people a chance to see them and it gives them a new home.”
A water feature with native plants is a comfortable spot for the many water birds housed at the aviary, while additional native trees and plants such as the ball cypress, magnolia, sweetbay, trumpet honeysuckle, wax myrtle and tupelo allow the non-water birds to feel right at home as well, said Brown.
The birds are fed “pounds and pounds of fish a day,” as well as meal worms, crickets, seed, fruit and fresh veggies. “They eat better than I do,” Margraves admits. Lizards and other tasty treats that wander into the enclosure are also fair game for food.
Volunteers from the local chapter of the Audubon Society will assist staff by interpreting for visitors by helping to identify birds and discussing their behavior and habitats, says Wendy Bellacomo, marketing manager of the facility.
“This opens a whole new direction for the RiverQuarium and adds to the aquatic animals we’ve had,” Bellacomo said. “It’s a chance for us to showcase of the birds that live along the river and in the watershed as well as some of the migratory birds that come through.”
The Flint RiverQuarium Aviary opened Oct. 25 and was designed by Frank Zaremba of Lyons-Zaremba, the same firm that designed the RiverQuarium. Local architectural firm Yielding, Wakeford and McGee worked with Zaremba and LRA Construction to complete the project. The $1.1 million project was funded with $1 million in SPLOST money and $100,000 in private funds, said Scott Loehr, CEO of the Flint RiverQuarium.
The Flint RiverQuarium Aviary is open during regular aquarium hours of 9 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday; and 1 p.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Entrance to the aviary is included in the RiverQuarium admission price of $9 for adults; $8 for seniors; and $6.50 for children ages 4 to 12.
For more information, call (229) 639-2650 or visit www.flintriverquarium.com.
K.K. Snyder is a freelance writer who resides in metro Albany.
• WHAT: Flint RiverQuarium Aviary
• HOURS: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays, 1 p.m.-5 p.m. Sundays
• WHERE: 101 Pine Ave., Albany
• COST: $9 adults, $8 seniors (at least 62 years old), $6.50 children (ages 4-12)
• FOR INFORMATION: Call (229) 639-2650 or visit www.flintriverquarium.com
