After a yearlong hiatus due to the COVID pandemic, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden has relaunched its summertime Ameritas Bird Experience at the Wings of Wonder Theater.
During the show, guests will be able to see how different bird species — including a penguin, hyacinth macaw, Abyssinian ground hornbill and bald eagle — fly, call, mimic, climb and "outsmart their trainers," says the zoo. Mammals and reptiles are also included.
“If you’re sitting in the right place, you’ll feel a breeze as the rhinoceros hornbill passes by," says Cincinnati Zoo Director Thane Maynard in a release.
Fans of Zoo Babies can also check out Ori, the new baby milky eagle owl.
Although Ori is still just a tot, this quiet hunter — the largest owl in Africa — will grow rapidly, says Meredith Hughes, the Cincinnati Zoo’s curator of ambassador animals and outreach.
In March, Ori weight 245 grams and "might be 10 times that big in a couple of months," Hughes says. "If it’s a female, it could be even bigger."
The Bird Experience takes place 1 and 3 p.m. Tuesdays through Labor Day and is included in admission.
Other popular zoo attractions and events that are back this summer include the Cheetah Encounter and Barnyard Bonanza.
Starting June 2, members will no longer need to make a reservation to visit the zoo, however, general admission tickets will still require one. And, as of June 2, masks will only be required where humans and animals are in close proximity, says the zoo.
For more info and tickets, visit cincinnatizoo.org.
Cincinnati Zoo, 3400 Vine St., Avondale.
