Owl Forest springs forth at Tracy Aviary

Tracy Aviary has long been known a variety of bird types, including species from central and South America. But now the bird sanctuary is welcoming some new kids to the block.

May 28 marked the opening of the Owl Forest, the newest exhibit to an aviary that houses approximately 430 birds and 135 species.

"It was a great in-house effort to come up with this," executive director Tim Brown said. "We feel really good about nailing it, really. It's cool on many levels."

Tracy Aviary construction manager Paul Svendsen and director of horticulture and maintenance Matthew Utley designed the $250,000 exhibit in collaboration with Peter Beeton of Atlas Architects.

The exhibit's path meanders through what will soon to be seven species of owls, which are shrouded by a canopy that includes 112 new coniferous trees, creating a forest aesthetic and fragrance which resembles that seen in the wild.

A modestly-sized playground area enables children to climb and run endless laps throughout the structure amidst the presence of the birds.

"I don’t think there’s as many trees in the Salt Lake valley, so this will act (as) kind of their trip to the forest," Brown said. " If you put yourself in the mind of a 5- to 12-year-old, it’s a pretty cool experience."

It was also a cool experience for those outside that age range, including Andrea Hepburn of Crescent City, Calif., to even have the opportunity to view the owls from outside the exhibit, which at the time of her visit had been closed as final touches were being completed on construction.

"I can absolutely see these types of birds because they are absolutely accessible," said the bird watcher.

Hepburn said that though owls dwell in wildlife regions surrounding her home, it is difficult for her and other enthusiasts to get much of a glimpse at them because of the owl's location in the towering Redwood trees.

Then there's another problem: The owls come out at night.

"There's not that many places where you can see birds like this," Hepburn said of not just the owl exhibit, but of the entire aviary. "I don't even need my binoculars here."