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Wildlife Journal                   (new 5/18/2020)

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Wildlife Journal                   (new 5/18/2020)

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Print out and complete this journal. Record what you see, hear, smell, touch, and taste and create a fun record of your experiences and thoughts while in nature. Be sure to record the date, location, and weather. Have fun with it!

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Monarch Butterflies             (new 5/18/2020)

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Monarch Butterflies             (new 5/18/2020)

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Listen to the book by Gail Gibbons read aloud.

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Tame Grouse Video            (new 5/11/2020)

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Tame Grouse Video            (new 5/11/2020)

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The Ruffed Grouse is the state bird of Pennsylvania.  Learn more about them by watching this short video.

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Animal Identification          (new 5/11/2020) 

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Animal Identification          (new 5/11/2020) 

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Identify PA wildlife by looking at the eyes. Answers are on page 2 so don't scroll too fast.)

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Build a Bird Feeder              (new 5/4/2020) 

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Build a Bird Feeder              (new 5/4/2020) 

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Use a tin can or a milk jug to build a feeder for our fine feathered friends.

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Pennsylvania Wildlife         (new 4/27/2020) 

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Pennsylvania Wildlife         (new 4/27/2020) 

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Print one or all to color and enjoy.

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PA Game Commission information about the recovery of the Bald Eagle in PA. Lots to read, watch, and do.

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Join the Game Commission in celebrating a growing bald eagle population and immerse yourself in this view from the top of a big sycamore tree nestled in Pennsylvania farmlands. Bald eagles are wild creatures and it is important to keep them wild. Please refrain from naming the birds to respect their wild nature. Also respect the privacy of the birds and the landowners, to whom we are extremely grateful for their enthusiastic cooperation. Periodic updates will be posted From the Nest and in the livestream chat. Enjoy! And remember, nature can be difficult to watch.

Eagle Watching

During the nesting season, bald eagles are sensitive to disruptions such as loud noises and sudden movements. The Pennsylvania Game Commission encourages eagle watchers to stay at least 1,000 feet from bald eagle nests to reduce stress on the nesting eagles. Before visiting an eagle nest, please review bald eagle nest etiquette.

Contributions to Pennsylvania Wildlife

Donations to the Game Commission and proceeds from all sales bolster the Game Commission's efforts to preserve, conserve and manage Pennsylvania's wildlife resources and habitats. You might enjoy the Birds of Pennsylvania Field Guide among other books, calendars, patches, apparel and more.

​Celebrating 30 Years of Restoration More Information

The bald eagle's history in Pennsylvania is a precarious one. In 1983, there were a mere three nests left in the entire state. With the help of the Canadian government, the Pennsylvania Game Commission, and several other states reintroduced bald eagle chicks from Canada back to the Northeast United States. Today, Pennsylvania boasts more than 300 nests. This 22-minute documentary tells the story of that success. Read more about the Bald Eagle Reintroduction Project.

Bald Eagles and Lead

The recovery of bald eagles has come a long way since three nests in the late 1970s. With the success of the Game Commission's recovery program, Pennsylvania now boasts more than 300 nests. As the eagle population increases, so does the chance of negative interaction between people and eagles. Lead in the environment is dangerous to bald eagles. Hunters can help prevent lead from being ingested by avian scavengers in two ways: by choosing to use non-lead ammunition and by burying carcasses and gut piles. Learn more in the resources below.

More Information

Pennsylvania Bald Eagle Webinar - recorded March 25, 2016 (37:25)
Bald Eagle Identification Tips
Bald Eagle Fast Facts
Bald Eagle Watching in Pennsylvania
Bald Eagle Nest Viewing Etiquette
Bald Eagle Wildlife Note
Pennsylvania Bald Eagles poster(PDF)
Educator's Guide to Celebrating Pennsylvania Bald Eagles and Elk (PDF) and more resources for educators.

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Join the Game Commission in celebrating a growing bald eagle population and immerse yourself in this view from the top of a big sycamore tree nestled in Pennsylvania farmlands. Bald eagles are wild creatures and it is important to keep them wild. Please refrain from naming the birds to respect their wild nature.

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Kid's Discover Magazine     (new 4/20/2020)

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Kid's Discover Magazine     (new 4/20/2020)

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Lots of online magazines with science and social studies topics.
Go to upper right hand corner to LOG IN
User name is OCASD3
Password is 123456

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Access Kids Discover’s award-winning library of Science, Social Studies, and High-Interest Nonfiction on any device, for one low price. Perfect for Grades 3-8. Educator, School, and District Options. Single Sign-on with Google and Clever. Interactive Content. Assessments and Lesson-Planing Tools.

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Print and color. After you click the link, you will need to click download.

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Print and color. After you click the link, you will need to click download.

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This activity changes daily!!!

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Combo ticket discounts will be applied when all items are in your cart at the end of checkout.
You may also like...

Mummies of the World

Rangos Giant Cinema

21+ Nights

Things to READ, WATCH, and DO as you practice social distancing to help flatten the curve of COVID-19

Though Carnegie Science Center is closed now, we are here to help you keep your families occupied as we practice social distancing. Visit this page for educational resources, science activities, and suggestions for what to read, watch, and do with your children during this time.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for CSC's Three Things, a daily roundup of science-y things to READ, WATCH, and DO! Plus, find simple science experiments you can do at home on our Instagram page.

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Combo ticket discounts will be applied when all items are in your cart at the end of checkout. You may also like... Mummies of the World Rangos Giant Cinema 21+ Nights Though Carnegie Science Center is closed now, we are here to help you keep your families occupied as we practice social distancing.

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Digital Science Book: Review Lessons from this year

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Live Stream of the Hays Bald Eagle nest with 2 chicks

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A pair of Bald Eagles are now nesting within 5 miles of downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania along the Monongahela River near where the famed Carnegie Steel Homestead site once existed. Industrialization beginning in the 19th century led to extensive unregulated pollution of the rivers, which decimated fish populations that eagles feed on. For example, during a survey on Monongahela River in 1967, one scientist could find only one bluegill. As efforts to clean the waterways took effect over the past 30 years, 76 species of fish have been found in the Monongahela. Experts say it has probably been more than 250 years since Bald Eagles last nested along Pittsburgh's three rivers. As recently as the mid-1980s, there were just a few remaining nesting Bald Eagles pairs anywhere in Pennsylvania. This year marks 30 years since the reintroduction of Bald Eagles in Pennsylvania. With the help of the Canadian government, several agencies brought bald eagle chicks back to their states to reintroduce Bald Eagles. Today, Pennsylvania boasts more than 250 nests.

The Hays bald eagle pair first started nesting along the Monongahela River in Pittsburgh in 2013. A nest was observed by workers at the Keystone Iron and Metal Company. The pair successfully hatched one eaglet but on June 6, 2013 a strong storm blew the nest down and the parents successfully fledged the eaglet on the ground. The following year the Hays eagle pair built a new nest in the location it is today. A camera was installed on this new nest in December of 2013.

2020 Nest Information

The nest has moved about 100 yards

The nest is about 6 feet in diameter

The camera will be pointing toward Pittsburgh, with the city skyline in the background

We are utilizing a new camera that has a 36X optical zoom and overall better picture quality

The camera is approximately 40 feet away from the nest and mounted in a separate tree

The camera is mounted about 90 feet above the ground

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A pair of Bald Eagles are now nesting within 5 miles of downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania along the Monongahela River near where the famed Carnegie Steel Homestead site once existed. Industrialization beginning in the 19th century led to extensive unregulated pollution of the rivers, which decimated fish populations that eagles feed on.

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Cheetah Cam

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Can you spot the cheetahs?

Our Zoo has five female cheetah cubs. Can you spot them on the Cheetah Cam?

Cheetahs have spots to help break up their outline and offset the shadows of tall grasses. This allows them to blend in with their surroundings while hiding from other large predators or while hunting. If you do not see the cheetahs right away, they may be laying in the bushes or in the tall grass. It can be difficult to spot them in the foliage. Keep looking though, sometimes a hint of movement will give them away!

If they are not outdoors, there are a few possible reasons:

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Learn: Cheetah Webcam | Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium

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Can you spot the cheetahs? Our Zoo has five female cheetah cubs. Can you spot them on the Cheetah Cam? Cheetahs have spots to help break up their outline and offset the shadows of tall grasses. This allows them to blend in with their surroundings while hiding from other large predators or while hunting.

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Penguin Cam

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During this time, we need your help. Please consider giving to our Emergency Operating Fund to support the care of our 7,000 animal residents including our penguin family.
Emergency Operating Fund
What are the penguins doing?

The penguins spend time both on land and in the water. Their torpedo-shaped bodies and strong sturdy wings make them agile swimmers. When they nap, they often like to turn and face the rockwall while doing so. Penguins are animated and social. You will often see them enthusiastically interacting with each other. If you see two penguins making a bowing motion towards each other, they are most likely mates and greeting each other. You may also spot some special enrichment items that keepers have given them, such as a bubble machine, treats in ice, or holiday items for them to explore.

If you see a penguin being taken off exhibit or you do not see any penguins, there are a few possible reasons:

During breeding season, you may notice some different behaviors and you might even spot a penguin chick! Scroll down to read more about our penguins during breeding season.

Types of Penguins

We have two species of penguins here at the Zoo, gentoo penguins and macaroni penguins.

Macaroni Penguins: These penguins are one of the largest species of crested penguins. They have a characteristic golden tuft of feathers on the top of their heads. These feathers inspired their name when 18th century English explorers first discovered them in Antarctica. The gaudy feathers reminded them of the macaroni fashion that was popular at the time, which included flamboyant clothing, hairstyles, and plumed hats.

Gentoo Penguins: Gentoo penguins are slightly larger than the macaroni penguins and they do not have any yellow feathers. They also have the "tuxedo" black and white coloration along with red-orange beaks, as well as white-feather caps on either side of their heads.

Breeding Season Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What are the rocks for?
A: Both species of penguins here at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium use rocks to build their nests. At the beginning of breeding season, we place one ton of river rocks in the exhibit and holding areas, for birds to begin building their nests. Nest maintenance is always ongoing, so you may see birds moving or swapping rocks all throughout breeding and nesting season.

Q: Why are some penguins laying on the rocks?
A: Once eggs are laid, they need to be incubated or kept warm. Both the males and females take turns sitting or lying on the eggs around the clock, keeping them warm and safe.

Q: How many eggs does each female lay?
A: Typically, each pair has two eggs.

Q: How long do they take to hatch?
A: For both species, it takes approximately 35 days from lay date to hatch date.

Q: Does staff monitor the eggs?
A: To assess whether or not an egg is fertile, we briefly remove the egg and "candle" it. Working with our animal health team, we take the egg into a dark room, and hold a curved flashlight up to the egg. If fertile, you can see the vessels developing, and it later stages of development, you may even see the chick move and flutter inside! The egg is then quickly returned to the penguin parents on the nest.

Q: Can we see the chick once it hatches?
A: The chicks are small when first hatched, and remain underneath their parents for warmth and protection, but you may catch a glimpse of them when the parents feed.

Q: How do the parents feed the chick?
A: The parent eats fish and digests it into a gruel. This gruel is then regurgitated to the chick.

Q: How quickly does the chick grow?
A: Penguin chicks grow quickly. By the end of summer, chicks will be full size and starting to grow in their adult feathers!

Q: Can the chick swim?
A: The fluffy down feathers covering penguin chicks is very insulating, but it is not waterproof. Until they fledge and get their adult waterproof feathers, it is dangerous for chicks to be near the water. For this reason, we move any chicks that are born onto exhibit, along with their parents, to our holding area once the chick is big enough to begin exploring. Their safety is our priority. Once the chicks have their adult feathers, we begin reintroducing them into the exhibit.

Q: How can you tell males and females apart?
A: You cannot identify male and female penguins simply by looking at them - they have no external characteristics of sex. A blood test is done on chicks to determine their gender. Here at the zoo, we rely on ID bands to identify each bird, along with their sex.

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penguin-webcam | Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium

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During this time, we need your help. Please consider giving to our Emergency Operating Fund to support the care of our 7,000 animal residents including our penguin family. Emergency Operating Fund What are the penguins doing? The penguins spend time both on land and in the water.

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Carnegie Museum of Natural History (new 5/4/2020)

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Carnegie Museum of Natural History (new 5/4/2020)

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Museum from Home - Coloring Pages, Videos, and more.

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Museum from Home - Carnegie Museum of Natural History

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We're adding more Carnegie Museum of Natural History coloring pages to our collection. You can print them out to color or drag and drop them into paint for digital fun.

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Animal Ambassadors

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Animal Ambassadors at Carnegie Science Center

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DIY Oobleck

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DIY Oobleck with Carnegie Science Center

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DIY Crayons

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DIY Crayons with Carnegie Science Center

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Virtual Tour: The Miniature Railroad & Village

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Virtual Tour: The Miniature Railroad & Village®

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Beetles at the CSC