Searching for an oasis in the middle of the desert? Ride bus routes 9 or 205 to Tracy Aviary, where you can surround yourself with tropical parrots, feed flocks of pelicans and pose next to the peacocks roaming the grounds.

Tracy Aviary is located in the southwest corner of Liberty Park at 500 E. 1300 South in Salt Lake City. The non-profit organization gives visitors a rare chance to get close to bird life, allowing them to stroll through exhibits of wetland and “backyard” birds, hand-feed sun conures and throw fish to pelicans and cormorants. Guests might even encounter Andy, a 56-year-old Andean condor with an 11-foot wingspan, as he walks with his handlers along the aviary’s paths.

The eight-acre facility opened in 1938 and has undergone an extensive renovation over the past seven years. Today it is home to 135 species of birds, some of which are endangered or, like the aviary’s rare Socorro dove, extinct in the wild. New features include a renovated theater, improved exhibits for king vultures, macaws, turkey vultures and hawks, and a new home and cave-like shelter for Andy, who had been living in a 75-year-old cage.

If you’re visiting the aviary with friends, consider purchasing a Group Pass, which allows up to four people to ride UTA trains and buses for just $10. The promotional Group Pass fare is available until Dec. 31, 2015. Tracy Aviary is also a great destination for Rider’s License pass holders looking to maximize their summer fun. UTA’s Rider’s License allows kids and teens ages 6 to 18 to travel to Tracy Aviary and dozens of other family-friendly destinations along the Wasatch Front until August 31 for just $99.