Building a Bird Aviary
The streamlined shape of a bird was designed for flying! Help your bird spread its wings by building a bird aviary. It's a fun, educational, and a relaxing way to enjoy your birds!
Aviaries are wonderful protective units that allow your bird the freedom to fly in safety. An aviary can be constructed either indoors or outdoors, but is generally preferred outdoors for practical reasons.
For one, an aviary takes up room and most houses don't have that much room to spare. By placing your aviary outdoors, it allows your bird to interact with nature, the sounds, the greenery - it is as close to primitive bird life as a domestic bird can get! Birds also can kick up a lot of dust and feathers. An outdoor aviary makes the fuss much more manageable.
A preferred size for an aviary is about 12 feet long, 3 feet wide, and at least 5 foot tall. An aviary this size can hold many birds comfortably - about 20 budgies. Of course, the bigger the species, the fewer your aviary will comfortably hold.
About 9 feet of the aviary should be constructed of wire that is too small for your bird to escape from, yet allows a comfortable er…bird's eye view of the surrounding area. Generally, the recommended wood is 2 X 2's or 2 X 4's. A 3' X 3' shelter should be built at one end of the aviary while keeping in mind the forces of the north wind on cooler days. A sloped roof that supports an overhang will help keep the shelter dry. Be sure and place perches inside of the shelter for your birds to roost on at night.
A blocked off entry should be built adjacent to the end, opposite the shelter. This allows you to enter your aviary without your birds exiting. To enter, one would simply go into the aviary, shut the outside door, then enter the main part of the aviary through a second door.
Fruit tree branches can be placed in the flight area as perches. Include a birdbath, strategically placing it under cover. The feeder should be placed out of the way of flying birds.
Some other things you will want to include in your aviary are trays with grit, mineral block, and a hopper for water.
As you are positioning your aviary, keep the following things in mind:
- noisy roads will upset your birds;
- the aviary needs to be sheltered from rain, harsh sunlight,
snowfall, potential hail & thunderstorms, and blustery winds;
- avoid placing your aviary beneath a tree because the inhabitants of the tree can drop unwanted 'treasures' into your aviary;
- ensure that intruders can't burrow into the aviary;
- position the aviary where you can observe it from indoors.
A well-planned, strongly constructed aviary can provide you - as well as your birds - with years of enjoyment!
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