A bird aviary is the most important piece of equipment you’ll need to purchase for your new bird. A propper aviary will help to keep your bird safe and healthy. There are many aviaries to choose from, which can be difficult for the new bird keeper.. How does the bird owner choose the right aviary?
To begin with, study the species of bird you are intending to keep. If you would like to have any type of long tailed bird species, then you will need a long aviary for the bird to get enough exercise. Ideally, the bird aviary will be adequately long enough so the bird can actually fly from one side to the other. A bird with a heavyset body, such as a lovebird or a Senegal parrot, gets good deal of exercise by climbing around in the aviary. These birds are better suited to a tall aviary rather than a wide one.
You should then consider the size of the aviary. Generally it is a good idea to buy the biggest aviary you can afford for your bird, a newly weaned handfed baby bird may feel lost and terrified in a large aviary. Young birds can have trouble locating their food and water cups. If you can afford to do so, it is a good idea to buy a smaller bird aviary for your baby bird’s first few months and change it to a bigger aviary when it is older.
Another thing to take into account is the spacing between the bars of your bird aviary. It is no good having a great looking bird aviary if your bird fits through the bars! If you want to use wire mesh on your bird aviary then it is best to measure the size your mesh to the size of your bird’s head. When the bird aviary is built with one inch mesh it is going to allow for a cockatiel to put his head through. Cockatiels have been known to bend their necks into a ‘U’ shape and stick their heads into a different hole when pulling their bodies back through the bars.
Upon determing you aviary size and bar spacing you should have a look at some other design features. Inspect the cage tray. When you pull it out to clean, will there be a grate or something to pevent the bird from escaping from the aviary? Is the tray deep enough for the mess your bird makes to be caught? Without a cage apron you may find the birds will still scatter a lot of seed hulls and feathers on the floor. Whilst you can put a plastic apron on the bottom of the aviary, a built in metal apron is a good characteristic.
As a final point don’t forget to have a look at the aviary cups. Ideally there should be an easily accessable opening to get to the cups without gaining access through the main door. If you are buying a bird aviary for a larger bird, the cups should actually bolt to the aviary unless you want to spend every morning and afternoon for the next 50 years reaching for cups that your bird has flung onto the bottom of the bird aviary
If you a replacing a bird aviary for an older parrot type bird, some owners have told me it’s crucial to get a bird cage of the same colour. It is assumed that a bird that has been accustomed to a white painted aviary, it won’t adapt easily to a metal coloured aviary.
