When a person decides they are going to keep birds, of any species, there are a few things that he or she or both must consider. Things like money, space, and of course aviary design and construction. There are many different opinions and ideas on how to build, or what is the perfect way to construct aviaries to suit peoples needs and lifestyle. The pressure of wanting to own birds straight away often clouds ones own judgement and does reflect on their first aviary construction. There are still people just knocking aviaries up without considering important things first. In keeping birds there are a whole range of points that should be considered before even starting to build. People who have money behind them, can afford to set up aviaries with expensive birds in them, people with money and space can afford to set up large aviaries with again expensive birds in them. Then there of course are the average people with maybe smaller blocks with the same interest but can only afford smaller aviaries and lesser inexpensive birds to put in them. I believe lots of thought should be done and information obtained from other aviculturists to make sure what type of aviary set up suits your needs. Throughout my years of being involved with birds I have been fortunate to meet up with lots of other aviculturists and look at their designs and different aviary set ups. I have seen some truly great set ups, but on the other hand I have also seen some where a little thought would have done wonders. Some problems in these areas were over crowding, having too many birds no matter what, and keeping too many different species of birds together. As I have mentioned earlier a whole range of things must be considered, such as, money, space, types of birds required, area, neighbours, council, boundaries, block size and even levels for water lay before aviary construction can start. Of course these days things are a lot easier to do then years ago. Square tubing, tek-screws, a wider range of materials such as wire products and tin sheeting just to name a few, definitely makes life a lot easier as does self watering systems and good feeding stations. There are a lot of different products on the market these days and these must be carefully look at to make sure they are the right ones for your aviary construction. Pre-built aviaries are also available and to a person who only wants to keep a few birds in the backyard this is probable the easiest way to go, but for the person wanting to expand as money becomes more available then designing and building your own might be a much wiser option..

The aviary designs seen in this article can be made to suit whether you have a small or large block, they can also be made to suit ones needs and then extended at a later date. They can also be made on a small or large scale depending on cash flow and types of birds. The best thing about these designs are that they are made for very little maintenance.

Using new materials is obviously going to cost a lot more, but looking around for good second-hand materials can be an option to some to cut cost. Other things can be looked at as well, like whether to use colourbond sheeting or zincalume sheeting, obviously zinc is cheaper.

You should always make a plan of your proposed aviaries, showing all dimensions, as well as making a list of materials. Checking around for prices can be a handy thing to do to work out the costs involved so you can work out what you can afford to build. My idea of the perfect aviary design can be seen in figure 1. Notice the rear covered walkway for easy access to all aviaries from inside the walkway. The walkway should be at least 1.5mtrs wide for easy mobility. A concrete or pebble foot path is always a wise idea along the entry side and along the front of the aviaries for looks and better viewing of birds, but this is only an option and can be done at a later date, as could a garden bed at the holding aviary end of the complex. I believe gardens are also a great idea to add a natural environment for your birds. By planting native trees or shrubs, like Bottlebrush and Grevilleas, brings in native birds and this is always a pleasant site. These aviaries can be made in banks of any amount of flights and even if applicable spread out with gardens in between, or just set up as one large bank consisting of a few or many flights. This system can also be made up of suspended cages with a holding conventional aviary on one end and this system would be ideal for Lorikeets, Lories and some Parrot species. I realize that these aviaries maybe out of reach, money wise, for some people but if you plan well and use your brain wisely I am sure you can come up with something very similar without a lot of cost involved.

Aviary Complex under Construction

Planted Garden at Holding Aviary end to attract Native Parrots

The aviaries seen in the photographs were special built to house Eclectus Parrots and coloured princesses. They are built on a concrete slab with a drain in each flight for easy cleaning and draining. The rear walkway is also used for storage and the doors to each flight have specially designed smaller doors which makes for easy feeding without entering the aviaries. This is a great idea for breeding aviaries so not to disturb hens sitting on nests etc. The breeding aviaries measure 4mtrs long by 1.2mtrs wide by 2.1mtrs high with the holding aviary measuring 9mtrs long by 2.4mtrs wide by 2.4mtrs high. Note the heights were made to suit wire size being

1.2 and 0.9 for the breeders, and 1.2 and 1.2 for the holding aviary, this means no wastage and less cutting.

Completed Aviary Complex

Rear view of Aviary Complex showing Colourbond Note: Newly planted garden

Top View of Suspended Aviary Complex

Side View of Suspended Aviary Complex Note: Planted area under suspendeds

CONCLUSION:

Everybody of course has different ideas on what’s the best type of aviary construction to suit their own needs. You must consider many things as mentioned earlier, and decide firstly what you can afford without going overboard and secondly what sort of birds you

would like to keep. If you plan well before starting construction you will have an idea on what your going to be up for. Before buying your birds make sure you have somewhere decent to house your birds, plan and build, with room to expand, before you buy and you will be better off for the future with breeding etc.

Yours in aviculture, Paul Stevens.