What About A Large Outdoor Bird Aviary?

If you are looking at getting or building a large outdoor bird aviary, then there are some things you may want to take into consideration first.

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The design of a garden aviary will be largely influenced by the type of birds you wish to keep, and this, in turn, will also have an impact on the cost of the aviary structure.

Finches are the easiest to accommodate and they are not destructive by nature, but on the other hand, large parrots can be very destructive and will need to be housed in steel rather than wooden framed structures.

Choosing Your Large Outdoor Bird Aviary

The best way to start looking for ideas is to scan the pages of bird magazines and websites and ask them to send you a catalog. In this way, you will have more choices, get more ideas of what can be done and get a picture of what exactly you are wanting.

Aviary manufacturers generally offer a range of their own designs as well as sectional units, mesh-clad flight panels, doors, and similar units from which you can construct a modular aviary to your own specs.

Before you buy something like this, check the timber framework, as sometimes it is very thin and the mesh is not always securely attached.

If the framework made of wood, the wood should be at least 4cm square and proper netting staples should be used to attach the mesh.

Ordinary staples will work loose over a period, creating gaps through which smaller birds may escape easily. Netting staples need to be driven in every 2.5 cm around the frame to keep the mesh secure.

If you have plants in your large outdoor bird aviary that grow up the meshing, be careful as the weight of them could in time pull the mesh loose from the framework. This is why regular checks on the mesh are essential.

If ordering a modular design keep the following points in mind:

• Have your measured figures checked by the manufacturer before finalizing your order so discrepancies can be resolved easily.
• Keep in mind access to your large outdoor bird aviary will depend on the layout of your garden. Try to disguise the entry point as much as you can. Placing it in front will look unattractive and make it harder to see the birds.
• A basic aviary that is not too large will only need a single access point at either the back or side. It is worth it to incorporate a safety porch into the aviary design to stop birds from escaping when you open the door.
• Make sure the safety porch can open outwards and the door that goes into the aviary should swing inwards.
• If you don’t have a safety porch, hanging strips of plastic or blinds outside the entrance may help to minimize bird loss.

What Type Of Meshing Is Best?

The thicker the meshing, the more expensive it will become.

A 19 gauge mesh is suitable for smaller birds like Finches, Canaries, Cockatiels, and Budgerigars.

Thicker 16 gauge mesh is needed for most parrots, including Senegal, Ring Necks, African Greys, Cockatoos, and Macaws.

The separation distance of the strands is also important to consider. Most aviaries use 2.5 x 1.25 cm mesh, which is small enough to exclude all but tiny mice from getting in or out. It’s obviously even better to get 1.25 cm square, but this, unfortunately, will take your costs way up.

The small mesh makes it much harder for large parrots to push their beaks between the strands and obtain sufficient leverage to damage or even cut through it.

Another option is to get 5cm square mesh and then cover it again externally with 2.5 x 1.25 mesh to exclude sparrows, snakes, and rodents from getting in and causing potential harm to your birds.

Most aviary designs are made using 90cm units because this is the most commonly used width of mesh rolls and going wider also means that the mesh will sag on the framework of the aviary.

Buying Ready Made Bird Aviaries Online

Luckily there are many beautiful outdoor bird aviaries that can be purchased online. In most cases, you will be sent the parts and can simply assemble them yourself. This does make life easier, although you might not get exactly what you had in mind.

Here are a few examples that you can purchase online. Simply click on the picture of your choice to find out more. The cages below are more for your smaller garden aviaries.

• Overall Size: 7.2ft L x 5.3ft Wx 6.8ft H; Door size:49.6″H X 30.3″W; Feeding door size:19.29”L x 18.81”W.
• Durable iron frame construction features excellent shock, rust, corrosion and tarnish resistant.
• Large steel feeder front door with lock can be used as one or be split into two for easy feeding, entrance, and exit.
• 2 stainless steel feeding bowls and 1 wood perch for resting are included
• A perfect home for multiple parakeets, parrots, macaws, cockatoos, canaries, finches and so on

The only drawback with this cage is that there is no safety porch so you would need to be careful when going in and out of the cage.

• Walk-in bird aviary with wrought iron construction powder coated.
• Swivel feed cups.
• Perfect for medium to large birds, such as macaws, African greys and cockatoos.
• 1-inch bar space and 5mm bar thickness.
• Dimension: 86W x 62D x 79H Inches, weight: 300lbs.

But once again no safety porch.

• This high-quality bird aviary provides ample exercise space for your birds while the aluminum wire mesh helps prevent mischief and unexpected accidents.
• The construction of the aluminum wire grid ensures you have an excellent view of your birds as well as giving the birds plenty of fresh air.
• Thanks to the sturdy and maintenance-free aluminum construction and its heavy-duty hinged door, this walk-in aviary is built to last.
• Assembly is really easy.

But again not good if you plan to house a lot of birds, as there is no safety porch.

This one is also a nice option. No safety porch once again, and the cover is like the one below is sold separately.

This one has a roof to protect your birds, but I wouldn’t put large parrots in here or your wood will be destroyed.

Keep in mind that when you place your aviary make sure it is well protected from the elements. Birds don’t like drafts and they also don’t like to be in direct sunlight all day long. They should have plenty of shade available and the cage should be placed in a protected area of your garden.

Please comment below if you have anything you would like to add on choosing your large outdoor bird aviary.