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Aviary Management
by R C McDonald
www.robirda.com
Copyright © 2004

When they hear the word 'aviary', most people think of a large
outdoor cage filled with a variety of bird of several species, all
happily living together in a natural setting, similar to how they
would live in the wild.

Many zoos and nature preserves have displays that do little to dispel
this idea. But what most people don't realize, is how much work
goes on behind the scenes to maintain these 'natural' displays.

Much thought is required when setting up such a display. At least
some of the birds living in it must be visible to the visiting public at
all times, for interest to be maintained. This generally entails keeping
more birds in a smaller area than would ever happen in the wild.

To counter the stress of crowded conditions and the (for some species)
unnerving situation of being stared at by crowds of strangers, most
establishments keep a close watch on the inmates of their aviaries,
and have 'back-up' facilities away from the main displays. Should
an inhabitant begin to show signs of stress or illness, he or she can
be removed to these more private facilities and allowed time to
recover before being returned to the exhibition area.

Some establishments arrange for each group of birds to have private
areas available to them, accessible through 'pop-holes' into a shelter,
sometimes decorated to appear as part of the display, sometimes
simply placed at the back of the enclosure, perhaps screened by
some plantings.

In such cases, the birds can come and go as they please, and visitors
have to take their chances on seeing them. Other establishments
don't have the room or facilities for such a set-up, and instead rely
on having private quarters to which the birds may be removed
when necessary.

What all this means is that in most cases, few if any birds will remain
in these displays year round. Instead, they are rotated in and out
of the main display as conditions and co-inhabitants change, thus
allowing their keepers to have a lovely display while at the same
time keeping all their stock healthy.

Newcomers to bird-keeping in general and aviaries in particular
often have the idea that keeping an aviary provides a more natural
lifestyle for their birds than would be possible in a smaller cage,
and many also believe that having all their birds in one aviary will
reduce the amount of maintenance needed.

While this is a lovely idea, in most cases it's a pipe dream. In order
to provide a setting as close as possible to a bird's natural environment,
the aviary must provide, not only food, water, and room to
exercise, but adequate territory for each species it holds.

Social though many species of birds are, in a wild environment they
will usually flock in groups that include mostly - if not all - members
of a single species. Whenever multiple species co-exist closely in
the wild, careful observation will see that they are quite careful to
give each other plenty of elbow room.

This may be achieved in a variety of ways. Often different groups
of birds will use the same feeding grounds, watering holes, or
bathing sites at different times during the day. Other species may
forage side by side on similar foods, but most members of each
flock will keep a careful eye out, ready to fly away at the least
indication of aggression.

It's not unusual to see a variety of species feeding together, in fact,
and this fact is often used to justify housing similar species together i
n an aviary. But in the wild, after feeding is over, these 'flocks'
will scatter, each group going their separate way. This is just not
possible in a closed-in aviary.

Most aviaries are too small to be able to replicate a natural
environment for a mixed group of birds in this manner, and so
their inmates, rather than living the 'natural life' fondly imagined
by their human caretakers, instead live a nightmare life of stress
and constant striving for a better position within the flock, with
the goal of gaining a better chance at an equal share of food
and drink.

Less dominant members of the aviary may not be able to get a large
enough share of the resources consistently enough to properly
maintain their health, and this, along with the constant stress and
competition, can cause a slow deterioration of their health. Due
to the fact that all birds strive to hide any signs of illness, this
means that in most cases any such deterioration will not be
noticed until the bird is near death.

A keeper who has experience keeping birds in an aviary will know
to spend plenty of time simply watching the interactions of the birds,
and will watch closely for any signs of aggression.

In most cases, such a keeper uses his or her aviary (or aviaries) as
an adjunct to the bird room, rather than instead of a bird room.
He or she will have made sure that each bird living in the aviary
will also have individual quarters available, should the need arise.
This way, any birds who appear to be less than optimally healthy
may be removed immediately, and placed in their own living quarters.

Once there, they can be more easily observed for any signs of illness,
or simply given a chance to recover from the stresses and strains
of aviary life and the constant striving for dominance and access
to food and water.

Some General Guidelines to Using Aviaries and Flight Cages

(We're defining 'Aviary' as a large separate enclosure for birds, large
enough for a human to walk into. Flight cages, although sometimes
called 'indoor aviaries', are simply large cages, and are not usually
big enough to walk around in.)

-- Don't expect to be able to keep all your birds in your aviary all year round.

-- For small species such as canaries and finches, make sure that
you have at least 1 to 2 cubic feet of space inside the aviary for
each inmate. Note that some species - many waxbills, for example -
will require more space than others.

-- For those same small species, be certain to have at least 6 - 12
inches of perching space for each inmate housed in the aviary. Again,
some species may require more.

-- To reduce competition as much as possible, have multiple drinkers
available, each placed well away from the others, and placed both
high and low in every area of the aviary.

-- Similarly, have multiple feed cups, likewise placed well apart from
each other. One food cup for each inhabitant of the aviary is best,
but there should be no less than 1 for every 2 inmates. Unlike the
drinkers, keep all the food cups fairly low, to reduce mess (and
cleaning time).

-- Ensure that none of the food and water sources are under any
perches. This apparently minor detail is of utmost importance to
maintaining health and vigor in your flock!

-- Use your aviary as an add-on to your birdroom, not instead of a
bird room. Try to keep an individual cage available for each bird in
your care, whether it is currently in use or not.

-- Be careful when mixing species, and be sure to use only social
species. Don't mix larger birds with smaller, or hookbills with passerines,
and make sure that all the species in any given aviary eat the same
foods. This last is especially important for longer-term health.

-- Be sure to read up on each species and make sure that they will
be compatible with the other members of the aviary. Some species
will be non-aggressive with other species, but extremely aggressive to
other members of their own species, while others will try to boss
anything that moves. A few species are so mild-natured that any
birds not of their own species can push them about terribly.

Paying attention to this kind of detail can seem like a real nuisance
sometimes, but will be well worth your while in the long run, for it
will allow you to keep your aviaries properly maintained, and
your birds happy and healthy.

by R C McDonald
www.robirda.com
Copyright © 2004
Reprinted with Permission

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