Hi
Have kept birds for many years though I'm down to parakeets and a pair of honeycreepers . I keep the parakeets in a dedicated aviary while the honeycreepers live in the shadehouse.You don't keep plants with ANY of the parrot family lol.
have you googled "Outdoor aviaries?" Give you a lot of ideas.
"Storms are one problem that I've never found a good answer . Moving them has a whole host of problems . Curious as to where you plan on moving that large a structure?? gary

Do you all keep your parrots outside in FL? I let my 3 parrots out on the screened/covered patio on thier playstand but only when I am watching them because I am worried that something might eat them lol. I don't think the snakes I've seen around here could eat the bigger two but could certainly eat the smaller one. Other things might get in there though. I also worry about bird flu or my birds catching other diseases from the 'wild' birds. Have you all had any problems like that?

I found a website that has quite a few links for different aviaries. Some of them look nice. I agree it is hard with the storms etc. when you have birds. Especially since many shelters won't take pets. I encounterd that problem with H. Rita (in LA). We had to evacuate for a week with a traveling zoo LOL!

Parrots seem to be really sensitive to oncoming hurricanes. our Amazon built a 'hut' in his cage by draping a paper over his perch and hiding in it about 4 days before both H. Katrina and H. Rita hit. I've never seen him do that except during those times lol. Those are the only hurricanes he had been through though.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bird aviary plans

Hi gary, I do tend to over think myself, a smaller size would be better I just want the airlock maybe 4ft by 5ft by 2 1/2ft wide. I could put that in the house I was planning on using grapevine and ficus ariel roots as perching with maybe a larger 'tree' that was cut and could take apart with screws. Do you think it would stress them more to move or net them?

SJN thats funny about your bird but animals are sensitive that way. Thanks for the link

Katie

Katie, I'm not sure what you meant by an airlock.
You mean a passage so they can get inside and outside? Or a way you can get in and they can't get out?

A few suggestions.
Make sure you get welded wire that's made for bird cages.
A lot of places on the internet sell that, and large retail bird shops can get it for you. The Aviary in Perrine, between So Miami and Homestead has it.

Since it's for finches, I would build it out of 1 X 1 wood frame. With 1/2 X 1 inch welded wire. The wire comes in 3 and 4 ft widths.
Build all six panels separate (four sides, roof and floor), with welded wire on both sides of the wood frame.
Varmits can't reach through and grab your birds that way.
You can use a staple gun with SS staples for that, goes real fast.
Then drill holes and put it together with SS screws and lock nuts, so you can take it apart if you ever need to.

A 6 X 8 X 4 aviary built this way is strong and not heavy at all. Two people can move it with no problems.

If you need a way to get in, just build a separate box with another door that you can attach to the outside. That you can use just one layer of welded wire.
Build the door to the inside as a 1/2 door, open at the bottom. The birds will go up when you try to get in and not past you and into the airlock.

Another trick is to paint the wire, both sides, with dark brown annodized paint. You can roll that on. It makes the wire disappear.

Personally, I would have the cage above the ground with no contact. Birds get a lot a parasites and disease from dirt.
If you want to put them on dirt, I suggest you get a gallon of Novalsan and learn how to use it. Novalsan you can get at most any large feed and seed farm supply.

Corrie

Corrie,
Yes the airlock is just that you enter before going into the cage if a bird does fly they are just in another cage. Here at the zoo we use a flexable wire mesh netting do you think the welded wire is cheaper? What if I used sand as the base I could remove and replace as needed?
Katie

Hi
I would highly recommend 1/4 inch wire hardware cloth. Have found things getting in far more serious than getting out lol. Build it so the feeding and watering can be done from the outside. The worst were rats ,killed 14 Gould finches in one night!! have had a couple of snakes ,raccoons ,opposums ,over the years . be sure there is some growth at least on the outside .Hawks and owls will terrorize them. have never had a disease ,cold ,heat problem .The dedicated aviary is 8x15 8 high . I find that if birds can get above and over 5 feet away they will not try to get past you. An airlock would be a good idea though . I let my wife guard the door when I enter. Have never lost a bird to escape except when a tree crashed through the side lol.
The honeycreepers I keep in a 12x25 foot shadehouse where i keep mostly plants . have had no problems even though they are primarily nectar feeders . The usual male aggression but if the hen can get 10 feet away . have had no succesful clutches though several attempts . Hoping the larger heavily planted area will cure that.
During hurricanes I board up the sides but found the wide open much more resistant to damage .
I decided to let them stay put . The stress of moving and where to move them to is really tough.
You got some good ideas here on construction,many more on the web.. gary

I agree with Gary about the 1/4" hardware cloth. We've got an 8' x 8' aviary housing zebra finches and white doves. It is built with 2x4 framing, 1/4" hardware cloth stapled to the framing, trimmed with 1x6 boards to hide the 2/4's and staples. We also used the 1/4" hardware cloth on the floor, and the whole thing is set on top of concrete patio pavers. There are some holes drilled in the rear bottom of the frame, again covered with hardware cloth, so that it can be easily hosed out for cleaning.

On one of the sides we cut an opening in the hardware cloth and wired up the front panel from a standard bird cage to give easy access to food and water dishes without having to open the door and physically get inside.

Your idea of an airlock is a good idea. We've had a couple of escapees over the 7 years since we built this aviary.

I would think that using sand on the bottom would make it very difficult to keep clean.

Here is a picture.

John

John
Seems like a good all around design. Like the pavers on the floor not only easier to clean but would keep animals from digging umder.. I use pea gravel over 1 inch chicken wire on the floor though sitting directly on the ground.
As I mentioned the most serious pest I've had is rats.
But that was in the shadehouse which has a concrete footing but no wire. They didn't dig under anyway. Went through the attic vents in the house.
So share with us your "perfect " hurricane plan.lol During Frances I caught the birds moved into the house. Jeanne I boaded up .Wilma I did nothing and got the least damage.lol. At one time I planned on evacuating but discovered there is no place to go lol. Not sure what I'll do if the house is unlivable after a storm. Any ideas??? gary

Gary,

Fortunately we've never had a problem with predators, other than a hawk that likes to sit on the fence and tries to figure out how to get at the smorgasbord inside. Once I even saw him flapping his wings, unsuccessfully trying to break through the hardware cloth.

As far as our hurricane plan, we catch them with a net and put them in a cage to bring into the house. Far from perfect, I'm afraid. I wouldn't want to leave them out in the aviary because there are overhead power lines and a huge laurel oak hanging over it.

John