Wooden Talon
2011
Other potential problems and dangers your outdoor aviary birds may encounter and how to deal with them
The most obvious dangers would appear to be extremes in the weather conditions, but most pet aviary birds are more hardy than you would expect from a ‘tropical’ bird. For example – as mentioned in one of my earlier articles – sub-zero temperatures are not a great threat as long as your birds are well fed, away from draughts, and dry; although your birds will be quite fond of a rain shower occasionally. Hot sticky weather again is not too much of a threat as long as your birds can get out of the sun into some shade and have a plentiful supply of fresh clean water. You will find that many birds do actually like to have a snooze in the day, especially if it’s hot; a kind of bird ‘siesta’.
Quite a large threat for your birds is their own expert flair for escapology. ‘Houdini’ would be a fitting name for almost any small pet bird as they are most efficient at getting free from only the slightest weakness to the aviary construction or through your own ignorance. Don’t allow this to happen; check your aviary every day for signs of weakness and repair it accordingly, plus be sure to have some type of double-door security entrance to save them from busting out as you are trying to enter.
As your birds are in an unprotected and often mixed species environment the risk of them picking up any illnesses is much increased, as is the risk from ill health from any contagious diseases your other birds may have or be carrying. Keep a close eye on them, get to know all your birds and you will soon notice if there’s anything wrong. If you find an ill bird you must remove it from the others and quarantine it whilst you deal with the issue and keep a close look out for any of your other birds showing similar symptoms.
A large and possibly fatal risk to the birds in the outdoor aviary comes in the form of predators.
Cats, birds of prey, and other predators such as foxes, snakes, stoats, weasels or any predatory animal pose the greatest risk to your outdoor aviary birds, but having said that I once had two cats who were always around the outdoor aviary and were actually a massive help; once they realised that they could not get to my birds they unwittingly became the birds’ ever present protectors. They would climb onto the top of the aviary (cats like their wild cousins like to get high up) and would dare any other animal, birds of prey for example, to come anywhere near, of course nothing ever got close enough.
For your birds in the aviary predators can at the very least frighten them as they stalk and pounce, and a frightened bird can easily injure itself, and if a predator can actually get at your birds the results of course could be fatal. Also common sense should tell you not to take your pet snake in there for example.
Birds of prey also pose a massive risk, sparrow hawks are probably the most notorious here in the UK as they hunt birds by nature (but sparrows are not the only birds on the menu). Other birds of prey such as owls, kestrels etc. also pose a risk, if they think your birds are easy prey they will keep trying to get them.
One of the most effective ways to protect your birds from these predators is to adopt an aviary construction method known as ‘double-mesh’, this means that aviary mesh is attached to both sides of any framework; yes you will use twice as much mesh when you build or protect your aviary but it will certainly prove to be worthwhile; this will help prevent any predators from coming into contact with your birds and causing damage with claws etc. I once had a beautiful pair of yellow turquoisine grass parakeets, but a visit to my aviary (which co-incidentally was only single-meshed at the time) one day from a sparrow hawk left my turquoisine hen with a large gash to the chest from the talon of the sparrow hawk, sadly her injury was too substantial and resulted in her untimely death. Hasten to add I learnt my lesson and promptly went out and double-meshed my aviary.
Another potential but often less fatal hazard is brought about by the presence of rodents.
Squirrels, mice, rats etc. will most certainly attempt to get into your aviary to get at the bountiful food contained within. With their large incisors most rodents will think nothing of gnawing through wooden framework to gain access, and if the wood gets damp or wet regularly its strength is weakened, making it all the more easier for rodents to get through.
With this in mind any wood that is in constant contact with the ground will rot more quickly, and rats especially will happily chew away at ground level as it’s much easier for them than chewing at height. They are also rather efficient at digging through soil to gain entry from below.
To help prevent this it is best to have a solid concrete or slab (flagstone) base, concrete foundations (to stop them digging) and a brick, stone or concrete block wall at least 12 inch (30 cm) high at ground level with the remainder of the aviary attached to the top.
Also mice can get through a smaller hole than even your smallest birds, so don’t give them the chance.
Rodents are unlikely to cause any physical damage to your birds but they will steal food and leave behind unhygienic droppings. Rats especially will also take eggs and young chicks as a high protein meal.
The above is by no means conclusive and there are many more potential hazards to be aware of so you will need to be very diligent.
Please email me for more information or to reserve your copy of my new bird keeping ebook coming soon.
About the Author
Pete Etheridge
Nottinghamshire, UK
Keeper and breeder of pet birds for 10 years.
Offering information and advice on all aspects of bird keeping.
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