What Are The Advantages Of An Aviary Compared To A Birdcage

An aviary, or flight cage as it is often known has many benefits compared to a standard birdcage. Although an aviary is typically much larger and more expensive than a birdcage, it is always the best way to go for bird owners that value their bird’s happiness.

So what size should a bird cage or aviary be? Generally, the rule of thumb is that a bird’s enclosure should be at least three times the size of its wingspan. Although for smaller birds, it is possible to find affordable cages of this size, a large aviary, particularly an outdoor aviary will allow a bird to move around a in a much more natural manner and get sufficient exercise. To create as realistic a habitat as possible, you could even incorporate trees and shrubs.

By providing a large aviary for your birds, you provide them the opportunity to act much as they would in the wild. Not only can they move around in a much less limited fashion, but if you have a number of birds, they can interact and socialise in more natural way; picking their own mates and social groups. An aviary of around four feet wide by eight feet long and six feet high would be an adequate size to happily house up to twenty budgies, parakeets, cockatiels, or a pair of larger parrots such as African Greys. This said, the larger the aviary, the better, and the happier the birds.

A spacious aviary with large mesh panels is ideal for larger birds

Even aviaries of this size or larger can be easy to build using modular aviary panels. Aviary panels are available in different sizes, but all sizes come with holes so that they can be bolted together and act as either a side or corner panel. These holes can also be used if you wish to incorporate an existing wall into your aviary; just use the holes attach the aviary to a wall using wall plugs. For smaller birds, smaller welded mesh panels are available with 14 guage mesh. For larger birds, large 9 guage welded mesh panels are more suitable, as smaller welded mesh panels can cause large birds to trap their claws and beak.  

As an aviary built using easy to put together panels can be constructed with relative ease, it is also similarly simple to take it down and reassemble it if needs be. Due to the modular design of this type of aviary, you can also decide to make it bigger or smaller when required. If you purchase more birds, or decide to house larger birds such as parrots or macaws, you can simply add more aviary panels as you see fit. Standard roof fittings can be bought to fit any size much in the same way as side panels.

Aviary panels

When you buy a standard birdcage, you do not have this freedom, and rather than extending a bird cage, you would be forced to purchase a new one if you needed more space. For happy and healthy birds, a spacious aviary will always be better than a standard birdcage. Aviary panels offer you a quick, cost effective and simple way to create the ideal aviary for your birds.