Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Calculate the dimensions and collect the materials
• Part 2 of 3: Building the frame
• Part 3 of 3: Attaching the mesh
• Necessities
• Warnings

If you want to improve the quality of life for your birds, an aviary may be just what they need. Aviaries are much larger than regular bird cages and can be placed both indoors and outdoors. With some planning and effort, you can build an aviary for your birds that they will always be happy and safe in.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Calculate the dimensions and collect the materials

1. Determine the size of your birds. Before starting the project, you need to know the size of your birds. This is important when determining the dimensions of your aviary and when choosing the mesh you will use.
   • Small birds include budgerigars, canaries, pigeons, finches and lovebirds.
   • Medium-sized birds include cockatiels, conures, loris, parrotlets and monk parakeets.
   • Large birds include African Gray Parrots, Amazon Parrots, Pionites, Cockatoos and Macaws.
   • Very large birds include Moluccan cockatoos and hyacinth macaws, blue-yellow macaws and scarlet macaws.
2. Calculate the volume of your aviary based on the number of birds and their size. The minimum size of the cage is determined by the size of your birds. All measurements below assume one bird in the aviary. As a guide, multiply the volume for one bird by 1.5 for each additional bird.
   • Small birds: width: 51 cm; depth: 61 cm; height: 61 cm; volume: 29,300 cm.
   • Medium-sized birds: width: 64 cm; depth: 81 cm; height: 89 cm; volume: 71,000 cm.
   • Large birds: width: 89 cm; depth: 100 cm; height: 130 cm; volume: 180,000 cm.
   • Extra-large birds: width: 100 cm; depth: 130 cm; height: 150 cm; volume: 300.00 cm
3. Determine the appropriate size of the mesh. The type of mesh you use for your aviary depends on the size of your birds. Always use stainless steel mesh and avoid galvanized wire. Galvanizing is the process of coating iron or steel with a layer of zinc.
   • Small birds need 1.3 cm mesh and 2 mm thick wire.
   • Medium-sized birds require 1.6-1.9 cm mesh and 2.5 mm thick wire.
   • Large birds need wire mesh with a mesh size of 1.9-2.3 cm and wire 3.5 mm thick.
   • Extra-large birds require 2.5-3.2 cm mesh and 0.5 cm thick wire.
4. Plan the design of the frame with paper and pencil. To keep things as simple as possible, make the aviary from rectangular frame pieces of identical dimensions, which you connect together. For example, if you are building an aviary for a small bird, each frame piece will be 61 cm high and 51 cm wide. Since it requires a depth of 61cm, attach the front and rear pieces to each side with an additional two frame pieces, requiring a total of six frame pieces for the entire frame.
   • Use the same procedure for all sizes. However, if you already have a building plan of your own, feel free to use it - there may be many other, complex options. Keep in mind that it will probably be difficult if this is your first time building an aviary.
5. Buy the necessary materials from a DIY store. For the frame pieces, use four pieces of wood measuring 5x5 cm of an acceptable type of wood. The exact length depends on the dimensions of your aviary, but always buy a little extra just to be on the safe side. You need eight 10 cm screws for each frame piece, which are suitable for outdoor use.
   • Consider making an aviary for small birds out of six frame pieces that are 61 cm high and 51 cm wide. Since each frame piece consists of four pieces of wood, you will need 24 pieces of wood (6x4); 12 pieces of 61 cm and 12 pieces of 51 cm.
   • If you don't want to cut the wood yourself, you can give the necessary dimensions for your aviary to a member of the DIY store so they can do it for you.
   • Suitable wood for use is maple, pine, almond, bamboo or eucalyptus. Avoid using woods poisonous to birds, such as gin, yew and redwood.

Part 2 of 3: Building the frame

1. Cut your 5x5 cm pieces of wood to the correct size. If the wood has not been cut for you by a professional, use a circular saw to cut it to size. Mark the part to be cut with a pencil and ruler. Then retract the pulls on the back handle of the saw and use your dominant hand to guide the saw through the wood, holding the wood firmly with your non-dominant hand.
   • Always apply downward pressure on the wood with your non-dominant hand to keep the wood stable.
2. Arrange your pieces of wood in the rectangular shape of the frame. Find a flat, open surface, such as a garage floor, and lay out the four 5x5 cm pieces of wood in the shape of the frame. Make sure that the width pieces connect vertically to the length pieces, instead of horizontally. Now is the time to detect and correct imperfections (such as a piece of wood that is too long). Make sure you have enough pieces of wood to build the entire aviary and ensure that each pair of length and width pieces are parallel to each other.
   • For each frame piece with a width of 51 cm and a height of 61 cm, start by laying out the left and right length pieces. Then place the width pieces at the top and bottom to connect everything together.
   • Do not attach your pieces of wood until you put them in the framing position.
3. Attach each piece of wood together, using plumber's tape and nails, to make a frame. Use tin snips to cut four pieces of plumber's tape 5 cm long for each piece of wood in the frame. Line these horizontally in the top and bottom corners of the length pieces and tape them over the width pieces. Now drill two 1 inch screws through each piece of tape to secure them and create a mounted frame piece.
   • Make sure there is an inch of each piece of plumbing tape attached to each piece of wood.
   • You can replace the plumber's tape with corner fasteners and fix it with screws. However, this is more expensive and time consuming.

Part 3 of 3: Attaching the mesh

1. Align the assembled frame pieces next to each other on the floor. If you are building an aviary for small birds, you will have six frame pieces measuring 61 cm high and 51 cm wide. Place them horizontally side by side on a flat surface in preparation for mounting.
   • Make sure that the height and width of each assembled frame piece are straight and parallel to the height and width of the other frame pieces.
2. Connect the frame pieces together with eight 10 cm screws. After securing the assembled frame pieces together with plumber's tape, use four screws in the top left and right corners of the length pieces, two on each side and parallel to the plumber's tape. Then do the same on the left and right sides of the bottom corners of the length pieces. Make sure that each pair of screws are spaced 1 cm apart and that the screw closest to the edge is at least 1 cm from the edge.
   • Check the alignment of the frame and adjust if necessary before inserting the screws. For example, if the top right corner of a frame piece is slightly skewed, remove the plumbing tape and realign it before reattaching it.
3. Cut your mesh to size with tin snips. Make sure that each side of the aviary except the bottom has a suitable piece of mesh. Thus, a small bird aviary made from six frame pieces will also require six pieces of mesh measuring at least 61x51 cm.
   • If you make a mistake, leave 5-7.5 cm of extra mesh.
4. Fix the mesh with a tacker. Use a tacker around the entire perimeter of each rectangular frame piece. Space the staples about 5-7.5 cm apart.
   • If you make a mistake, remove the staple with a flat-head screwdriver or staple remover.
5. Cut an opening in the mesh in the front of the aviary to create a door. Use your pliers to make a doorway that you can easily pass through, approx. 210 cm should be sufficient. Measure the opening and cut out a slightly larger piece of gauze.
   • Remember that you are going into the aviary to clean, so give yourself a bit more space than less.
6. Secure the door to the cage with zip ties or cage clips. Hold the door against the opening in the mesh and make sure that the extra mesh is the same length on all sides of the door. Now wrap cable ties or cage clips around the perimeter of the door to secure it to the cage.
   • Secure the ties or clamps tight enough that there are no openings between the door and the cage for your bird to escape through.
7. Create a floor for outdoor aviaries. While you can pour a concrete base for your aviary, it requires a lot more work. It is only recommended for outdoor cages that require a strong foundation. For regular outdoor aviaries, you can attach a piece of mesh to the bottom with a tacker and then sprinkle gravel or sand over it.
   • Do not skip the floor in an outdoor aviary, especially if predators are in the area.

Necessities

• Pieces of wood of 5x5 cm
• Circular saw (optional)
• Plumber's tape
• 2.5 cm screws (for outside)
• 10 cm screws (for outside)
• Tacker
• Cage clamps
• Mesh

Warnings

• Check local regulations regarding outdoor aviaries.