When you walk into the aviary it really gives you a wonderful feeling of being under a huge canopy of trees. The birds are never caged and are free to play in their room as they wish. The cages seen here are only for sleeping. Safety was our number one priority. This room was bird proofed from the floor to the ceiling.
The Mesquite Branches and Beams
Various sized Mesquite branches are supported by large and heavy Ash beams, which run throughout the ceiling. The beams were placed about four feet from the ceiling, allowing the birds to walk on top of them, sort of like a "cat walk." It's amazing to watch them running across the beams so skillfully.
50 Feet of Cotton Rope
There is 50 feet of uncut 100% all cotton rope stretched throughout the room. The rope is attached with various PVC connectors. The birds use the rope to quickly travel from one end of the aviary to the other.
Toys and Color
It was important for us to add as many toys as possible. Birds are attracted to color so I went for really colorful toys, such as this heavy plastic chain.
Air/ Heat & Safety
The room has an airconditioner/heater. Note there are no electrical cords. The plug is on the outside of the wall. We also made certain toys were far enough away from this wall so that the birds can't swing over to it.
The Floor
The cement floor needed a bit of cushion in case of a fall. I put down self sticking vinyl tiles by myself. I'd recommend having someone install a sheet of vinyl instead because you will not have to worry about water getting under the tiles. Eventually I'll do that too.
Fresh Branches
I often hang fresh branches in their room. This time it was a huge fresh branch from my orange tree. Malibu loves to pull the oranges up and bite into them. I hang whatever branches are available and make certain they are bird safe.
The Waterfountain
This is my favorite feature, the water fountain. The sound of the water is so soothing. And the best part is that water blocks outside noises. I have to keep the fountain extra clean, in case one of the birds gets into it.
Getting Started
We started by having a contractor convert our third car garage into a regular room. As you can see we left the door in place which I open during heavy cleaning. You can't see it but Plexiglas covers the walls a large portion of the walls.
The Walls
I first painted the walls blue and painted plants and trees all over the room. I'm not an artist so I just went for a whimsical look.
Different View
Here is a view from the other side of the room. You can sort of see their sink which is great for cleaning. The backdoor is screened and allows fresh air in. For added security, all of the doors in the room are attached to our main alarm system.
Time away from their room
I really view the aviary as one huge cage without actual bars. I mention this because I don't want to give the impression that the birds can be left in an aviary day in and day out. My birds need time out of this room on a daily basis. They eat dinner in the house with us every single night. Whether they are playing in the backyard, in my house, going for rides in the car, they need to spend a lot of time outside of their room.
The "Height Controversy"
Having the birds loose in their room, many feet up, just reconfirms the fact that height and dominance is just an old wives tale. None of my birds acts more aggressively although they tower over me.
