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Did you know that perches should be placed at about your chest level so that the birds know their place in the hierarchy? Lower than this and they will be frightened, higher than this and they think they’re in charge – the more dominant bird always sits on the higher branches!

When placing your perches and toys, make sure that your birds can move about without running into anything. With perches, put them to the sides however, not so close that the bird’s tail is touching the aviary wall when sitting on the perch.

Go for a walk in the bush and find a fallen branch – this is preferable to the dowel ones as the uneven shape of the branch means that the bird is not always putting pressure on the same part of their feet. Scrub the branch well and dry it in the sun before putting it in your aviary.

Rope (untreated cotton) is also a great idea for an aviary – but it can be removed and washed in your washing machine. You just need to keep an eye on it for any fraying that little feet can get caught in.

Do not place your perch directly over food or water dishes.

Many birds prefer to roost on a flat surface – a 15cm wide plank will be sufficient along the long wall of the aviary.

Plastic perches are not the best option as they can be slippery and your birds will chew and shred them which can cause problems and lead to vet bills.

If you’re thinking about buying an aviary but are relatively new to bird keeping, here are some basic matters you’ll need to give some thought to before you make a final selection.

Size
As a general rule your bird cage or aviary should be at twice the wing span of your full-grown bird in width, depth and height, obviously the more birds in your aviary the larger you will need your aviary to be.

Shape
The shape of your aviary will depend on the type of bird you are keeping:
Budgies – tall and wide;
Canaries and finches – wide and long;
Cockatiels will need enough room to move without damaging their crest and long tail.

Securing the door
Be sure that you are able to properly secure your door. If there is just a thin latch, your bird may spend the day devising an escape plan. So a good latch on the door and even a padlock will stop the most determined escape plan and also protect from any unauthorised human visitors.

Location
Birds are people too. If your bird is happy with people around, choose a location near the family. If your bird is less social (and you’ll know which your bird is), then choose a quieter area, but whatever the location make sure that you can see them to guard against predators (larger birds, cats, snakes, etc).
Find a spot where your birds will get the morning sun and were they will also be protected from the elements.

Buying your first big aviary? Just about everything has a chore or two to go with it and aviaries are no different! To keep your birds happy and their home looking spick and span, here are some of the chores you can look forward to.

Daily
1. Flooring – paper should be changed daily. If you are using an aviary litter, this should be raked over daily so that droppings fall to the bottom.
2. Food and water containers should be washed in hot water using a mild soap (if you use a feeder, just wipe off the droppings and clear off the top layer of seed).
3. Wipe droppings off perches.

Weekly
1. Flooring – if using aviary litter, this should be removed weekly and replaced with fresh litter.
2. Wash the walls, perches and other inside surfaces with mild soap and hot water.
3. If you use a feeder (that you have wiped clean daily), this should be emptied and cleaned thoroughly during the weekly clean.
4. To clean plastic surfaces, use a solution of vinegar and water (2tbs vinegar to1 litre of water). Use a soft cloth to avoid scratching the plastic.
5. Household bleach can be used as a disinfectant in your aviary, but you must remove the birds as the fumes can be harmful to birds (if you clean your aviary regularly, there will be little need for disinfecting). Rinse thoroughly before returning your birds to the aviary.

To make things a little easier on yourself and your birds, if your aviary is large enough you could consider putting some shade cloth across one half of the aviary – the birds can then retreat to the other side while you clean.