aviary

The aviary is built as follows: I started with treated 4x4s, 14 feet long. Sank them 4 feet deep at 8 foot spaces on center. Attached untreated 8 foot 2x4 stringers at the top and bottom of the 4x4s. Inserted a 10 foot 2x4 upright between each pair of 4x4s. across the top, I ran a 12 foot 4x4 across the width of the cage every 4 feet (a 12 foot 2x4 will bend under its own weight very quickly). That completed the frame.

The wire is standard hardware cloth, 1/2" mesh, galvanized, 4'x25' rolls. I first attached the wire to the frame with staples, then used short deck screws with washers. It's important to put the mesh INSIDE the frame, so the birds can't chew it away. Also after installing the wire, wash it down with a vinegar solution. This removes any zinc residue, and neutralizes the coating.

The door on ours is an "airlock" arrangement, 2 doors in a 4x4 foot chamber, to prevent accidental escapes. We planted bamboo and willows, along with some ornamental grasses. I recommend plantings of something tall and shrubby OUTSIDE the cage to provide shade, windbreak, and privacy. It's desirable to have food and water containers under some sort of cover so that droppings from wild birds can't fall in. Perches can be attached to the framing, or to large limbs planted in the bottom.

About security: I left the floor dirt and grass, because the birds are never in ours at night or when we're gone. If you plan to keep the birds in yours overnight or when you're away, you'll want a concrete pad under it and a padlock on the door. If you have mosquitoes, or if birds will be out at night, a layer of insect screening should be added outside the frame of the aviary. If you might have predators trying to get at the birds, you can add another layer of hardware cloth outside the insect screen to keep it from being torn.