Kitting out the Aviary

So this morning we kitted out the new aviary with brand new items:

1. To start, we fitted bamboo branches, one reaching the full length of the aviary at the front, and one crossing the width of the aviary on either side (of which one slots into the perch hole in the front of the middle finch nest box).

2. Next, plastic perches with slots were added to the left front corner next to the door, to allow weaker/tired finches to climb the aviary without having to do large flying runs in one go to the top.

3. Just like the previous homes, the back is lined with silk artificial foliage, but instead of fixing silk vines to perch on, an extra-long and thin one was coiled tightly round one of the bamboo perches. The silk foliage was attached by screwing in small hooks into the wooden slats, so that they can be easily removed and cleaned later.

4. Due to the mini board inside the aviary (which creates the secret sleeping zone behind it), we decided to kit the right side of it as a small play zone, with a long slim hanging ladder, a cotton spiral perch and a hanging cotton bundle.

5. Larger plastic coated hooks were attached to the roof beams to attach hanging feeders and millet sprays. While we decided to try the finches with small hanging feeders basically designed to chickens (though the feeder does have a perch round for the finches to stand on while they eat), we also put in an extra-long transparent seed trough in to allow the finches to eat from what they are more used to. It is also important to have multiple feeding stations when there are more birds, so that there is less tension and squabbling.

6. The floor was covered in bird safe wood chippings. An artificial and very bushy fern was attached to the top left corner at the front so that it flops down over some of the bamboo perches, creating a zone behind it for finches to hide if necessary. An artificial plant was also added to the bottom right corner at the back to finish it off.

The Bengalese finches and Celestine (because she had partnered up with Aquila in the flight cages) have now been moved into the aviary. Pictures updated to the Gallery.

The finch aviary with its perches and feeders

The aviaries long seed trough

Silk foliage under the finch nest boxes