How to Build a Wooden Bird Aviary

Birds are happiest when they can flap and flutter freely within their living quarters. They love mirrors, hanging bead toys, natural branch perches, bells, cuttle bones and swings. Building a wooden aviary is a challenge, but you will be able to customize your bird's environment to ensure his health, safety and happiness. This aviary uses plywood and 1/2 inch metal mesh, and provides your bird with 6 feet by 4 feet of flight space. By making the aviary bottomless, and adding a door and a solid top, you will be able to use it indoors or outside, and be able to clean it easily.

Things You'll Need

  • Four sheets of 4 feet by 8 feet 3/4 inch plywood Sheet of 4 feet by 4 feet 1/4 inch plywood 54 square feet of 1/2 inch metal mesh Four 1-inch diameter dowel rods, 4 feet long or four natural branches with at least a 1-inch diameter 12 L-shaped 2-inch wall mounts 24 half inch long wood screws Eight 2-inch long wood screws Eight 1-inch long wood screws 1/2-inch drill bit 1/8-inch drill bit Power drill Jig saw or circular saw Carpenter's staples Hammer Two standard 3-inch door hinges with screws Standard hook and eye door closure Door handle Bird cage mirrors Cuttle bones with clip on holders Clip on bird feeder cups Clip on bird water cups Carpenter's pencil Carpenter's square Two saw horses
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Instructions

    • 1

      Lay plywood sheets flat across saw horses one at a time. Draw a rectangle 3 feet by 6 feet, 6 inches from the top and side edges of each of three plywood sheets. Drill a hole at each corner of the rectangle using a 1/2-inch drill bit. Use a jig saw or circular saw to cut out the three rectangles. Save them for other projects.

    • 2

      Affix the metal mesh to the plywood using carpenter's staples and a hammer to make screened windows in each of the three cut plywood sheets.

    • 3

      Cut a door 6 feet by 3 feet in the fourth plywood sheet. Be sure to leave 2 feet uncut at the top of the door to help prevent your birds escaping every time you open your aviary. Attach the door handle, hook and eye latch and hinges. One hinge should be 6 inches from the top of your door, and one should be 6 inches from the bottom. Be sure the spine of the hinge aligns properly between the door and frame. See the Resources section at the end of this article for advice on choosing and installing the correct hinge.

    • 4

      Attach plywood sheets using L-shaped 2-inch wall mounts and 1/2-inch wood screws, mounted inside the aviary. Stand the aviary upright. Attach the aviary top using eight 2-inch long wood screws, one in each corner of the top and one across from each other at the center point of the four sides.

    • 5

      Use the 1/8-inch drill bit to make four pilot holes on the right and left sides of the aviary, two holes across from each other about 2 feet from the top, and two holes across from each other about 4 feet from the top. Attach 1-inch diameter dowel rods or natural branches using 1-inch wood screws. These will be your perches.

    • 6

      Clip water dishes, feeders, cuttle bones and mirrors onto mesh at the front and sides of cage as desired. Place the aviary in a desired location. Place the birds in their current cage, with the door open, inside the aviary. Allow your birds time to accustom themselves to their new found freedom. Eventually, they will use their cage as a nesting or sleeping box and spend most of their time playing with the toys or flying in the cage. This cage will accommodate a pair of large birds, two or three pairs of medium sized birds, or six to 10 smaller birds.