How to Build an Aviary for African Gray Parrots

African gray parrots are said to be the smartest birds on the planet, possessing the intelligence of a five-year-old child. They are capable of distinguishing between colors, objects and people, and can learn to understand what words mean. A creature with this kind of intelligence should be given an environment in which it can explore and learn. An easy way to do this is to build an aviary.

Things You'll Need

  • 1/4" wire-mesh netting
  • 4, 1" x 8' long steel rods
  • 80-lb. bag of concrete mix
  • Water
  • Shovel
  • Large piece of sheet metal
  • Metal ties
  • Drill
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Instructions

    • 1

      Dig four holes into the earth. They should be about one foot deep. They need to form the points of a large square.

    • 2

      Take the steel rods and push each one into one of the holes that were dug. Push them about six inches into the soil so that they are able to stand on their own.

    • 3

      Open the concrete mix bag and pour the dry mix into each of the four holes with the rods sticking out of them. Try to bring the cement mix level with the ground. Add water to each of the holes, completely saturating the concrete mix. Let the mix dry in each of the holes.

    • 4

      Wrap the wire mesh around the four rods, forming a large square enclosure. Make sure the mesh reaches the very top of the rods. Use the metal ties to secure the mesh in place.

    • 5

      Stretch the mesh across the top of the large enclosure. Make sure that all of the gaps are closed off so that the parrots won't be able to escape. Secure the mesh to the top of the enclosure by using metal ties.

    • 6

      Drill four holes along each side of the sheet metal and lay it along one end of the enclosure. The metal sheet will provide a shady spot in the aviary when the sun is too hot for the birds to sit directly under. Secure the sheet metal in place by pushing the metal ties through the holes in the sheet metal and attaching it to the mesh of the roof.