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Providing the optimum outdoors living space for your pet birds is a significant responsibility and starts with choosing the best outdoor bird aviary for them. Not only should the aviary provide shelter, safety and protection from the weather, it must have enough space for the birds to fly around. We review the Best Garden Bird Aviaries by listing their pros and cons and discussing their individual features and benefits. We also recommend their best use. Our Buyer’s Guide addresses what you may need to add to your bird aviary purchase to create an environment in which your birds are happy and flourish.
BEST PICK
Best Outdoor Bird Aviaries Reviews
1. Feel Good UK Bird Aviary
Best Pick
Buy on Amazon.co.uk
The Feel Good UK Bird Aviary is a hexagonal aviary that can be expanded by the addition of one or two extensions that give your birds plenty of flying room. This grow-with-your-birds aviary is made of quality wood that’s been treated for protection against fungus with a coating that won’t hurt animals or the environment but I still recommend treating it every few years to keep it in great shape.
Your birds won’t be constantly exposed to the sun, rain and other weather elements are three sides of this aviary are made of 10mm thick wood, giving plenty of shade and protection from wind. The other three sides are of 1cm square grid galvanised wire that keeps everything (except bugs) on the right side of them. Ground loving birds will be happy that the bottoms of the mesh sides have deep baseboards of solid wood for their protection and privacy.
This is a sturdy and attractive aviary with 25mm thick wood for the frame and green felt on the sloped hexagonal roof. It’s waterproof and warm. The many windows in different sizes in all three mesh walls give you a variety of ways to access the interior. However, all the windows are relatively large and some online reviewers report that they’ve lost birds which have flown out as the people opened the windows to feed them or to clean the aviary. With this in mind, I would highly recommend buying the extension so you can seal off the area for cleaning or build an extension yourself which won’t be expensive, that way you can enter the extension, close the door and then access the very safetly.
This Feel Good UK aviary comes with nesting boxes and perches for your birds’ enjoyment but there’s no base to the unit. This aviary stands 187cm high to the top of the roof so, unlike other models we review, there’s room for you to stand up in this aviary but it’s difficult to get in to. But you can see up into the roof from the outside to view the birds nesting there.
Pros
- Hexagonal wooden aviary (unspecified wood) treated with an antifungal animal- and environmentally friendly stain.
- The roof overhangs the sides of the structure and is covered with green felt and topped with a decorative finial.
- The back three walls are made of wood and the front three walls contain mesh windows and doors.
- Mesh is 1cm square grid galvanised wire to keep the birds safely in and any other creatures safely out.
- Nesting boxes are in the roof and the unit contains hanging/standing perches.
- Can add up to two optional extensions for flying room for your birds and make an entry point.
- Delivered flat packed and easy to assemble.
- Dimensions: 105cm (diameter) and 187cm (to top of roof).
Cons
- No floor/base.
- Can’t get into the cage – Recommend buying or building an extension to access the aviary.
Our recommendation
The Feel Good UK Bird Aviary offers both protection for your birds and a view of the outside with three wooden walls and three mesh walls that each contains opening windows of different sizes. You just need to be careful that the birds don’t fly away when feeding them as all windows are relatively large.
For more flight room for your feathered friends, add one or two flight extensions that have a door in either end for access from the garden and to the aviary. This will also stop your birds from escaping. This could also be built easily and fairly cheaply too.
The Feel Good UK Bird Aviary is the Best Pick in our review it’s just a shame it doesn’t include some sort of extension as standard. However, I like that this hexagonal aviary shelters your birds in all weathers and offers an extension for those very active birds.
2. Pets Imperial Stunning Wooden Bird Aviary
Buy on Amazon.co.uk
The Pets Imperial Stunning Wooden Bird Aviary Hexagonal Design is another hexagonal wood bird aviary and it’s larger than our Best Pick but you still have the issue of no extension as standard to make it safe to open the door without your birds escaping. So be ready to build your own extension so you can enter it, close the door then open the aviary door safely.
This structure is made of fir wood that’s been treated against rot and mould with a coating that won’t hurt animals, birds or kids fo they got that part right.
All six walls of this Pets Imperial aviary are made of 1cm gridded, galvanised wire. The bottom part of each wall is of solid wood, giving protection and privacy from ground level predators as well as giving birds that love to sit on the ground confidence. The six-sided roof is covered in green asphalt to protect against both rain and sun. It’s also long-lasting and doesn’t fade quickly. The mesh sides mean that winds will blow through the aviary as will rain and driving sleet, so make sure to position your bird’s home somewhere sheltered or create covers for some of the walls which is easily done.
The central mesh wall has two large windows that open. They’re large enough for birds to escape from when you’re putting in bird food but not large enough for you to get in and clean the aviary, according to some online reviews. As I have also ready suggested several times, some of these reviewers have redesigned their cages with smaller windows or internal mesh screens covering the windows but you really can’t beat have an extension with a door on.
This is rather a short bird aviary at 160cm tall so it might also be worth sitting it on some sleepers to raise the height a little. There’s also no base so it’s open to whatever ground surface you put it on but this standard for bird aviaries.
On another note, I also noticed several other people who own this model said that this is a good aviary as an outside house for their cats.
Pros
- Hexagonal bird aviary made from safely treated fir wood.
- Mesh walls all round for 360° view of the birds.
- Good size for small flying birds or small animals.
- Roof covered by green asphalt and topped with a finial.
- Two large doors are in opposite quadrants of one wall.
- Flat packed into two boxes and simple to put together.
- Dimensions: 150cm (diameter) and 160cm (height).
Cons
- No floor/base.
- Can’t get into the cage.
- No small door for feeding the birds.
Our recommendation
The Pets Imperial Stunning Wooden Bird Aviary Hexagonal Design is a pine wood bird aviary with a larger floor space though it’s a little short in vertical space. Mesh windows all around let you view the birds from all angles, though don’t provide much protection from bad weather for the birds unless you put temporary covers over them. There’s plenty of room for birds to fly about or to pass the time on perches or any other structures that you provide for them.
The Pets Imperial Stunning Wooden Bird Aviary Hexagonal Design is a good choice if you have several small birds that spend their time flying about and you’re prepared to adapt the design of the aviary.
3. PawHut Wooden Bird Cage
Buy on Amazon.co.uk
The Pawhut may be the smallest and the least expensive bird aviary in our review but it has a well-thought-out design. It’s a tall and thin shape ‘house” structure whose rectangular frame is of pine wood that has been treated to be fire and water-resistant. The aviary has a small footprint but it’s 165cm tall making it suitable for small birds that like vertical height and not much flying time.
The four walls are all of the usual gridded galvanised wire. The two windows in the front wall are well designed. There’s a small one (17.5cm length and width) for using to feed the birds and a larger one through which you clean the aviary. As usual with a fully gridded aviary, be sure to place it in a sheltered place to protect the birds from any wind or rain that can blow through the structure.
The sloped roof is covered with water-resistant green asphalt for the bird’s comfort. Your purchase includes a wooden ladder for the birds to play on.
Another useful feature is the pull-out drawer at the bottom of the unit. This makes it easy to clean up the bird droppings and keep the aviary hygienic. The drawer is raised above the ground below to allow for air circulation under the aviary and to avoid dampness seeping into it from the ground below.
Pros
- Tall and narrow “house shape” pine wood bird aviary treated with a weather protection lacquer.
- All four walls are fully made of galvanised metal mesh.
- Two windows in the front wall for access, including a smaller one for feeding your birds.
- Sloped roof covered with green asphalt that’s water-resistant.
- Includes wooden stairs for your birds to play on.
- The raised tray at the bottom slides out for easy cleaning.
Dimensions:
- Aviary: 68cm (width); 63cm (depth); and 165cm (height).
- Windows: 17.5cm (length and width of small window); 30cm (width) and 44cm (height of large window).
Cons
- Not great quality wood.
- No baseboard at the bottom for ground birds’ privacy.
Our recommendation
The PawHut Wooden Bird Cage is a tall and narrow pine wood aviary that has some good features not found in all bird aviaries. There’s a small window to safely feed the birds through and a pull-out drawer at the bottom of the structure that makes it easy to clean up after your birds. It comes with a wooden ladder for your birds to perch and play on.
This Pawhut aviary is a good choice for those who don’t have much room to put a bird cage outdoors or who have birds who don’t spend all day in flight. It would also make a good choice for indoors too.
4. Feel Good UK Large Wooden Bird Aviary Cage
Buy on Amazon.co.uk
The Feel Good UK Large Wooden Bird Aviary has it all. It’s the home that any bird might dream of. About one-third of the structure is the sleeping and living quarters, while the other two-thirds is the flying around area. House and garden in one unit for your treasured feathered pets.
The sleeping compartment has solid wood (unspecified type) walls on five sides with a mesh front wall. A sliding door leads into the compartment from the flying around area so you can close your birds in at night time. Inside are nesting boxes on a shelf and a floor with a removable mat for easy cleaning. Additional access for you to reach into this space is through the wooden hinged roof and a window in the mesh front wall.
The rest of the aviary has walls of galvanised mesh metal. The “living” space below the sleeping area has a full-size fold down wall for complete access. In the flying zone are two large windows which give you the opening to crawl through into the aviary structure. Note that opening any of the windows in this aviary has the potential to allow your birds to flee.
The designers have thought of your birds’ enjoyment with this Feel Good UK aviary. You purchase comes with some moveable perches though you may like to add toys of your own choosing.
Pros
- Large rectangular wood bird aviary designed for birds that like to fly.
- Sliding door to close birds into the enclosed compartment at night.
- Flight area and lower part of the living space has walls of galvanised metal mesh.
- Constructed from unspecified wood without the use of nails.
- Access through two half-size doors into the flying area, a flap-down door into the lower part of the living space and the roof of the sleeping space opens up.
- Comes with moveable perches and nesting boxes; also a removable floor mat in the sleeping area that is easily cleaned.
- Dimensions: 242cm (width); 80cm (depth) and 165cm (height).
Cons
- Very new product so no reviews yet but great design.
Final conclusion
The Feel Good UK Large Wooden Bird Aviary is a large house-and-garden-in-one aviary. The enclosed sleeping space has nesting boxes, a removable floor mat that’s easily cleaned and a sliding door that opens to the flying area. There’s a quiet living space under this compartment for solitary birds and those who like to just sit. More energetic birds can spend their time flying madly about the large open space that makes up the rest of this structure.
If you’re a serious bird lover and want a complete outdoors habitat for your treasured feathered companions, the Feel Good UK Large Wooden Bird Aviary is a great choice. I would probably still recommend building a little extension to make access safer.
Buyer’s Guide
Most, if not all, outdoor bird aviaries don’t come with everything you need to provide the best environment for your birds. Here are a few things to consider as additional purchases if your bird aviary is without them.
Base/floor
Many of the outdoor bird aviaries we looked at don’t have a built-in base – they’re open to whatever type of ground you place them on.
Placing the aviary on grass gives a natural look (for you) and a natural feel (for the birds) to the aviary. Cleaning can be difficult and grass can take a long time to dry, especially if the aviary is open on all sides to rain. In addition, insects and rodents live in floors of this type which may or may not be good for the birds.
Concrete (or cement) is a popular choice for flooring, either solid concrete or blocks. It’s easy to sweep clean and can be hosed down or power washed. You can put down a layer of sand if you think the concrete too harsh a surface for the birds.
Bark and chips look natural and water quickly drains away to the surface underneath. However, small animals and bugs like to nest in this material. Cleaning is not too difficult if you rake the bark to pull the droppings to the side.
Removable, easily cleaned mats take away the natural look of the aviary but are convenient for you.
If you choose to place a wire grid over the flooring so your birds don’t walk around in all the faeces, be sure to provide some flat surfaces (perhaps a few ceramic tiles) for them to stand comfortably on or walk around on.
Places to perch
Not all bird aviaries come with perches or swings, and those that do only include one or two. Be sure to buy extras of these plus maybe a ladder or other structures for the birds to spend time on.
Feeding and drinking
All bird aviaries have windows to open (some larger than others) for you to put your bird’s food inside. But you need to provide the containers, whether they’re open dishes, trays or gravity-fed hoppers. With larger aviaries, consider having several food and water stations.
Natural habitat
It’s safe to say that a wood and mesh space, even with a grass floor, isn’t close to the natural habitat of any bird. Consider putting some growing plants in your bird aviary. maybe even a small tree. The branches give additional places for the birds to perch and the leaves provide extra privacy and protection for them. If you grow bushes or trees that have berries, that’s an additional food source for the birds. You can plant the bushes or trees in/through the aviary floor or have them in containers.
Entertainment
Birds, especially parrots and other exotic birds, don’t like to be bored. Flying around all day may not be enough excitement for them. You’re on your own for your birds’ toys as we didn’t find any bird aviaries that came with them.
Final conclusion
You have a responsibility to your pet birds to provide them an outdoors environment that’s safe, healthy and a joy to live in. The garden bird aviaries in our review all let you do this, in various styles and sizes. The essential thing is to match your birds’ needs to the size of the aviary you buy or to purchase one that you can add on to.
Our Best Pick is the Feel Good UK Bird Aviary, a wood bird aviary in a hexagonal shape. You can add on one or two extensions that provide additional flying space for your more energetic birds.
If your interest in birds extends to wild birds, head over to our Best Bird Box Cameras review for a way to get a glimpse into birds’ private lives. You could also install these in your aviary too. We also have two articles about nesting birds, How to attract birds to a nest box and The best shrubs for attracting nesting birds.
For a more general look at birds, start with How to attract birds into your garden.
Last update on 2024-04-05 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
