Outdoor Aviary

[Flossie]

Not too sure if this is the right place for this question but I'd like a little advice on my pending outdoor aviary. We live in a rural area away from everything, our house overlooks a small lake with two small islands on it. The water has goldfish and the islands have several trees for nesting and resting in. I thought of building an outdoor aviary at our house and letting the semi tamed birds out during the day to experience outdoor life for real. If these birds (possibly Lorikeets, Cockatoos, Galahs or other Australian ground parakeets) that are hand tamed and then allowed out to explore during the day, would they return at night to their home or not venture too far from home and start up at colony on and around our lake? We live in New Zealand with temperatures a little lower than Australia. The idea is to establish several colourful birds (we don't have them in NZ) that would continue to live here amongst the foliage but can return to a 'free to leave, or secure, aviary' if they want. Our native Tui and Wood Pigeon are becoming more prevalent here now possums and ferrets have become more controlled. Is this feasible?, to have aviary birds that will return home if they feel threatened? I'd love to look out my huge windowed area and see colourful and perhaps talking birds taking advantage of free flight, trees, water and also being able to fly to a safe haven when they feel threatened.

 

[JLcribber]

Sounds like a pipe dream to me. If it was that easy then all the parrot conservation projects would be hugely successful. They are not. Professional conservationists follow strict guidelines and procedures to make it work and even then they fail more than they exceed.

A "pet" parrot has very little chance of surviving in the wild.

 

[Flossie]

If there is no other places for the birds to nest or fly to, would they fly away from something familiar or fly miles away from a secure environment?

 

[itzmered]

Most birds raised in captivity have not learned the survival skills needed to live on their own in the wild and you very well maybe subjecting them to a death sentence. They are not used to being free and would take off not knowing where they are at and most would not come back. If they came back so easily you wouldn't see so many lost bird postings. Introducing birds to an area that they are not native to is frowned upon as they can be considered an invasive species and is something you should check with your local natural resources government entity about the laws.

 

[Flossie]

So what if they were wild and not tamed, breeding cock and hen with babies able to explore their lake environment where their parents were able to, breed, nest and raise their young in a natural environment like in the wild?

 

[Flossie]

I'm talking about a natural environment here. No preditors except maybe a harrier hawk which are few and far between and if the birds know they can be safe in their aviary and return would that not make exploring and breeding a more friendly environment for the birds.

 

[itzmered]

there is a big difference between being "wild" and being captive raised. I am assuming you are talking about captive raised breeder birds that are not "hand tamed" This is really something you need to discuss with your local wild life management officers. I googled it a little bit and New Zealand has some pretty strict laws around non native species.

 

[Flossie]

Thanks itzmered for the advice, I will make enquiries. There are countless pet birds here that go missing and end up in the wild that are non-native species, my idea is to create something localised to my house that will start a natural colonization. Bearing in mind that my house is rural, there are not many other birds in the area and the introduced birds would be wild and would have a secure environment to go to if threatened.

 

[Bokkapooh]

Doesnt sound legal. Aren't New Zealand laws strict like Australia's when it comes to releasing foreign non native animals?

 

[Flossie]

Okay, then I wont let them fly about the lake. End of topic.

 

[Stormcloud]

Not too sure if this is the right place for this question but I'd like a little advice on my pending outdoor aviary. We live in a rural area away from everything, our house overlooks a small lake with two small islands on it. The water has goldfish and the islands have several trees for nesting and resting in. I thought of building an outdoor aviary at our house and letting the semi tamed birds out during the day to experience outdoor life for real. If these birds (possibly Lorikeets, Cockatoos, Galahs or other Australian ground parakeets) that are hand tamed and then allowed out to explore during the day, would they return at night to their home or not venture too far from home and start up at colony on and around our lake? We live in New Zealand with temperatures a little lower than Australia. The idea is to establish several colourful birds (we don't have them in NZ) that would continue to live here amongst the foliage but can return to a 'free to leave, or secure, aviary' if they want. Our native Tui and Wood Pigeon are becoming more prevalent here now possums and ferrets have become more controlled. Is this feasible?, to have aviary birds that will return home if they feel threatened? I'd love to look out my huge windowed area and see colourful and perhaps talking birds taking advantage of free flight, trees, water and also being able to fly to a safe haven when they feel threatened.

Flossie, I am going to look at it from a different perspective to the other members who have posted here.

Our flora and fauna in Australia and New Zealand is unique and in many ways the envy of the rest of the world. We have a duty to nurture it, protect it and live in harmony with it. IMHO to knowingly encourage an exotic animal, bird or plant the opportunity to become established in the wild through deliberate release, at the probable expense of our own native species due to the environment and its habitats having no natural defences against them, is inexcusable. Australia and New Zealand have lost more species of native mammals, reptiles, birds, insects and plants than anywhere else on Earth in the last 100 years essentially due to the introduction of exotic species. Cats, dogs, mice, birds, rats, pigs, foxes, dingos, man and the diseases that came with them have all taken their toll. This is why you have to go to a select few off-shore islands in New Zealand if you want to see a Kakapo, a Giant Weta or a Tuatara, which is the only reptile alive today that were around millions of years before the arrival of the dinosaurs. You too have recognised that the reduction of numbers of exotic predators/competition, such as ferrets & possums, has resulted in recovery of your native wildlife. So this begs me to ask the question as to why you would now want replace the noxious pests you've just removed with new ones who will once again compete with your native wildlife for territory, nesting sites/hollows and food??? With the extinction of the Norfolk Island Kaka, only the New Zealand Kaka, the Chatham Kaka, the Kea and the Kakapo remain from the oldest and most ancient order of parrots...and all of them are endemic in New Zealand and its surrounding islands.

This doesn't mean you should simply completely discard the dream though.....maybe simply adjust your sights. As suggested by @itzmered, I would try and organise a meeting and with a representative from the Department of Conservation and see what projects they have on the go that you may be able to actively participate in. I would also look to make contact with, or join, a local Avicultural Club/Society that deals with native birds as they may also have projects that you can participate in. For example, was the Kakariki once native to your area??? What facilities and plants would you need to provide to enable them to become established again??? Given that you have a lake, are there any species of native freshwater fish that need help??? Who knows you may be able to assist with recovery of one of your native threatened or endangered species. While I believe your heart is in the right place, by learning from the mistakes made by those who preceded you, means you won't introduce the next "possum" or "ferret". Good luck Flossie and keep us informed, because we'd love to hear where the dream takes you.

 

[Pompom214]

Why not just order some aviary netting that is used at zoos and create a large aviary with trees inside at your property (the aviary would be completely sealed and dome shaped)? It is expensive, bit seems like your dream can partially come true. The exotic parrots could fly from tree to tree inside.

 

[Sadieladie1994]

My concern was with releasing non indiginous animals in the wild. That has been a problem in the past. How ever noble your intent you are messing with the normal flora which can have severe consequences down the road.

 

[mythic55]

I have been in a similar boat.... We have wild lovebirds, cockatoos, indian ringnecks and a variety of finches (zebras, society, etc). So I pondered this question myself.

Any way you slice it... doesnt work like you think it will. I would suggest moving to an area that already has FLOCKS that have proven to be sustainable- note then they will more than likely not return (certain parts of spain, etc). Otherwise, build an aviary, and keep them there. Birds are not like cats.... they dont 'find their way back' the majority of the time.
Spooked- fly-lost-die.

 

[Monica]

Possible, yes, legal, no.


New Zealand is gorgeous! And it's sad to think the amount of animals that have been killed due to human encroachment and everything that entails.



I hope you are able to get the aviaries you wish you of the species you can get! And I hope none of them get out of their aviaries and possibly get lost or otherwise!