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Can i keep these birds together in a large aviary *this is my imagination rn*

Moone

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First thing is that im very sorry if i put this in the wrong thing.

Ok so
1 acre aviary-
Can i keep the following birds together
1 Red Shouldered Macaw
3 Sun Conure
3 White Crowned Pionus
1 Green Cheek Amazon Parrot
3 Green Cheeck Conure
1 Black head Caique
5Amazon Parrotlet(Idk maybe)
So can i?
Pls put suggestions
Also atm it my PURE IMAGINATION
but i would like to know this for the future :)
Would i also be able to(ik this might not be ur expertise) Capybara/Dart Frogs i kinda sorta wanted this to be a south american ecosystem :p but i dont mind it being only birds if anyone can tell me any birds that can be pets and walk on the Ground.
Also i understand if i cant keep the parrotlet coz there beaks r small
 

.........

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That is one very cool idea.
I'm not sure on the bird species or frogs, but I would be concerned at the Capybara injuring the birds (trampling/kicking).
 

Moone

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Oh ok thanks for your help! i've read that capybaras are very peaceful so thats why i asked
Also i dont exactly mind if some of the dart frogs are eatin by the birds, as long as there is enough,
 

Destiny

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Also i dont exactly mind if some of the dart frogs are eatin by the birds, as long as there is enough,
You know dart frogs are poisonous, right? It is right there in the name ... poison dart frog. Maybe not the best thing to let your birds eat, especially if you are aiming for maximum realism. :laugh:

As for the aviary itself ... holy moley ... are you really planning on building a one ACRE aviary someday? That is HUGE! Roughly the size of a football field huge. I think you would have a hard time even finding a dozen parrots in an aviary that size, although you would certainly be able to hear them. :)

Now to the question of compatibility and mixing different parrot species. Short answer is ... nope. Probably not a good idea. Sorry.

From the research I have done on mixed aviaries, it is generally considered a *bad idea* to mix hookbills. Even worse idea to mix different sized parrots or same size parrots with different beak sizes. I was unsuccessful finding a reputable list of "good" parrots for mixed aviaries, because it just isn't a good idea and generally does not work out in the long run. Parrots are territorial and they can be quite aggressive toward other species of parrots, especially when breeding or feeling hormonal.

Keeping the same species of parrot together is usually fine (with some exceptions, of course), but mixing different species of parrot in the same aviary is asking for trouble. The list of parrots you have provided are different sizes, different temperaments, different beak sizes. It is very likely that you would end up with some issues. I'd also mention that odd numbers of parrots is also bad for flock dynamics. Parrots like to pair off. Three parrots in the same enclosure are going to have problems, because somebody isn't paired up properly. One parrot without another of his own species is going to be lonely and looking for a mate. Possibly trying to steal another parrot's partner or feeling left out and forever alone. This tends to result in a lot of loud arguements and parrot drama.

In a large enough space, you might be able to get away with mixing those parrots together, but I think you would be taking a big risk with your birds' health and well-being. It would be very easy for something to go wrong while you were not supervising and really just a matter of time before it happens.

It sounds like you would like to create a large South American themed aviary, like you might find in a zoo or wildlife park. It is a really cool idea and I wish I had the money to do this myself, because I would love a huge mixed aviary, too. But it is important to realize that those kinds of exhibits are only possible because the zoo has significant resources, and access to a wide range of specialists, for veterinary care, exhibit design, and animal behavior. Multi-species exhibits in zoos are very complicated to setup and maintain. Also, the zoo is able to quickly add or remove animals from the exhibit if there are any problems. If this was your own personal football-field sized aviary, you would need to also construct adjacent facilities for separating birds that are sick, injured, or causing problems for the other aviary inhabitants. If one of the sun conures is fighting with the amazon, it will need to be moved out of the aviary, temporarily or permanently. The aviary may need to be redesigned to discourage interaction between the two birds. Sometimes it isn't possible to resolve the problem so the birds can't be housed together for their safety and you would need to find alternative housing for one or multiple birds.

You'll notice that most zoos do not just make one big exhibit and put all the animals in it together. Instead, they make many smaller, specialized exhibits that provide less space but more species-specific care for each animal. The residents of multi-species exhibits are carefully selected for compatibility and high stress tolerance. Many animals don't do well in a multi-species enclosure because the interspecies interactions are too frequent and stressful. They are happier in a space of their own.

If you have one full acre, it could be divided into four very large quarter-acre aviaries instead of one mega aviary. Or into eight or ten unique enclosures so each species of parrot can have its own private space, without direct competition from half a dozen different kinds of parrots. This kind of setup would also make building and managing the aviary much easier in a lot of ways, since it is more modular and adaptable. Not as impressive as one huge aviary, but a lot more functional and safer for the birds/frogs/capybaras.

Just something to consider when you are making plans for a future aviary. Bigger isn't always better.
 

FeatheredM

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I would probably go a little smaller than an acre, and put each with it's own kind. It would be alot of work, and you would probably just end up making it a bird zoo , also if you live where it gets cold, you have to be able to find a way to get them inside. You also have to find a way to keep them from getting stressed from animals outside like Hawks. How many birds do you have? This is a really cool idea, for a while I wanted to have a bird store, but that would be a lot of work and I would have to move to a place where people are interested in birds and it doesn't seem to fit in my life in the future, but who knows. Dreams are good, if you never dream you will never have dreams come true ( oh I hope that has never been said)so if you ever get the chance to do this, then go for it!
 

Destiny

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Oh I am well aware of that. I keep dart frogs.

But even captivebred and raised frogs are not non-toxic. They are just significantly LESS toxic than their wild counterparts. I still wouldn't want to risk my cat eating an escaped frog. I don't keep any golden dartfrogs (Phyllobates terribilis), so one frog probably would not kill her, but I doubt it would do her any favors.

And if you were trying to faithfully recreate a South American rainforest environment, that might include introducing appropriate native prey for the frogs to hunt, so they could accumulate toxic alkaloids for protection, which is what I meant by "maximum realism"

Beyond the issue of predation/poisoning, there are a couple other problems with keeping dart frogs in a parrot aviary that I can think of, based on what I know from my own experience. First, you would need to be able to meet the housing requirements for poison dart frogs in the aviary.

Depending on where you live, this could pose a significant challenge, especially in winter. Dart frogs do not tolerate cold or dry conditions. In many parts of the world, this means they would need to be kept in a climate-controlled environment, like a terrarium or greenhouse, rather than exposed to normal outdoor weather. So the giant rainforest-themed aviary would need to be fully enclosed and able to maintain warm, humid tropical conditions year round, even in the dead of winter.

On the upside, you would be able to grow all kinds of neat tropical plants in a climate-controlled greenhouse/aviary which your parrots would appreciate. On the downside, it would be expensive to build and also expensive to heat in winter or cool during summer. If you were building a normal parrot aviary without the full rainforest environment, you would still need to provide the birds with shelter during winter, but you would not need to heat the whole space. Many aviaries are designed to have a large outdoor area for flight and exercise, adjacent to an enclosed area that can provide shelter for the birds during bad weather. But if you plan on keeping dartfrogs in the aviary, that style would only work if the aviary was built somewhere tropical.

Second ... dart frogs are small. Really small.

This is my dart frog display terrarium.

20191229_170605.jpg

It is 4ft by 2ft by 2ft which is quite big for dart frog enclosures, but tiny compared to a football field.

Can you find the frogs?

There are twelve of them in this tank. On a good day, I see three or four at the same time. Sometimes I can't find any. I know they are in there ... somewhere ... I just can't find them. Despite their bright colors, you have to really look to spot them, because they are so small and quite good at hiding under leaf litter. And I keep relatively large and bold dart frogs that were carefully selected to be able to handle living in a group as adults. Many species are even smaller and more shy. And most frogs prefer to live in mated pairs with their own territory, rather than hanging out with lots of other dart frogs.

20200106_151353.jpg

I am trying to imagine how many dart frogs you would need to put into a one acre terrarium so that you would even notice they were in there .... it would have to be a ton of poison dart frogs. Way too many, actually. Because most dart frogs are quite territorial and get stressed out by sharing space with too many other frogs. Trying to find a balance between enough tiny frogs so you can even tell that that they are still alive and too many frogs would be a real nightmare.

On a related note, many dart frogs are "terrestrial" so they tend to spend the majority of their time at ground level. Which basically means "foot level" for a one inch tall frog in a large aviary. Aside from aviary birds eating the dart frogs, there will also be the risk of visitors stepping on them by accident or walking by them without even noticing, because they are under a leaf.

20191229_170709.jpg

If you do manage to establish a large population of dart frogs in your aviary, how would you even feed so many frogs? Or check on them to ensure they are healthy and active? Or provide them with the mineral supplements they need to thrive on a captive diet? Also, are you going to just keep one species of dart frog or multiple species?

I assume you will want lots of different colors, so probably multiple species. Breeding will increase competition, stress, and aggression between the frogs which isn't great for their health And if they do reproduce successfully, your frog population could easily get out of control without careful management. It is also worth mentioning that many dart frog species are closely related. They can cross-breed to create hybrids which isn't great for their genetic diversity and species conservation. And it makes it difficult to find new homes for the hybrid babies, if necessary.

Like parrots, dart frog enthusiasts tend to keep their frogs in species-specific enclosures that are tailored to the individual needs of the specific frog, rather than larger multi-species terrariums. Mixing species can be done, but you need to choose your frogs carefully, monitor closely and be prepared to rehouse frogs if they are showing signs of being bullied or stressed. It isn't recommended for beginners, because you need to know the frogs and each species requirements pretty well to recognize a problem early enough to fix it before the frog dies from stress.

It wouldn't be as simple as releasing a couple of frogs into the parrot aviary and hoping some of them managed to avoid getting eaten by the birds.
 
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FeatheredM

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Maybe you could use turtles instead of dart frogs:D i think that would work out better
 

Moone

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Damn ur very smort
I just wanna keep 1 type of frog, the blue ones not alot because i just dont...
What i planned to do for this imaginary aviary is:
- Have alot of cover on the ground.
- Have a FOOTPATH THINGY so you dont disturb anything
- Have different kinds of trees and shrubs to block the parrots line of sight if they start chasing eachother
- Have a small pond(less than 8 feet in size, ) with aquatic plants and some lillies
- Put large rocks so the Inhabitants can sit on them to drink water or idk what animals like to do-
- Have the smaller stuff established first such as the prey for the frogs first, then the frogs, then the birds etc
 

Destiny

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Nah, I just spend way too much time thinking about imaginary animal setups ... and sometimes actually building them. This is kind of my hobby.

Sorry if I came off too negative. There are a lot of things to consider when you keep different kinds of animals together, since they will each have their own wants, needs, desires, and requirements. From a practical standpoint, the animals aren't really benefiting that much from the extra diversity when you mix species. It is more for our viewing pleasure and convenience. Even if they are social animals, they would much rather have more of their own kind rather than an eclectic mix. So if you want to put together different animals, even in a large space, you have to plan carefully, consider all animals in the design and expect some unintended consequences.

For example, the capybaras will likely enjoy that pond, but they will also mess it up and eat the plants. And the parrots don't need a full sized pond to be happy in an aviary, so a deep water feature is an added drowning hazard and potential source of disease (especially after the capybaras poop in the water and muck it up).

Plus, as the caretaker, you would be responsible for pond maintainence, so it is your job to keep it clean and relatively sanitary, as well as fixing the pump when it inevitably breaks. Or since this is a dream aviary, maybe it comes with a handyman and a pond guy who cleans the pond whenever you want. That would be great. :)

I wish my garden pond had one of those. Would save me the hassle of wading into cold water to clean out the darn filter when it gets clogged.

Anyways, I think this is a very cool idea. But it would be a very big project. Looking at it from a "how would I actually do this" standpoint, it isn't something you could do on your own. You would quite literally need a small fortune and a team of people working with you, both for the planning/building stage and the much longer job of maintaining the rainforest aviary after it is built and fully stocked.
 
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Moone

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Yea i wish i had some kinda contact with u i would try to should a sketch like thingy on my computer than send it too u

do u have any way i could? like is there a chat feature on this?

Like after i do some reasearch and try something to do to make it work + the sketch u could tell me wat u think?
 
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Destiny

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Yes, you can upload images from your phone or computer, like the photos I posted earlier. Just hit the "attach files" button, find the sketch and add it to your post.
 

Moone

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Mhm it may not be very good coz im not good at computer sketches and i dont wanna draw it lol
 

Moone

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Thats kinda my sketch the empty parts are going to be trees and plants
 

Moone

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If you want i can send u a list of the plants im still finding the plants
I live in hardiness zone 8b-9a if u know what that means-
 

Destiny

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It looks good. Keep in mind that the path is good for guests, but you will need to access all parts of the aviary to care for your birds. You would want to design it in such a way that all the important parts are easy to reach, when necessary. And you will need a plan for keeping it clean. Birds poop a surprising amount!

Going back to the original idea of a very big exotic aviary .... imagining if I inherited a huge fully constructed rainforest-themed zoo exhibit that was already setup for birds and just needed to be filled with appropriate animals ... what would I do with it?

Well .... hmmm ... first I would need to do a lot more research, because my parrot husbandry experience is limited to budgies. Filling such an aviary with a million budgies would be its own kind of awesome, but with that much space, I would rather go bigger.

I think I would aim to establish two or three flocks of similar-sized medium or large parrots in the aviary. It is big enough to house a lot of animals comfortably. The trick would be identifying suitable species and then arranging the space to minimize stress and competition between the groups. Lots of places to find water, food, and shelter. Lots of visual breaks and different regions for the birds to claim as their own space or escape from unwanted interactions. Plenty of stuff to tear apart, chew and destroy as parrots love to do. Foraging opportunities, a wide range of food options, artificial rainfall, the whole nine yards.

It would be an incredible experience to step inside a tiny piece of rainforest in my backyard. Like my dart from tank, but much much bigger. Very cool.
 

Moone

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i dont get it sorry,
I would do 1-2 flocks of largers birds but im kinda scared of them,
I wanna get really comfortable with medium sized birds before i get into large birds i mean most macaws are 3 feet from head to tail.
 

Destiny

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If you want i can send u a list of the plants im still finding the plants
I live in hardiness zone 8b-9a if u know what that means-
Yep, I do. I live in zone 8b.

Be sure to take winter weather into consideration when designing the aviary and considering what kind of birds to keep. Tropical parrots will need extra protection from cold conditions.
 
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