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Housing & Environment

Learn how to build your own flight or aviary.

• How many birds will fit in your cage? - Plug cage dimensions into this calculator to find out how many finches can comfortably live in your enclosure.
• Building Your Own Flight/Aviary - This article discusses how to build your own free standing aviary, cage, or flight, including safe and hazardous building materials, considerations for building an indoor vs. an outdoor enclosure, and step-by-step instructions with photos detailing the following different aviary plans:
• Panel-form Aviary
• California Flight - under construction
• Breeding Cabinet - under construction
• Outdoor Aviary - under construction
• All Wire Flight - under construction
• Ideal Lighting, Temperature, Humidity - Discusses proper lighting (sources and timing), provides information about environmental temperature including how to tell if your birds are too hot or too cold, and includes tips for increasing humidity if necessary.
• Importance of Proper Lighting - Explains why full spectrum lighting is important for birds' health and well-being and discusses how to ensure that you are providing adequate lighting for your birds; includes a form that will help U.S. residents determine sunrise and sunset times, information which is good to have for setting up an automatic timer for indoor lighting.
• Perches, Dishes, Accessories - Find out what types of perches, dishes, and accessories to invest in and which to avoid; discusses points to consider when purchasing "toys," bedding, nests, and nesting material for finches as well.
• Safe Plants and Toxic Plants - Lists some safe, live plants to consider adding to an enclosure (including common name, scientific name, and photographs) as well as some toxic plants to avoid.
• Housing Mixed Species Together - Learn which species tend to coexist peacefully and which to avoid housing together; includes a "compatibility chart" which divides many commonly kept species into four groups: peaceful, pushy, aggressive, and unsuitable for a mixed collection.
• Reducing Aggression - Follow these suggestions to help establish or maintain a peaceful aviary.
• Watering Systems - Things to consider when installing an automatic watering system as well as links to manufacturers of such systems.
• Auxiliary Heating - Discusses when and how to provide extra heat for your birds, as well as how to acclimatize birds to a cooler environment.
• Combating Aviary Pests & Predators - Insects, rodents, and wild birds often act as vectors of disease and parasites; these and other animals may also be capable of inflicting trauma to finches. Find out how to prevent and control pantry pests, mosquitoes, cockroaches, ants, rodents, and other threats such as cats, snakes, and hawks.
• Keeping the Flight/Aviary Clean - Includes a recommended cleaning schedule and a chart which discusses a variety of disinfectants, their uses, warnings, dilution rate, and spectrum of action (which bacteria/fungi/viruses/etc. they are active and inactive against).