Can birds/parrots live outdoors in the UK? (in an aviary)?

Question

i would like to convert a 3ft wide x 5ft long x 6ft high Garden shed into a parrot aviary and need to know if the british climate is ok for birds. i am thinkings maybe budgies, cockatiels, zebra finches... They would be protected from breezes, droughts, rain. e.t.c.

summer temprature is about 10 - 25*C and winter is about -10 - 10*C. it rains all the time here(north yorkshire) all year.

and what species would be suitable for this situation please?

Answer 1

Hi,

All three species will handle the cold and wet, with the zebra finches though they can suffer in the winter time so what i do with my aviary is get some plastic and double it up as many times as possible to keep the heat in during the winter.

But yeh all three will handle the cold, but make sure that you purchase them from an outdoor aviary otherwise you have to then aclimatise them before they go outside.

Answer 2

I keep Budgies and Cockatiels  in an out door aviary all year round and I'm from East Ayrshire (The land of eternal rain).  I use a low cost electric heater in winter to keep the frost out.

Budgies and Cockatiels love the rain it makes them go crazy for a bath.

Answer 3

Yes. They endure a wide range of temperatures even in the tropics, especially at night. The right food is most important. Some parrots even survive after escaping.

Answer 4

Yes, my neighbour has two parrots in her garden, we live in the north west, but they are quite nosiy sometimes. make sure your neighbours are o.k with it.

it might be a good idea to bring them inside in the winter.

Answer 5

Yes, but you may want to bring them inside during the winter

Answer 6

Well they are doing OK in the wild so I'm sure you will be alright.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/386...

Answer 7

Choosing what area of your house your parrot

will live in is an important decision for both you

and your parrot. Your parrot will need a minimum

of two to three hours each day outside his cage.

Even if this time is spent in your presence,

you need to ensure that your bird is in a safe

environment.And any way the uk is the main breding area for parrots so i think it will be ok.

Answer 8

if you pull into the layby on the A30 in stains a large number of

wild parrots live in the trees. They have lived there for several years.

Answer 9

Yes being warm blooded animals they can tolerate various temperatures

just make sure you have an indoor area for when the weather is bad and make sure you protect the outdoor area from draughts, the rain etc

I would also recomend covering the top of the aviary with a plastic sheeting to prevent any wild birds from defecating in the food and water

and you should ideally change the water and food everyday

as flies and many other small insects can get into the food and water bowls and spread diseases

Answer 10

The answer is "Yes"

I live in the North East, Durham and it gets wet and cold.

And have kept all the species you have mention including,some that are really Tropical.

If you are thinking of keeping Budgies ,forget about keeping anything else with them,they can cause you problems,especially in the breeding season if mixed with other species.

The others can all be kept to-gether,with-out any problems.

As long as your Shed and Aviary are Dry ,Draught  proof,and Vermin proof,(Rats,Mice) you will have no problems.

I used an Electric Tubular Greenhouse heater in the most severe cold,controlled by a thermostat set at 15c.Never use a Gas or Paraffin Heater as the fumes could kill your birds.

Hope this helps and Good luck in your future exciting hobby.

Additional info.

The Parrots that are mention by some are Indian Ring Necked Parakeets and not "Parrots"and they live wild in the South of England.

Answer 11

sorry i am kind of laughing, blackbirds,finches, sparrows robins etc all live here ok

seriously yes its ok, i have two pairs of macaws and a pair of amazons. the amazons actually hang upside down in the flight when there is a heavy rainstorm and even thunder and lightning. one of the macaws has a bald belly from severe feather plucking before she came to us, and she sits outside in all weathers, sometimes you can se her shivering but she sits with her boyfriend and is happy

plus my father-in-law has three sheds of budgies that are doing well and breeding