Relocating an active aviary

Human contact with bird eggs or a baby bird will not cause parents to give up all hope in the family. Parents will return. Most birds can’t even tell you’ve been there.

But this is what adults tell children, probably to protect birds from little fingers.

Birds do not lay their eggs until they have worked hard to build a strong nest. And they are not likely to abandon it when they need it most. But no one can argue that it is probably best to leave them alone. Looking at babies when they are born from a suitable distance will be fun for your grandchildren, but it is not advisable to touch them. They are babies, after all.

But there may come a time when you need to move an aviary. If it is not absolutely critical, the best option is to wait until the youngsters have flown. The breeding season is short, and the time it takes for the eggs to hatch and the babies strong enough to fly is not that long if moving the aviary is not crucial. Waiting until the chicks have left the nest is the best option.

But, if there’s a reason it needs to be moved … maybe it’s somewhere your cat can get to the nest, then by all means move it.

First, make sure the receive location is fully configured. If you start the process and have to interrupt it, you will unnecessarily stress the birds. Then plan to move the nest during daylight hours, as gently as possible. You want to be able to preserve the eggs intact, if they haven’t hatched or prevent the young from bouncing. Keep the aviary in an upright position throughout the movement.

Don’t be alarmed if parents raise a bad smell, they will get quite loud, they want you to leave them alone. As soon as you relocate the birdhouse, you should move away from the area so that they feel safe in their new place.

Once you have moved, you can watch from a safe distance, hidden from view if possible. If the parents were absent when you moved it, they will generally find the new location fairly easily and should start feeding the young or sitting on the eggs again in no time. But, if it appears that the parents have abandoned the nest due to the move, it is recommended that you contact someone in your area who has experience with the species you are observing.

If you can postpone the movement of a nest until the hatchlings have flown, this is always the best option.