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Aviary

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other uses, seeAviary (disambiguation).
Home aviary, Néthen, Belgium, non-commercial wooden construction

Anaviaryis a large enclosure for confiningbirds,althoughbatsmay also be considered for display. Unlikebirdcages,aviaries allow birds a larger living space wherethey can fly;hence, aviaries are also sometimes known asflight cagesorbird cagesin some places in the United Kingdom. Aviaries often contain plants and shrubbery to simulate a natural environment.

Various types of aviary[edit]

Large aviaries are often found in the setting of azoological garden(for example, theLondon Zoo,theNational Zoo in Washington, D.C.,and theSan Diego Zoo). Walk-in aviaries also exist in bird parks, including the spaciousBird ParadiseinSingapore,or the smallerEdward Youde AviaryinHong Kong.Pittsburghis home to the USA'sNational Aviary,perhaps the most prominent example in North America of an aviary not set inside a zoo. However, the oldest public aviary not set inside a zoo in North America, theHamilton Aviaryis located inHamilton, Ontario,Canada.Tracy Aviary is an example of a bird park within a publicurban park,Liberty ParkinSalt Lake City,Utah.[1]Some smaller sized aviaries can often be found in European manorial gardens, such asWaddesdon Manor,UK, andVersailles,France. Somepublic aquaria,such as theOregon Coast Aquarium,Newport, Oregon,or theMonterey Bay Aquarium,have aquatic aviaries.[2][3]

Home aviaries are popular with some birdfancierswho have the space for them. Many bird breeders list themselves as "aviaries", since most bird pairs breed best in aviaries in contrast to breedingcages.Home aviaries may be built by the owner or obtained from a commercial supplier.

There are two main subcategories of home aviaries: grounded aviaries and suspended aviaries. Grounded aviaries are affixed to the ground with aconcretebase to prevent rats and other vermin from entering. Suspended aviaries are suspended in the air with only the 'legs' of the aviaries affixed to the ground; hence, the need for a protective base is eliminated in suspended aviaries. Most grounded aviaries typically feature awoodworkorPVCframe unlike themetalframe of public aviaries; however, it isn't uncommon for suspended aviaries to feature a metal frame. Aviaries are also used for research purposes in ornithology institutes.

History[edit]

Early modern origins[edit]

An aviary, a large cage to house and display birds, dates as far back and possibly earlier than the 1500s found in the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan as noted by Hernán Cortés when he and his men arrived in 1521. Also theRaven Cage(created in 1829), is regarded as one of the oldest structures in theLondon Zoo.[4]

TheBali Myna,otherwise known as the Rothschild Myna, is one of the seven EAZA species atWaddesdon Manor's Aviary in Buckinghamshire, UK.

Victorian revival[edit]

Proposed architectural design for a French military aviary to houseswallowsas messenger birds, based upon a scheme byJean Desbouvrie,1889

The first large aviary inside a zoological garden was established in 1880 in the setting of theRotterdam Zoo.Aviaries were an important aspect for the many Rothschild houses that proliferated across Europe in the 19th century. This was a recalling of the aristocratic custom from the late 1600s, which involved the elite society displaying their power, status and wealth through the exhibition of exotic birds and animals. For instance,Baron Ferdinand de Rothschildbuilt his aviary in 1889 atWaddesdon Manor,UK, erected in the style ofVersailles' trelliswork pavilions.[5]

20th century to modern day[edit]

In 1902, a flying cage was completed in the setting of theNational Zoological Parkof theSmithsonian Institution.A newGreat Flying Cagewas built in 1964.[6]

The Saint Louis Zoois home to the1904 World's FairFlight Cage. It is one of only two permanent structures built for the World's Fair which still remain (the other is theSaint Louis Art Museum'sCass Gilbertbuilding). In 1904, it was the largest bird cage ever built. It remains one of the world's largest free-flight aviaries. The 69 m (228 ft) long, 26 m (84 ft) wide, and 15 m (50 ft) high cage was built by the Smithsonian Institution specifically for the St. Louis World's Fair. Local pride in the giant cage motivatedSt. Louisto finally establish a zoo in 1910.

In 1937, theSan Diego Zoo's aviary designed by architectLouis John Gillopened; it was then the largest in the world. The mammoth steel structure, 55 m (180 ft) long, 18 m (60 ft) wide and more than 30 m (100 ft) high, funded by theWorks Progress Administrationat a cost of $50,000, had no beams, cross or guy-wires to impede the flight of the birds.[7][8]

With the Antwerp cage system (1948), birds are only separate from public with a light system used indoor theBird BuildingatAntwerp Zoo.[9]

At theFrankfurt Zoo,the bird house was built in 1969. ItsBird Hallspresented birds for the first time in large glassed miniature habitats. In diving exhibits,dartersandkingfisherscould be seen hunting under water, and in the free-flight hall visitors still walk amongst tropical birds in densevegetation.[10] In 1963, the same principle was used outdoors to construct theBird Thicket,ten aviaries surrounded by dense bushes and designed in various habitat settings, which visitors can enter through wire netted doors and curtains of cords.[10]

TheSnowdon AviaryinLondon Zoowas designed byAntony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon,Cedric PriceandFrank Newby,and built in 1962–1964.[4]

TheBronx Zoo'sWorld of Birds,a two-story bird house completed in 1972, is a huge, landscaped, indoor free-flight exhibit. The one-way flow pattern in the exhibit moves the visitors through twenty-five birds habitats, ranging fromdeserttotropicalforest.Each setting recreates with impressive fidelity the microculture of the birds that fly merrily about within theirdioramaworld, complete with livingplants.Five of the aviaries are completely open: in two of the largest the uncaged public walks through the habitat with birds freely overhead.[11]

TheHenry Doorly Zoo'sSimmons Aviaryopened in 1983 and is one of the world's largest free-flight aviaries. About 500 birds from all parts of the world occupy the area of the aviary. In this 16,000-square-metre (4-acre) exhibit, visitors seeflamingos,ducks,swans,storks,cranes,spoonbills,ibisandegrets.The Aviary is 240 m (800 ft) long and rises to 23 m (75 ft) at the center. The structure of two-inch nylon mesh is supported by a system of cables and poles. The use ofnyloninstead ofwireis a unique concept.[12]

Birds of Edenbird sanctuary, located in theWestern CapeofSouth Africa,is possibly the largest free flight aviary in the world. The aviary opened in 2005 and covers an area of 21,761 m2(234,230 sq ft) with a total volume of 375,372 m3(13,256,100 cu ft). It is home to around 3,000 individual birds from 200 species.

List of public aviaries[edit]

Gallery[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^Tracy Aviary HistoryArchived11 October 2008 at theWayback Machineretrieved on 7 December 2008.
  2. ^BirdsArchived19 February 2009 at theWayback Machine,Oregon Coast Aquarium's official website,retrieved on 3 February 2007.
  3. ^Sandy ShoresArchived12 February 2009 at theWayback Machine,Monterey Bay Aquarium's official websiteArchived14 February 2009 at theWayback Machine,retrieved on 3 February 2007.
  4. ^abZSL ArchitectureArchived28 February 2008 at theWayback Machine,ZSL,retrieved on 3 June 2008.
  5. ^"The Aviary at Waddesdon Manor".Retrieved23 November2018.
  6. ^National Zoological Park, Records, 1887–1966,Smithsonian Institution Archives.
  7. ^"Giant Zoo Cage to be Dedicated by Eagles Soon,"San Diego Union,21 February 1937.
  8. ^San Diego Historical Society
  9. ^"European zoos",Life,Vol. 25, No. 23, 6 December 1948.
  10. ^abPetzold, Dirk, "Zoologischer Garten Frankfurt am Main", inEncyclopedia of the World's Zoos,Bell, Catharine E. (ed.), Fitzroy Dearborn, Chicago, 2001, Vol.3, pp.1452–1457.ISBN1-57958-174-9;
    Scherpner, Christian, "Walk-through Bird aviaries at Frankfurt Zoo",International Zoo Yearbook,Vol. 5, No. 1, 1965, pp. 244–246.
  11. ^Kidder Smith, G. E.,Source Book of American Architecture: 500 Notable Buildings from the 10th Century to the Present,Princeton Architectural Press, Princeton, 2000, p.376.ISBN1-56898-254-2
  12. ^Henry Doorly Zoo's AviaryArchived23 December 2008 at theWayback Machineretrieved on 27 November 2008.

External links[edit]

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Wikisourcehas the text of the1911Encyclopædia Britannicaarticle "Aviary".
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