Aviary

An aviary (borrowed from synonymous French volière, which comes from the Latin volāre for "to fly") is a large cage, primarily for birds, that provides a large free flight area and is constructed of wire mesh-covered wooden or metal framework or trellises. It is a usually rectangular larger bird shelter in a room, in a yard or garden, or on a balcony.

There are several types of aviaries:

• the outdoor or open-air aviary, it is usually set up in gardens or parks, especially in zoological gardens or bird parks, and consists of a large outdoor part and a smaller fixed shelter. This variant is also becoming more and more popular in hobby breeding, so that the ornamental birds are offered near-natural air and weather conditions compared to a purely indoor husbandry. In Central European latitudes, however, an adjoining shelter is necessary for most species when housed in these enclosures all year round. In Southern Europe, or in subtropical and tropical countries, a shelter is usually not necessary due to the minimum temperatures. In the past, these aviaries were almost exclusively home-made. Nowadays there are specialized commercial aviary builders.
• the indoor aviary, where no weather-related shelter is needed, but there should still be a retreat for the birds. Due to the lack of sunlight, this variant requires more technology in the form of UV lamps or a lighting system.
• the indoor aviary is usually smaller in size and made of wood or metal framework. This variant is mainly offered for sale through pet shops.

An attached or integrated airlock allows entry without the occupants being able to escape.

A large birdhouse in zoological institutions is also called an aviary.

For a planned form of enriched cages for keeping chickens, see aviary husbandry.