Registered IM Charity No. 1228
Registered IM Charity No. 1228

Our Aviaries

Feral pigeon entering soft-release aviary Pigeon returning to soft-release aviary through release hatch

Our hand-reared orphan birds need to spend some time in an aviary to practice their flying skills and acclimatise to the weather before they are returned to the wild. They usually spend two weeks in an aviary, then a hatch is opened to allow them to leave and explore the local area, but still return to the aviary for food and shelter for as long as they need to. This process is called "soft-release".

 

Hand-reared goldfinch in soft-release aviary Hand-reared goldfinch in soft-release aviary

Can you help?

 

We always need more aviaries. You can help by making aviary panels for us (we will supply the wood and wire mesh), hosting an aviary in your garden or on your land, helping to care for the birds in an existing aviary, or sponsoring the cost of a new aviary. 

Putting the mesh on a 6'x3' wooden frame

We make our aviaries out of 6’ by 3’ panels so they are easy to take down and move to different sites as needed. Can you make simple wooden frames for us if we supply the wood? Then it’s simply a matter of stapling the mesh to the frame. 

Our Foxdale soft-release aviary for small and medium birds
Our Castletown soft-release aviary for large birds
Our Peel aviary for soft-releasing small birds
Our Douglas aviary - a sanctuary for unreleasable birds
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© Manx Wild Bird Aid --- Isle of Man registered charity No. 1228