Transitioning from inside cage to outside

I'm excited to have found your forum. We hope to move a 28 year old Red-crowned parrot from his indoor cage to an outdoor cage/aviary. He has belonged to my parents since he was purchased as a baby and has always been an "inside" bird. They can no long take care of the bird, so he must come to my home where he will be kept outdoors. Any suggestions on making the transition successful for all of us? We are in southern CA.
Thanks in advance for your advice.

Why is he going outside and for how long?

Welcome to the forum. Wow that's a tough call. There's a ton of info we don't have. I understand there's many parrots kept outside year round in S. Cal . maybe some of the folks from that area could offer advice. I'm more worried about the effects of going from a family pet to a neglected outside bird. But like i said , i don't have the facts and don't know your situation. Have you considered rehoming?

How was life with your parents? Was he handled? Zons don't do well mentally when their social situation changes for the worst. At his age i'd be moving him inside not out. There's a hundred questions i'd like to ask, but basically , he'll waste away pretty quick with out a "flock". Wish i could help but i've taken in enough rehomes from your area and can't take any more. I keep amazons outside here in fla. but they live with a whole flock of other amazons and have a social life. I'm not berating you or belittling you at all. I realize you've been put into this situation and are doing what you can. We'd like to help.Thanks for caring enough to come to this forum for help. Please keep an open mind and bear with us as we search for an answer.

I am happy to answer any questions that will help paint a better picture and, therefore, generate comments and suggestions that are more relevant to our situation. First to Merlee, we hope to permanently move him outside as we do not have any animals inside our home. Secondly to Henpecked, my parents had a number of breeding pairs of various kinds (from finches to macaws and lots in between) that lived year-round outside and since we are only a few miles from their home, it seems that the bird will be in an environment consistent with his needs. He will continue to be a family pet; he will just be housed outside with all the rest of the family pets. The bird has been handled daily, and once we bring him to our home, his care and interaction will improve (e.g. daily cleaning of the dropped food vs. allowing a huge build up in the bottom of the cage). My father has been having increasing difficulty in providing good care over the years and is now unable to return to his home. My family and I have been going over twice a day (morning and night) to care for the bird -- cover/uncover the cage, clean cage, add fresh vegetables, fruit, and seeds, etc. for two months. Once he is at our home, we will be able to see him much more frequently.
I'm not sure about his "flock". He was never interested in the female that lived with him (about 15 years ago) for quite a few years. Eventually my parents had to abandon their dream of breeding the birds and slowly found new homes for almost all of them. The only bird that remained for the last 8 + years was a yellow nape and he is now in the assisted living facility with my father. Since the bird is older than all of my children, he has been around them their whole lives and once he is on my property, he will see them regularly.
So, let'd dialog from here. Does that paint a clearer picture for you? We truly are interested in making this be a smooth transition for all of us - including the bird. Thanks for your input.

Hey Fred, thanks for the info. I feel better about the situation and thank you for taking the time to join the forum and ask for help. Hopefully moving him to outside at your home won't be a big deal. Here in S.Fla heat is our biggest issue and insects are next. What questions might you have? Lately on the forum we've been discussing outside aviary and construction ,among other related topics. Maybe browse around the forum's older threads, you can use the forum search. Of course many of us would love to help so ask away.

Being an inside bird i would assume he's been in the AC. I'd keep him well shaded and maybe an external fans for when it gets hot. When they are over heated they pant(like a dog) and hold their wings down and away from their body. He should acclimate after a year or so and things won't be so critical. Will he be in a cage or are you planning on building something for him? I worry with predators like cats,dogs, etc. So i use smaller bar spacing with the outside birds. 1/2 x 1 or 1/2 x3 is narrow enough to keep most predators from reaching though ,even coons. Do you have outside dogs? I got one to guard my outside birds and it works great. She's part lab and very protective. Have you considered a concrete slab under him ? it makes it so much easier to clean when you can just hose thing off. Keeps insects and ants down to a minimum.

I'm sure I will have many questions as I go, so I think I will just start and see where it takes me. First, Fred already has an aviary (3'x6'x7') on a concrete slab. It has a solid roof, back, and one side with half-inch wire cloth for the front and other side. We still need to secure it to the ground before he moves in. I'm wondering if it would be a good idea to simply move his existing cage into the aviary. My parents never put covers around the birds they had outside, but always put a thin bedspread or blanket around the cages of the inside birds at night. Fred is used to this routine. Is there anything I should do to help him transition to using the sun as his light meter instead of the sheet around his cage? Our current temperatures are mid to high 80's in the day and dropping to mid 50's overnight. Thanks for your valuable input.

Hi there,
When i was handrearing chicks and rehabbing any parrots... or any birds for that matter... i always took things slowly.
Moving the birds outside for a few hours in the morning until the sun was high and therfore the temperature.. then back out in the afternoon
I just gradually increased the time out until i felt they were ready and on a nice night weather wise i would leave them out in the aviary.
It's just making the transition as smooth and positive as possibe..
I hope this helps in some way.

Oh and i do think keeping the cage in the flight is a great idea..
Be carefull with house parrots getting night frights from nocturnal animals, when i had possums on my aviaries i used to put all the babies back in their cages at night until they were caught and removed.
Its devastating when ya come out in the am and your bird has had an accident during the night..
Just food for thought

I appreciate the advice to make the transition slow. I've been pondering how to do this since the bird is physically not located on my property yet and once he moves over, he will need to be outside in the aviary. Do you think during the transition time we could continue to cover his cage with the sheet at night? Although there is no "regular" time of night this occurs, there is a regular "bedtime routine" for the bird. We are able to continue this, but while he is in the house, the lights are on until we arrive to follow through with his routine; once he is outside and the sun sets, it seems that it would be awkward to disturb him for the nighttime regime.
Also, although I suppose all amazons are different in the ability to adapt to new situations, I'm wondering if there is a typical time frame that would be ideal for making this transition least stressful on all of us.
In considering the outside activity both during the daytime hours and the nighttime hours, is there anything we can do to help "prepare" the bird? Although he has been around dogs, cats, and other birds, at some point during his life, for the last 8+ years there has only been a yellow nape, one cat, my father, and the TV (on almost all the time). Once he is in the aviary on my property there are dogs, cats, chickens, ducks, children, etc. along with all the native critters. Are there any natural supplements that can be given to help with stress?
Thanks for your support and suggestions!

I think by having an aviary outside is a great thing to have. But always consider the possibility of diseases and parasites. That is something you need to be aware of. So regular vet checkup is pretty essential for you to do.

MikeyTN said:

I think by having an aviary outside is a great thing to have. But always consider the possibility of diseases and parasites. That is something you need to be aware of. So regular vet checkup is pretty essential for you to do.

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Thanks. We will be sure to keep them up. He has had regular check ups as long as my parents have had him. He just got the clearance from the vet for the transition to outdoors so we hope to move him sometime soon.

We usually cover his cage with a thin blanket every night. In anticipation of his move outside, I cleaned his cage this evening and completed the rest of his usual bedtime routine, but did not cover his cage. Since his cage is right by a window, I figure I will let the sun get him up in the morning. I would love some feedback if you all think this is a wise idea or not.

Thanks so much!

I think your doing it the right way. Small changes, like leaving him uncovered while still in the house.

I live in Southern California and though I see a lot of people who have outside aviaries it does get cold enough to cause issues a few weeks during our cold 1-2 months. If you are planning on an outside aviary during the winter months I would recommend you find a way to heat a section of the aviary- your vet can recommend a lighting/heat system that shouldn't run you too much and what he feels would be safe for the bird.

What kind of temps are we talking about? I have always found that once birds are acclimatized, cold weather isn't a huge issue as long as frost bite isnt a possiblity..
A friend of mine had YN zons, red sided ekkies, CAG's and cloncurries all year round outside here in NZ and during the winter temps would drop to between 3-9 degrees celsius with no adverse reactions.
She just bumped up the higher energy foods if it was a very cold morning/day .
Its cold winds and rain that are a worry..
I feel just use common sense and if its a snowy area get heating installed but a little cold once used to it isnt a problem imo

I have tried to stay out of this thread but I can't. I am concerned about the mental well being of this bird because he has been inside for 28 years and having interaction with people on a regular basis. Now he has to be outside because the new owner doesn't allow pets inside. I am very concerned about his mental health and the possibility of issues like plucking or screaming because he is no longer with those he is familiar with. I am thinking "culture shock" with this transition. I think it's great for a bird to have the opportunity to spend SOME time outside for sunshine and fresh air, but not to spend life outside alone.

Why keep him and put him through such dramatic lifestyle changes? Why not just rehome him with another family so he can retain the indoor lifestyle he is accustomed? If he was with other birds in the same aviary, I would not have these concerns. I am sorry, I do not understand your reasoning with your plans.

I don't cover my birds at all.... I typically allow them to go to sleep with the sun and wake with the sun.

Personally, I think it's a great idea that you are considering an outside aviary for him! If he enjoys it, it can help him out physically as well as mentally! Not only that, but sometimes we see medical problems due to a lack of natural sunlight!


If this aviary is large enough for a person to sit in with him so he can get one on one attention, then hey, I like it! I just wish I could build an outside aviary for my birds, but I don't trust the neighborhood, I'm surrounded by warehouses (and thus, semi-trucks - not to mention the busy trust), and well... I don't know if the property owners would allow it. I envy your ability to have aviaries outside!

If the temperature is down to the 50s at night, you might want to cover the cage--at least on three sides? with a heavier blanket. I'd also keep the cage (inside the aviary) partly covered so the bird has a safe corner into which he can retreat if he feels overwhelmed.

My neighbor has an outside aviary. It's divided, its huge, like no less then 12' wide x ? deep x 10-12' high. They have many different species of parrots. I live in San Diego, it can get cold and damp especially at night, and during the winter, espeically near the water. I noticed they cover the outside of the aviary with some like of plastic type material. At least that's what it looks like from here. They do this only in the winter. They leave a square hole at the top for some ventilation. Then in spring-fall they they remove the cover. The birds seem happy and well adjusted. We have locally, skunks, redtail hawks, in fact we have several breeding pairs of redtail hawks near by. They a so majestic to watch when they are out hunting for food. We also have possum.

Merlee said:

I have tried to stay out of this thread but I can't. I am concerned about the mental well being of this bird because he has been inside for 28 years and having interaction with people on a regular basis. Now he has to be outside because the new owner doesn't allow pets inside. I am very concerned about his mental health and the possibility of issues like plucking or screaming because he is no longer with those he is familiar with. I am thinking "culture shock" with this transition. I think it's great for a bird to have the opportunity to spend SOME time outside for sunshine and fresh air, but not to spend life outside alone.

Why keep him and put him through such dramatic lifestyle changes? Why not just rehome him with another family so he can retain the indoor lifestyle he is accustomed? If he was with other birds in the same aviary, I would not have these concerns. I am sorry, I do not understand your reasoning with your plans.

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Merlee,
Thank you for your concern. I am happy to report that the bird is adjusting amazingly well! He is getting a lot of attention and we have not seen any evidence of stress. He has even begun exploring the aviary as he has ventured off of his cage which is inside the aviary. He still prefers the security of being near his familiar cage, but we are happy to see him checking things out.