An aviary is a large cage or building in which live birds are kept
. The name aviary comes from the Latin word avis, which means "bird." If you have a birdcage in your home, it is not really an aviary. An aviary must be larger than that; in a really large one, the birds can even fly around. Most zoos have aviaries on their grounds. When the weather is warm enough the birds are put in outdoor cages. Otherwise they are kept in heated birdhouses. Only birds that will live together peacefully are put in the same aviary.
Usually birds from the same part of the world are put in the same aviary. Aviaries have been known since ancient times. The early Persians, and the Greeks and Romans, kept birds in huge cages. Today there are private as well as public aviaries. Some people in Florida and other warm places have large outdoor birdcages on their grounds. A good aviary should have the kind of plants and trees in it that the birds are used to. Roosts and perches should be provided for the birds that need them. An indoor aviary should always be kept at the proper temperature for the birds that live there. The keeper of an aviary must know the various kinds of food that the birds eat, and provide it for them as often as they need it. The captive birds in an aviary will lay eggs and hatch them if they are well taken care of. If there were no aviaries, most of us would never be able to see birds that do not live close to our homes. The aviary is always one of the most popular spots at a zoo.