THE AVIARY WATERLOW PARK

We  know that the aviaries were already in existence when Sir Sydney Waterlow wrote in 1889 to the London County Council to offer his property to the working people of North London as a ‘garden for the gardenless’.

The LCC maintained this tradition, as evidenced by this quote from J. J. Sexby, their first superintendent of parks, in his fascinating book:  ‘Bird and animal life is much encouraged here and there are several aviaries stocked with British birds and a guinea pig house, much to the amusement of the youthful generation’ (page 577 of The Municipal Parks Gardens And Open Spaces Of London Their History And Associations’ published in 1898).

By the late 1980s a small wildlife rescue charity was using the aviaries to house a variety of rescued and injured wildlife as well as birds. Since the charity moved its operation outside London about 6 years ago, the aviaries have remained empty, apart from housing a beehive on a temporary basis. They look increasingly forlorn and run down, although long time local residents still fondly remember Charlie the Mynah bird and it seems, a shute down which pennies could be sent into a wooden bird’s beak. (Incidentally, FoWP would welcome any such reminiscences about the aviaries for our website)

Encouraged by requests from park users and Friends, and with the support of Camden, the committee have been exploring ways of bringing the aviaries back into their original use. The key aims are: to reinvigorate this rather neglected corner of the park, to provide an educational resource which will give pleasure to park users of all ages and  to prevent the structures from falling into disrepair.

A working group from the FoWP has spent a year investigating a number of options. We also contacted the Budgerigar Society and liaised with the magazine Cage and Aviary Birds to reach a wider audience. Two expert volunteers came forward to offer help and advice, inspected the aviaries and the space behind, and contributed their expertise to a report submitted to Camden. See below:

PROPOSAL TO REINSTATE THE AVIARY IN WATERLOW PARK February 2009

The following is an outline proposal to reinstate the Aviary in Waterlow Park in order to educate and bring pleasure to all park users.

Aviary
The best aviary to bring back into use would be the end one, since this is both the largest and the most visible to the public. It is also well planted and will provide good shelter and hours of entertainment for the birds. Budgerigars are particularly well suited to these conditions and it is proposed to begin with 2 rising to 8 pairs which will generously be donated by a volunteer along with 2 pairs of cockatiels.

Bird species
Once this aviary is up and running it would be advantageous to take over a second one which could house a mixture of zebra finch, canaries, diamond doves and Chinese painted quail. The educational possibilities, for adults and children alike, whether linked to a webcam, notice boards, the FOWP website and the existing natural and wildlife work within the park, are considerable.

Bird-room
The bird-room which connects with the end aviary has to be draught proof. A ‘safety door’ needs to be constructed in the open doorway which leads to the first half of the ‘open’ bird-room.

Preparation
The aviary should be thoroughly checked for holes and weak spots in the wire and frames to stop the birds escaping and to keep rodents out. Any foliage growing over the roof should be removed. A thorough clean with bird friendly disinfectant is required. Existing shrubs must be removed if poisonous.

Food
Good quality seed is required which must be stored in damp and rodent proof bins. The same seed mix would work for both budgerigars and cockatiels. A 20kg bag  could last about 6-8 weeks. Grit and cuttlefish bone are very cheap. When breeding and feeding their broods, birds require increased quantities, topped up with egg-food.  The birds need green feed every day or other day, possibly discarded items from local Fruit & Veg shops.

Equipment
Perches should be made from natural branches which can be sourced from the park.
A nesting box is needed for each pair. There should already be lighting in the bird-room. In addition, a night light to prevent ‘night fright’ can be provided by a red 15-25watt bulb. A special ‘hospital cage’ along with sundry medicine will be required.

Education
A camera could be set up in one of the nesting boxes and linked to the Park Centre. The website www.handykam.com provides nest boxes along with the necessary equipment. Current volunteers have offered to prepare suitable copy for notice boards. Further information can be sought from www.budgerigarsociety.com

Maintenance
The aviary should be inspected every day. This would be Camden’s responsibility, but local volunteers could help with monthly cleaning and regular visual inspection. Some offers have been received thanks to publicity in a specialist journal. It is likely that information and requests on the FoWP website and a follow up article in the specialist press would produce more offers of help.

Bird Flu
Although highly unlikely, to avoid the risk of infection from wild bird droppings, it is worth considering covering the aviary roof with clear plastic and installing a netting of the appropriate gauge to prohibit wild birds from contaminating the food and water.  www.defra.gov.uk has the latest guidelines.

Timeframe
The ideal time to be up and running is the spring.


On receipt of our proposal, Shawn Kiddell, head of Camden Parks commissioned a report from  The Corporation of London’s Department of Environment Services’ veterinary officer in May 2009. It was very encouraging to see that their report largely mirrored our own.

The officer also noted that ‘the aviaries are more than adequate for the proposed species’ and ‘the initial proposed number’;  that ‘animals would require more specialist care and may trigger the requirement of a Zoo Licence’; and that the birds must be attended to daily, with great attention to hygiene. The risk from rodents and the need for a contingency fund for veterinary services were also mentioned.

Information on the RSPCA website about keeping budgerigars can be found on their website

Following the two reports, FoWP have been working with Camden to prepare for a public consultation which is taking place until the end of December 2009. To participate visit the Camden survey website