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284 Hand-Rearing Birds

Where such a pre‐made device is not available, heat lamps and heating pads can be furnished in
other forms of caging to create a 100 °F (37.8 °C) environment. In such cases, a thermometer should
be placed inside the cage where it is easily visible from outside and monitored several times per day
to check for temperature fluctuations.
Standard veterinary animal cages are well‐suited for housing fledgling herons and egrets at stage
two, and also at stage three when indoor flight caging is not available (Figure 17.5). Suggested cage
sizes include interior measurements of 24 × 23 × 23 in. (61 × 59 × 59 cm) for up to three individuals
of smaller species, or 43 × 23 × 36 in. (109 × 58 × 91 cm) for up to six individuals of smaller species.
Cages should be furnished with branches to enable birds to practice grasping and balancing. Cage
bottom inserts should be plastic‐coated metal with no sharp edges and should easily allow drop-
pings to fall through to the cage bottom below. Cage bottoms should be lined with newspaper or
towels for easy cleaning. Cages should be cleaned daily and disinfected with an agent such as
dilute bleach or accelerated hydrogen peroxide.
When possible, indoor flight housing should be provided to enable young birds to practice flying
in advance of their thermoregulatory capacity allowing them to be moved outside. An example of
indoor flight housing is a cage constructed of a wood plank frame with walls of canvas or tarpaulin,
a net ceiling that allows maximum light and air exchange, and a hinged door of canvas or tarpaulin
that has a small window cut in it covered with fishing net to allow for visual checks of the animals
(Figure 17.6). A good size for such a cage is 6 × 6.5 × 7.5 ft. (1.5 × 2 × 2.25 m). Such caging can be
built on wheels with no flooring, to be rolled over whatever area of floor is convenient for its loca-
tion. Flooring can then be covered with one or two layers of sheets, newspapers, or towels for easy
cleaning. Ample perches should be provided to allow every individual housed to perch up off the
floor. Up to 10 individuals can be housed in such a box, depending on species size. Provide numer-
ous perches of similar heights from the floor, as chicks may have dominance disputes over the
highest perches. Swinging branches are a great perch option within housing that allows birds to
practice balancing on unstable perches and navigating short distances between floors and perches.
Outdoor flight aviaries should be located in a shady area and provide ample free‐hanging
branches or other swinging perches of varying thicknesses to allow young herons and egrets to

Figure­17.5­ Black-crowned Night-heron chicks in a wall cage. Note stick perches, coated wire floor, and
light-colored fabric covering the inside of the wire door. Source: Photo courtesy of International Bird Rescue.