aviary

American  

[ey-vee-er-ee] / ˈeɪ viˌɛr i /

noun

aviaries plural

1. a large cage or a house or enclosure in which birds are kept.

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aviary British  

/ ˈeɪvjərɪ /

noun

1. a large enclosure in which birds are kept

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• aviarist
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• aviaries
  plural

Etymology

Origin of aviary

1570–80; < Latin aviārium a place where birds are kept, noun use of neuter of aviārius pertaining to birds. See avi-, -ary

Explanation

An aviary is a place where birds are kept, such as a building at the zoo or a bird sanctuary. It can be a peaceful place to visit, but watch out for nasty surprises dropping from birds overhead. Aviary is formed from the Latin word for bird, avis, and the ending -ary, meaning “a place” (similar to the -arium in aquarium). Unlike birdcages for pets, aviaries are large enough to allow the captive birds room to fly around. They are often large enough for people to enter too. Be sure not to confuse aviary with apiary, which is a place for keeping bees, not birds.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

aviary aviaries

Parrots and macaws that had outlived their owners squawked in a giant aviary.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 2, 2026

Since 2022, the Sadyba Nyushanik centre has built a new aviary to house the influx of injured birds.

From Barron's ● May 20, 2026

If time is tight, take the free narrated tram ride and stroll through the 25,000-square-foot open-air aviary, home to over 250 injured birds—including pelicans—that can’t be returned to the wild.

From Salon ● Feb. 2, 2026

As well as suiting her needs, the aviary was also designed to give the flock more space and more opportunities for free flight.

From BBC ● Dec. 9, 2025

In a birdcage by the window, a green parakeet, the last surviving member of my grandparents’ former aviary, was moving back and forth on its balsa wood perch.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

And then there were moments of “11,000 Strings” that sounded like the musical aviaries of Olivier Messiaen emanating from a far away lath house.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2025

Right-pushing birds were transferred into aviaries where resident birds were using the left-hand solution, and vice versa.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 14, 2024

The 72 birds escaped from a garden in Tadley, Hampshire, after birdkeeper Drew Holdaway, 64, left the door to one of his aviaries open.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2023

In the new aviaries, they can be glimpsed in person, and “we can tell their stories,” Sillett said.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 22, 2023

There was to be "a small but elegant building, with a portico, green-house, aviaries, bowers, museum, library, and many other suitable ornaments."

From The History of the Medical Department of Transylvania University by Peter, Robert