FINCHforum

I'm close to completing two 3' x 5' walk-in flights, and debating who goes where.
I know the calculator on the FIC site doesn't really work with very large (aviary) sizes, but at what point does it start to become way inaccurate? Going strictly on square footage, it indicates seven to ten birds per flight - does that seem reasonable?
I have two pairs of Desert Finches who are desperate to be out of their cages into something more spacious, and three pairs of waxbills (Red Ears, Orange Cheeks and Lavenders) who will definitely go into the flights. Then there are the two pairs of Javas and fourteen Societies (and counting) who are okay where they are but it would be nice to give them more space (and give me fewer cages to service). I intend to build more flights as soon as I make room for them.
There isn't enough info out there about the Desert Finches for me to even guess how they would behave in a mixed flight, so I'm a bit apprehensive about them. I'm thinking about putting them with the Javas only because they are about the same size and prefer the same foods, and observing their behavior with them before adding anyone else.
Any insight, thoughts or suggestions?

Based purely on floor space, 3'x5', which is 36" x 60", is the same floorspace as 4 petco flight cages (30x18 each). So 8-10 birds does not sound unreasonable. With the added height, that might allow a few more, depending on personality and behavior, and how the flight is set up and where they like to hang out in the aviary, as in all up high, or some like high, some like low....

I don't know exactly at what point the calculator "blows up", but suddenly it starts saying that you can put 30-40 birds in the aviary. So if you're not seeing crazy numbers, it's probably still working correctly for the size you put in.

I'd keep the number around 8, no more than 10 for that size.

I agree with Deborah. I'd keep it around 8 per flight and that would be if they are all compatible with each other and not the more aggressive species.
You should really enjoy flights at that size, best of luck

Thank you all.
I think I will go ahead with the big birds in one and the waxbills in the other and see how it goes.

Good luck, keep us posted