Small bird perch for 1 x 0.5 (one by one half inch) wire, no hardware needed, multiple gauges

thingiverse

This is an 9-inch enrichment perch that mounts from the outside of a small wire-opening birdcage. It's designed for use with 1 x 1/2 inch wire mesh, commonly used in breeder flights. To make maintenance easy, the whole perch can be slid into place from the outside, without needing to open doors and risk escape. This is especially useful for shy birds who are intentionally left alone as breeders and don't enjoy human contact or power tool noises. The perch changes diameter along its length to allow for different foot postures when perching and reduce the chance of foot sores. It also offers different heights, requiring birds to use different muscle groups and some cognition to figure it out. Flying to the perch presents a challenge as it angles at 20 to 45 degrees in all axes. No more unstimulating straight lines! The perch will be slightly flexible, making landings softer on the feet, and sitting on the end encourages balance-keeping and shifting posture for better joint and musculoskeletal health. To install the perch, print out the two test head STL files first, which are fitting tests for your wire. If birds don't get much observation, use the smallest head size that doesn't quite fit for installation. This will create a semi-permanent mount until they chew up the perch or the plastic becomes brittle from weather. For a semi-permanent mount, dip the head of the perch in steaming hot water (PLA) or boiling hot water (ABS) for 30 seconds while gently swirling it around. Then, slide the perch in and use pliers or your finger to twist it into place as shown in the photo of the perch being tested on old wire. For a removable perch, choose the head size that easily twists on and off. You may also want to try printing at a higher quality so the spaces that grab onto the wire are more exact. A fast low-quality print may make the gap smaller than it is on the model. Be aware of creating a toe pinch hazard by centering the perch on the wire, so if a bird sticks its tiny foot through, there won't be a pinch risk. Also, be aware that printer settings that don't create well-bonded layers can create filament strings which are an entanglement hazard for birds. Make sure all fuzzies are snipped or melted off, and all layers are bonded. When in doubt, run it through the flame of a lighter for better surface bonding.