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

This is a 9 inch long enrichment perch that can be mounted from the OUTSIDE of a small wire-opening birdcage. It is made for 1 x 1/2 inch wire mesh, which is commonly used for breeder flights. To make maintenance easy, such that an intern or high school volunteer could help with cage furniture, the whole perch can be slid into place from outside the cage, with no need to open doors and risk escape. This can be especially useful with shy birds who are intentionally left alone to do their thing as breeders and do not relish human contact, nor do they like power tool noises!

The perch changes diameter along its length to allow for different foot postures when perching and hopefully reduce any chance of foot sores. The perch also offers different heights, so if a bird walks along the perch the bird will have to use different muscle groups and some cognition to figure it out. Flying to the perch also offers a challenge as the perch angles at 20 to 45 degrees in the X, Y, and Z axes. No more unstimulating straight lines! The perch will also be slightly flexible, so landings are softer on the feet, and sitting on the end will encourage balance-keeping and shifting posture, for better joint and musculoskeletal health.

To install the perch, first print out the two test head STL files, these will be the fitting tests for your wire. If these are birds who don't get much observation, use the smallest head size that doesn't quite fit for installation. That way the mount will be semi-permanent until they chew up the perch or the plastic becomes brittle from weather. To do 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 using plier or finger (if you have big hands, use pliers) twist the perch into place as you see 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, I would try to center the perch on the wire so if a bird sticks its tiny foot through, there won't be a pinch risk.

Be aware that printer settings that do not 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.