aviculture

thumb|right|Budgerigars and a [[cockatiel in captivity]]Aviculture is the practice of keeping and breeding birds, especially of wild birds in captivity, and including poultry, in controlled conditions, normally within the confines of a cage or an aviary.

Some reasons for aviculture are: breeding birds as a hobby, a business like a zoo, or sometimes for research and conservation purposes to preserve and protect some endangered avian species that are at risk due to habitat destruction, the illegal wildlife trade, diseases, and natural disasters. Aviculture encourages conservation, provides education about avian species, provides companion birds for the public, and includes research on avian behaviour. Popular birds people like to keep and breed include budgerigars, cockatiels, finches, macaws, domestic canaries, columbidae (pigeons and doves), loriini (lories and lorikeets), cockatoos, conures, and African grey parrots.