Users who want to edit their Flickr images before posting may have been wondering what they'll do when Google retires its Piknik editor on April 19th. Just in time, Flickr has announced its new alternative: Aviary. Starting Thursday, Flickr will be switching to the HTML5-based editor, made by a startup which is backed by Jeff Bezos of Amazon among others. Unlike Piknik, Aviary isn't a service in its own right. Instead, it's licensed to other web and mobile apps. Its creators are already partnered with several other makers of web tools, most prominently the Imgur hosting service.

Besides the interface changes, the biggest difference will probably be Aviary's cross-platform compatibility: its HTML5 base means it will work well on tablets like the iPad. Flickr has also touted a larger feature set than Piknik included. Piknik, meanwhile, is being rolled into Google+. Flickr users will start seeing Aviary on Thursday, and everyone should be switched over within the next two weeks.