I grew up with parrots, including E.T., a DYH Amazon Parrot, and a Grey-Cheeked Parakeet named Yoshi. I also got to spend the day with my mother's friend's Cockatoo once. Yoshi was my bird, but she eventually passed away. I always knew I wanted to get parrots, and I specifically planned on adopting two African Grey parrots when I had a large enough home for them and the means to do so. I know their species will be a great fit for me, and they are my dream birds. That said, I never expected to get Emery. Emery is one of my dream birds, I just didn't know it yet.
I had been researching parrots for about two and a half years before adopting Emery, because I wanted to learn as much as possible to prepare myself, since there's so much new information about them and their dietary and safety needs available now. Throughout this time, I so badly wanted to just go out and get a parrot, but I knew it wasn't the right time. The wait was extremely difficult. When December 2018 came around, I had a dream with a cockatiel in it. It was a lutino cockatiel, and in the dream, I was holding him and getting ready to take him home. I had loved everything I'd read about how sweet-natured cockatiels can be, and the bird in my dream reminded me of that. The dream felt so real that when I woke up, I was devastated that it had only been a dream. After thinking about it, I realized that it finally felt like it was time to adopt a parrot, and that the first parrot I would adopt wouldn't be an African Grey Parrot, but a Cockatiel.
I started my search on Hoobly, Craigslist, and AA for a tiel in need of a loving home. I found a male tiel on Hoobly that I was supposed to meet and take home with me. The owner and I had even arranged a time and day for me to do so. I was so excited. I remember looking at his pictures frequently as I waited for the few days to pass before I was set to go meet him. Then, only a day before I was supposed to go there, the owner decided she wanted him and her other parrot to be adopted as a pair. The other bird was a Conure. I love Conures, but I didn't think a Conure was the right fit for my living situation at the time. I was heartbroken, but I reminded myself that it wasn't meant to be, and that there was still a bird out there just waiting for me.
I resumed my search, still feeling sad over the news I had received when I found a cockatiel on Craigslist about an hour and a half away from where I live. I messaged the person who listed the ad, and he said she was still available. I asked a few questions about her diet, health, and temperament before setting up a time to go meet her. I decided not to get my hopes up too high to avoid the same pain this time in case he changed his mind or let someone else adopt her before I got there.
The night before New Year's Eve, I drove all the way over to where he lived, and got caught in a bad snow storm on the way down. When I finally arrived, I met a small tiel who clearly cared very much for her owner, and him for her. He was heartbroken to have to rehome her, and my heart broke for him as well. It was clear that she had been very loved. He told me a sad story of why he had to rehome her, involving someone in the home hating her, something I witnessed with my own eyes, along with hearing from this individual how much they really did hate her. Emery, who didn't his or lunge at me, a complete stranger, hissed and lunged at the individual who hated her. I felt there had been some mistreatment going on from this person. It was then that I knew I could not leave her behind.
So, I put her in my winter coat and zipped it up to keep her warm while I walked with the snow steadily falling, to the car. Her now, previous owner helped me load up the cage he had for her, along with other supplies. Then I got the box with millet and a soft blanket ready to put her into. I promised him that she would be well loved and thanked him for entrusting her to me. I know he knew he was making the right decision by getting her out of his home and away from that person who despised her, and I felt so honored that someone who loved her as much as he did was allowing me to take her home to call her my own. As she did not know her previous name, I knew she would forever be Emery Rose, a name that fits her beautiful soul perfectly. I rang in that New Year with a smile on my face and my bird in my arms.
Even though I will still be adopting two African Grey parrots that need a new home in the future, Emery is every bit as important to me as they will be. She isn't a "starter bird," she's my family and she stole my heart.
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