Sherp
Meeting neighbors
Sitting around for ages at home in quarantine made me think about the birds I worked with over the past two years and specifically one that past last month I feel like talking about.
This is Goldie, she was one of the old birds that lived in one of the large aviaries I worked in. When I routinely cleaned the aviaries I always liked to try to interact with the birds as much as possible while cleaning them out. After a few months a small group of birds started to get less freaked out (most the time, they reaaaaaally hated the broom regardless... it set the rest of the flock off lol), and one of them I named Goldie she just started flying to me everytime I went into the aviary, and after a year or so of messing around with all the birds. She started making specific calls at me, everytime I went past the aviary or went in she would hear the door click, fly over make her noise and see if it was me. If it was she would not leave my shoulder. For anything! She occationally preened my beard, mouthed my face and pooped on my hoodies and I loved her none the less.
I started using her as an introduction to the other more spooked Cockatiels in the aviary to show them “Humans arn’t so bad” and slowly but surely more of them seemed to be more comfortable around people (With some millet, fruit and seed assistance ofc). I even had talks with families while having around 5/6 cockatiels on my arm and head, got a few laughs and interesting conversations with folks about birds and other things, but she was always one of the cockatiels that was on always my shoulder closest to my face. I loved her to bits, but over the winter she started to look more and more unresponsive she no longer flew to the doors, and she singled herself out, didnt respond to calls or my presence unless I got very close to her, to which in return she would perk up, make her call and immediately sit on my shoulder. I assume she was going blind and deaf because of her age. In the end she started looking worse for ware and as it got colder we had to move her somewhere a lot warmer in the sanctuary as she became one of the oldest birds in our cockatiel aviary. Before I took in my current budgies she was originally the one I was going to take home, got the ok with my landlord for a bird and went home expecting to take her home for her final weeks. Next day though I got the news that she passed in the night when I went into the sanctuary and I was heart broken. We tried to keep her going but alas I guess it was her time. Talking to my manager I found out she was roughly was around 14-15 years old! So she lived a long life, and I’m glad she got to live her life in a better place than where ever she lived originally.
This is Goldie, she was one of the old birds that lived in one of the large aviaries I worked in. When I routinely cleaned the aviaries I always liked to try to interact with the birds as much as possible while cleaning them out. After a few months a small group of birds started to get less freaked out (most the time, they reaaaaaally hated the broom regardless... it set the rest of the flock off lol), and one of them I named Goldie she just started flying to me everytime I went into the aviary, and after a year or so of messing around with all the birds. She started making specific calls at me, everytime I went past the aviary or went in she would hear the door click, fly over make her noise and see if it was me. If it was she would not leave my shoulder. For anything! She occationally preened my beard, mouthed my face and pooped on my hoodies and I loved her none the less.
I started using her as an introduction to the other more spooked Cockatiels in the aviary to show them “Humans arn’t so bad” and slowly but surely more of them seemed to be more comfortable around people (With some millet, fruit and seed assistance ofc). I even had talks with families while having around 5/6 cockatiels on my arm and head, got a few laughs and interesting conversations with folks about birds and other things, but she was always one of the cockatiels that was on always my shoulder closest to my face. I loved her to bits, but over the winter she started to look more and more unresponsive she no longer flew to the doors, and she singled herself out, didnt respond to calls or my presence unless I got very close to her, to which in return she would perk up, make her call and immediately sit on my shoulder. I assume she was going blind and deaf because of her age. In the end she started looking worse for ware and as it got colder we had to move her somewhere a lot warmer in the sanctuary as she became one of the oldest birds in our cockatiel aviary. Before I took in my current budgies she was originally the one I was going to take home, got the ok with my landlord for a bird and went home expecting to take her home for her final weeks. Next day though I got the news that she passed in the night when I went into the sanctuary and I was heart broken. We tried to keep her going but alas I guess it was her time. Talking to my manager I found out she was roughly was around 14-15 years old! So she lived a long life, and I’m glad she got to live her life in a better place than where ever she lived originally.
Sorry for your loss. Cockatiels are me favorite birds. They are optimistic and sweet natured. I lost my Shadow on tuesday. My flock and I are still healing.
I’m so sorry for your loss, but it’s awesome that you were able to make her happy in her last months/years.
