I've got a huge mish-mosh here, from a bird I finished handfeeding myself, to birds that were older when I got them.
Love is love, a bond is a bond. It matters not to me if it's instant .. there's a feeling I get .. hard to explain, in the instances where I've taken in older birds. A vibe, a connection, that tells me this bird and I will be friends.
I don't equate whether the bird was a baby or older when I got them to how they respond to me .. each bird is unique .. an individual.
To be quite honest, I've learned way more from my older rehomes. It's easy when the bird is young, handfed, a baby .. you've got a "clean slate" so to speak.
The older birds, who's history may not be so great .. they're the ones who push me to learn, to experiment, to be patient, and to truly appreciate the love a bird has to give when they trust you. Even if that trust takes a year, 2 years .. whatever .. it's earned .. it's learned .. and .. speaking for myself, no greater satisfaction has come than seeing one of my older rehomes who was scared of me, life, everything .. blossom into a happy, healthy, loving bird.
I have different relationships with different birds, just as I'm sure people with human children have different relationships with each child .. because each child is a unique individual.
JMHO
Love is love, a bond is a bond. It matters not to me if it's instant .. there's a feeling I get .. hard to explain, in the instances where I've taken in older birds. A vibe, a connection, that tells me this bird and I will be friends.
I don't equate whether the bird was a baby or older when I got them to how they respond to me .. each bird is unique .. an individual.
To be quite honest, I've learned way more from my older rehomes. It's easy when the bird is young, handfed, a baby .. you've got a "clean slate" so to speak.
The older birds, who's history may not be so great .. they're the ones who push me to learn, to experiment, to be patient, and to truly appreciate the love a bird has to give when they trust you. Even if that trust takes a year, 2 years .. whatever .. it's earned .. it's learned .. and .. speaking for myself, no greater satisfaction has come than seeing one of my older rehomes who was scared of me, life, everything .. blossom into a happy, healthy, loving bird.
I have different relationships with different birds, just as I'm sure people with human children have different relationships with each child .. because each child is a unique individual.
JMHO