Liz Sigler, California
Saved Battered Baby Bird from Flea Market
A few years ago, my friend and I were at the Santa Cruz Flea Market, where we saw a man selling lovebirds, parakeets and parrots. The birds were obviously not cared for and many of the cages were in direct sunlight with no shade or water.
One tiny bird was alone in a small cage off to the side. Again there was no shade or water for this poor bird, who was obviously injured. We looked closer to find that the bird, a baby peach faced love bird, had been attacked by cage-mates and the entire top portion of her head had been pecked away revealing a shiny skull and a hideous wound.
Outraged, we asked what was being done for the bird, and why she had no care, not even water. After a long argument the man agreed to sell us the poor creature for $40. He would not even discount the bird even though he knew she would surely not survive.
We named the bird Susannah and took her home hoping to merely provide her with a death of dignity and to show her kindness before she passed. Not knowing our next step, we contacted a bird vet. The vet told us that Susannah was in shock and recommended a fuzzy nest for her to die in. I bought the fuzzy nest and hung it from the ceiling of her new cage. She crawled in the nest and collapsed, too weak to cling to the perch any longer.
I talked and cooed to her—telling her it was okay. I played soft music for her and placed her cage on the deck where she could feel the warm fresh air and hear other birds singing. She spent two days in the nest, not able to move.
On the morning of the third day I was awakened to hear a very loud chirping. Susannah was alive! She was joyful and singing—it made me cry tears of happiness. She continued to recover and thrive to the point where her chirping became so loud and vigorously, I worried my apartment neighbors would complain. I didn’t really care, she was a miracle. Susannah slowly regained her feathers and was truly beautiful with her peachy face and bright eyes. I made some calls and Susannah went to live in Los Banos at a beautiful bird sanctuary, where she had a big outdoor aviary to fly about in. A beautiful ending to what could have been a very sad story.