Merry Musings: The Birdie Story

By: Smita Shah | 9910232768 | H.No. 324 A

I am no ornithologist, but I have an admiration for birds. I have visited bird sanctuaries, aviaries, bird parks and bird jungles in India and many other countries. I love, especially, the colourful variety, though can’t remember them by names or species. We are lucky that we don’t live in a concrete jungle but in a sector full of greens and trees and are privy to a lot of chirpy sounds and views.

Recently, a birdie was rescued by a friend at my gate. She took pictures of birds trying to help her. She thought that the bird had hurt her wing and she brought her into my house and the birdie hopped around my room and on my feet too! Later on, a cousin of mine who lives in the US amidst literally a forest in his backyard, told me that these sights were very common in his home forest there. It was actually not a hurt bird but the fledgling being taught to fly by its family.

This birdie story took me back to my childhood to another bird encounter of mine. I had a friend who had a talking parrot. I was totally fascinated by him. I still remember the chant of the song he would sing when coaxed by my friend, which they had taught him. He clearly sang, “ Pretty Polly pretty dear, all the way from Cash- Meer.” I got after my parents to get me talking from the parrot. The house helps told us not all of them speak but on my insistence, I got one, either from the market or maybe from some garden. It came to me in a cage and I tried to feed him with green chillies, beans, and nuts and tried to teach him to talk. He was totally rebellious! He did not touch food or even water and kept banging his head against the cage for two days and screaming wildly! It was so much so that his tiny head had blood and his feathers had peeled off there and he was badly hurt. The next day I hung the cage from a tree in the garden. In a short while, there was a spectacle! The parrot was squeaking away and at least a hundred or more parrots flew from all over and they were feeding him and he was eating happily! This went on for some time and they were communicating with him and pitying his plight. Even I had tears in my eyes. My parents scolded me and said how would you feel if treated like this and kept in a cage? I quietly went and opened the cage door. He happily joined his friends and flew away. I have never tried to imprison any living being as a pet since then.