Bobsy

by Patricia
(Australia)

Bobby the Bird in a formal pose

Bobsy was given to me after falling out of a tree during a storm.
Here in Australia, non-native birds are often put down if handed in or refused treatment if injured.

Bobsy, identified as an immigrant was not a candidate for either treatment or release.

I am not really a bird person or at least so I thought; I already had three cats, but I took on the task of hand-rearing Bobsy, initially 2-hourly using a recommended formula and graduating several weeks later, much to my relief, to several times a day.

I purchased a large aviary for safe flight practice and kept him in my laundry overnight. He quickly tired of the aviary and instead preferred free flight outside, claiming my carport roof as his new-found territory.

I have never found the idea of caging birds appealing, and this was especially true with Bobsy who was really a wild bird.

Each day I put him out for his daily flight, bringing him in several times a day to feed or if the weather was bad.

Nine months later, Bobsy is happy, healthy and to a large extent free.

He flies around outside during the day, catching up with his mates (we have plenty just like him around here) and sleeps perched on a nest I have made for him in the laundry.

He is not caged and is given the freedom of the house as well as outside. I have converted my laundry into permanent sleeping quarters with space for feeding and a variety of perching areas, including a window seat where he loves to sit and preen himself.

He is extremely tame and comes readily when called, often sitting on my hand or whenever possible on my head.(I tend to try to discourage this for obvious reasons!)

He very carefully tries to groom my fingers while he grooms himself. He is an absolute joy and very much an established member of our family.

In many ways I am so glad he is just a common non-native dove as I could never have had such a relationship with a bird that I would have to release.