The Happy Family Dilemma

Liz Kollar

My son Frank and his wife Jean bought an Australian Cockatiel, whose loud and vociferous voice took a long time getting used to. They invested in an extra-large birdcage and all the sundry equipment necessary to keep this bird happy. After awhile she began to appear lonely. Her cage, in their living room, sat by floor to ceiling windows through which she could see a spectacular panoramic view where countless birds flew freely. There were Humming Birds at the feeders on the deck, Finches, Chick-a-dees and Morning Doves sitting on the railing or the tree limbs nearby. Even Flying Squirrels came to visit, and an occasional Black Bear climbed up one of the tree trunks and peeked in through their windows, making the bird more aware of the freedom outside her cage. Then, too, there were four cats lounging on couches and chairs, watching her quietly, their yellow eyes following every movement.

Bird was lonely for her own kind, it was obvious, and so my son bought her a mate, a loud, obnoxious male who filled her cage and her heart. This was most noticeable during their recent mating efforts when a cover had to be drawn over the cage to afford them privacy and to avoid embarrassment for the family. Needless to say, an egg appeared on the floor of the cage a short while later. My daughter-in-law went right out and bought a nesting box to attach to an opening at the side of the cage, and fed the birds vegetables, like broccoli and spinach to augment their diet of seeds, which they devoured at an alarming rate. The Cockatiels were getting more expensive and noisier every day.

Peaking into their nesting box one morning, my Granddaughter, Nikki, spied five eggs and Momma bird sitting on them. By the following week four of the eggs had hatched and tiny, scrawny baby birds, with eyes still closed, cuddled around their mommy. The fifth egg proved to be infertile. Papa bird busied himself by masticating the green veggies in the food tray and then letting his sweetheart feed from his open beak. She, in turn, fed her babies the same way. Today, the birds are sporting white feathers and flopping about. My son is planning to buy a huge cage when they get bigger, and the four cats are nearly cross-eyed from watching all the activity.

Momma Cockatiel is definitely not lonely anymore and the "Happy Family" is thriving. Two questions! What if there are more babies, and where will it all end?

©2003 Liz Kollar