In Memory of Birdling

You lived a long 15 years
sweet peach-faced lover
Thanks for all the chirps
Your company comforted
Dearly missed indeed.

This page is in memory of Birdling, my peach face love bird friend for 15 years. Birdling traveled everywhere with me, living in many homes, and even living out of my van. She kept me company by day, and comforted me at night.

Although male and female love birds look alike, I am pretty sure that Birdling was female. She was very protective of her cage and would "attack" your finger or whatever else you stuck in through the bars (unless she wanted her head scratched). Females are very protective of their young, even chasing away the males. Birdling would also collect nesting materials and would occasionally regurgitate her food as if feeding her young.

I never clipped birdlings wings, so she was always able to fly. She liked to be out, but she would also like to return to her cage. She was hyper and active and didn't like being held too tightly. She would sing along with my music, which meant I had to banish her to a dark closet when I was recording (She will sleep in the dark.) I have many of her chirps on tape.

Birdling loved to chew on paper. She did it with much precision, cutting strip after strip. It was always the first thing she loved to do when I let her out of her cage.

After she had enough paper chewing, she would fly over to me to sit on my shoulder or explore what I was doing. She would sit on my hand, nibble on my fingers, or get me to scratch her head.

Birdling lived a good long life. The life expectancy for love birds is from 8 to 12 years; she made it 15, and she mostly just ate millet. She died of old age one evening, and I was fortunate to be there. I buried her on the cliffs overlooking the ocean near my home. Fly in peace birdling. I miss you.