Reply #10: I had a pair of Fischer's lovebirds that I rescued...

[northernlights]

they'd been sent to a pet store a couple days earlier by mistake. Didn't belong there, on a shelf with people tramping through staring at them. They were terrified. I brought them home in a box. When I opened it at home, they were huddled in a corner with Papaya covering Peaches as best he could under a wing.

I set them up in a private cage between my cockatiels, sun conure and peachfaced lovebird on one side and my senegal parrots on the other. Surrounded by other birds in a people-quiet environment, they slowly lost their fear of me. They would never be comfortable around me the way the hand-fed babies are, but they were comfortable and safe.

Two years later, Peaches died unexpectedly, most likely of egg-yolk peritonitis (the one way I know of that they can die suddenly, without suffering. Her vent was damp and yellowish -- the only symptom). I thought Papaya would kill himself. That night he escaped twice and flew wildly around the house, crashing into things. I tried him in with the mixed flock. Suddenly, they all paired off into the furthest corner and left him alone, bereft, staring at his cage, looking for Peaches. So I returned him to his own cage, where he sat huddled and forlorn. :cry: :cry: :cry:

I stayed up all night, online, searching for a Fischer's lovebird. Could only find some on the other side of the country, and I believe that flying baby birds around in cargo is criminal and wouldn't do that. The next morning I called all around the state and found a handfed peachfaced lovebird, probably female, just available. So I drove 5 hours to the breeders and 5 hours back home with Sage.

At first, Sage went right up to Papaya to say hello. He scrambled away and would have nothing to do with her. She looked at him with head cocked, and then slowed down and quieted down. Over the next few days, she moved a little closer and a little closer on the perch. By day 3, he would let her perch right next to him. And then on day 4 I saw her poke him gently with her beak. Over time they bonded, and are now a bonded pair. She will outlive him, but she is very bold and is good friends with Domingo, my sun conure. Domingo was bonded with Joey, my old peachface. He died of old age (15 years) a couple years ago. So I think Domingo and Sage will pair up when Papaya passes on.

In the meantime, everybody is happy again...