Tributes

 We are very happy to post a tribute to any bird, or friend of birds, free of charge. Just send a digital picture and your tribute text to tributes@mickaboo.org.

Tiffany

In memory of Tiffany, who passed away at the age of 25.

She was the beloved bird of Shirley and Jere McGinnis, who remember her sweet chirps and whistles everyday. Tiffany will live forever in their hearts.

Chico

To Chico, a beautiful blue-crowned conure. You are truly missed.

Fly high with all our love.

Judy and Steven 

Gertie

Gertie and her partner, Martin, were my first two Mickaboo birds.

Though not a mating pair, they were good companions. Gertie repeatedly, through her short life, tried to attract Martin's attention, but he was fixated on me---the classic love triangle.

Gertie came to me with a bad left wing, clearly broken at some point in her past and never properly set. She could not fly. Her favorite place was my shoulder, where she could observe, ride, get treats, nudge me for skritches or get testy when I wanted attention that she did not want to give.

She loved nothing more than eating... or, rather, chewing. She chewed every little bite so slowly that she managed to spend entire days eating without gaining weight. It made it impossible to train her in any functional way, since the positive reward I gave (even one little millet seed) would take so long to chew down that we both had forgotten, by the end of the bite, what I was trying to teach in the first place.

Unfortunately, she was a big egg-layer, and a couple of months ago she got egg yolk peritonitis. She hid it well, and I caught on late; by then she was already very thin and lethargic, but she fought heroically as we treated her for it. Even in her last days, she kept her good spirit, relished what food she could eat, insisted on many head skritches and kept her own counsel.

She died this past Friday night. I wrapped her carefully in a white rag I'd used to give her a little privacy in her sick-cage. Before taking her out to bury her by my St. Francis statue, I showed her one last time to Martin. Martin looked long and carefully at her, tipping his head to one side, then the other. Then he whistled his own soft little tune to her. I can't know for sure, but I think he recognized her.

Little Gertie-girl, as I called her, was her own girl. I am happy she is out of pain, but I miss her. I hope she has lots of delicious food to chew, wherever she may be.

Easter and Mikey

Easter was one of a pair of birds that I first adopted from Mickaboo. I was immediately attached after looking at her splay leg and they way she would sweetly climb up your shoulder, working with her beak to climb. She was first acquired by her original family on Easter, and thus received the name. Sadly, her partner, Mikey, was recently diagnosed with cancer and has been struggling to survive. He has had numerous operations to remove the tumor and he has fought to stay strong for his Easter, who has always relied on him to get around. When Easter had trouble stepping up, Mikey would put his head down and push her to reach the top.

Recently, we took Easter to the vet for what we thought was a broken wing. She began holding her wing out and walking strangely. The doctor told us that she suspected Easter had a badly broken wing, and on follow-up, a likely re-injury. Another possibility was cancer. If it was this certain type of cancer, it likely had already metastasized in her lung and there wouldn't be much hope for her. We decided to treat her for the suspected broken wing rather than put her through the painful and complicated biopsy, and let her rest at home with her companion by her side. She was still acting like her old self but she seemed to be extremely tired.

On the fourth of July she slept for most of the day. Mikey stayed close and continued to preen her and watch over her in what would come to be her final hours. Sometime during the night of our Independence Day, Easter got her freedom; She passed quietly in the night - under the consoling eyes of Mikey.

I took Mikey out and put him in another cage. He had a look of exhaustion, as though he had been up all night, and our other birds looked on with quiet reverence. We buried Easter next to a cottonwood tree on a high hill, overlooking the Bay in an area filled with birds. When we came home we heard the birds chirping as usual; they had only acted differently because one of the flock had left.

Less than a month after the loss of Easter we awoke to find Mikey had succumb to complications of his cancer.  There will be no more surgeries or pain and we felt bitter relief at the knowledge that Mikey had finally passed.  He is now with his beloved Easter, buried next to the same tree.  Although they were both taken by cancer we believe that they were just two souls that could not bear to be seperated.

- Easter - 1995 - July 4, 2008

- Mikey - Unknown - July 25, 2008  FLY FREE

Pineapple

1993-2008

13 months with us, but always in our hearts

One of the flock has gone,
You grew on us and became part of our lives.
We miss you P.

The sound of your wings as you flew,
Your contented clicking as you sat with us.
One of the flock has gone.

Your flights were joy and freedom in one,
An excited circuit, a gentle glide, punctuated by calls for attention.
We miss you P.

We loved your presence, your bright colors, your quiet dignity.
Your character entertained us, your joy delighted us.
One of the flock has gone.

We were happy to give you refuge,
We hope you were content while here.
We miss you P.

You brought a new life into our house,
Gave us a joyous welcome whenever we returned.
One of the flock has gone.
We miss you P.

Maudie

Beloved mate of Jordan

Born in 2002

Passed from this vale of tears April 18th, 2008

We miss you, little girl

You will be in our hearts forever.

Peg

Peg o' My Heart

Never in her entire life did she weigh more than 31 grams - less than a millet spray. She could never stand fully upright, and she never walked on two feet. Her favorite perch was between my thumb and forefinger, stretching as tall as she could in order to see the world.

Peg and her two sisters spent the first 5 weeks of their lives on their bellies, splay legged and unable to stand. Our very first Mickaboo fosters. The next two weeks they spent mostly confined in paper cups as we tried to persuade their legs to change position, to be under their bodies where they belonged. They must have been in pain with their legs forced into unnatural positions, and Peg's legs were both broken as she struggled to be free, and were reset into more tenable shapes. Tiny budgies, they never bit, and accepted whatever strange and dreadful happenings their world contained. Nicknamed the "Dixie Chicks" for their time in the paper cups, we called them Emma, Bobby and Peg - because the one stiff leg made her Peg-leg the Pirate. Dr. Van Sant, Dr. Stern, Julie and Chris, everyone at For the Birds saw us every couple of days for a while.

Eventually she became Peg o' my heart, the baby and sweetest of the trio. She occupied every inch of her cage, flying and hopping and scooting along. Happy that her sisters were nearby, happy to be held and skritched and talked to. Happy to escape sometimes and fly around at knee level - looking for adventure.

Budgies. She was brave as a lion, happy as only a budgie can be happy, and tough as steel. She died today. She would have been four years old next month. I finally looked up the words to the song, "Peg o' My Heart". Funny - it turns out the name was absolutely perfect.

"Peg o' my heart, I love you
We'll never part for I love you
Dear little girl, sweet little girl
Sweeter than the Rose of Erin ...
Come be my own
Come make your home
In my heart."

(lyrics by Lester Young)

Alli

Our beautiful, sweet girl - we will miss you forever.

Alii was taken away from us way too early and she will be missed by everyone who was lucky enough to have known her.

Alii blessed everyone's life that she touched. She was loved by all and will be missed by many.

We will miss you!

Love, Jana, Azure, Amber & Noelle

Gracie Mae

Gracie Mae (aka Princess) was a wonderful bird who left us far too soon. It's been almost 4 months since she died, but we still can't believe how quickly she left us and how very much we miss her. We're still heartbroken and devastated at her loss. It's taken me this long to force myself to write Gracie's memorial. The pain is, of course, still very present, but she deserved to have others hear about her. Gracie was a remarkable little cockatiel. "Sweet" doesn't come close to explaining her nature and spirit. We loved her so much. It was impossible not to. She always wanted to be held and talked to and stroked. She made the funniest little squawking noise which meant "Please, more!" It was her happy sound. I thought she must have had a big parrot in her past, because her squawking noise sounded just like an irritated big parrot. But it didn't mean irritation from her; it was pure joy. The squawk at a higher volume meant "Come give me love ... Now! I need you!" I could stroke her head and neck and hold her close and she'd just be enraptured. I could even hold her little head in the fingers of one hand and stroke her throat with the other hand. Grace was so happy when she joined our other two tiels after her quarantine in our bathroom. It had been hard to see her so lonely and hear her calls to the rest of our "flock." It is some consolation that she was happy the final few weeks of her life.

Gracie stepped up onto fingers so delicately and tentatively that it didn't feel like she was there. She felt like a very small, airy pillow. That's why I always leaned her to my chest, against my heart, to give her stability. She loved the warmth and closeness of it. Gracie is the only cockatiel I've ever heard of that wanted as much attention and loving as she did. She, literally, would've loved to be held and talked to all day long. She never tired of it. We only had Gracie 3 months, but she left a huge impression on us. There isn't a day that I don't think of Gracie and wish she was still here. "Grace" was an excellent name for her. Though her walk was pretty clumsy, the grace she brought into our lives was truly amazing. She died in my hands, cupped against my heart for warmth, exactly where she always wanted to be. I still ache for her.

Please visit Gracie's web page: http://www.markris.net/kris/gracie.htm

Ginger Reed

Ginger Reed was a foster care volunteer who cared for two of our abandoned budgies for as long as her health allowed. She loved birds and wanted to help them. 

Her family designated Mickaboo for donations in her memory, for which we are grateful. Ginger was a lovely person and we appreciate the time she donated to Mickaboo and the care she gave to our
birds.

Ms. Lily

Ms. Lily took her final flight during the summer of 2007 after living with our family for about 8 or 9 years. Her Mickaboo story recalled that she was rescued at a state fair from a cage crowded with quail or larger birds. Somehow she had lost one of her feet and had only a remaining stub to help keep balance and navigate the cage. The vet guessed Lily was between 12 and 15 years when I got her. I fell in love with Lily from her website photo and adopted her as soon as I passed my Mickaboo training. When I requested her, it never occurred to me that she wouldn't be a sweet little cockatiel. But Ms Lily had a personality and style of her own. She showed her appreciation by hissing every time anyone got close to her cage. Not being able to "step up" with her one foot and little stub, she liked to appear aggressive to anyone approaching. When birds were involved, she loved every male cockatiel I fostered. And, every male wanted nothing to do with such an "old lady" as she. But haughty males never discouraged Lily from making advances. The first couple of years I had Ms Lily, she managed to lay an egg or so anytime I brought a new male tiel into the household. Now this is the power of positive thinking! My kids affectionately named her the dinosaur bird. And, I often teased her by calling her Peg. Ms. Lily - you were my introduction to Mickaboo. And I thank you. I hope you found some happiness here with us. I miss you.

Ola Jane

Andi

Jungle Flower

Exotic scent, sweet, musky - both comforting and unforgettable.

Shimmering greens perfectly merge with navy and red , into yellow and blue.

Bright glistening eye - ever watchful and alive.

Shiny black beak tapping, shredding, grinding in peace.

This a covering for the fragile spirit of little bird love, Andi.

Remembering human lips pressed to soft feathered head and wings.

Remembering the trusting grip of strong feet and nails on human hand.

Remembering jungle talk, and jabber. Remembering soft "Hi baby, whatcha
doing?" and chortles, and "ummms" and singing and "Oh, what's the matter, huh?"

She is gone now. Life snuffed out with a gentle and necessary touch.

A feather, light as a thistle, will be pressed between pages of a fine book like

A treasured jungle flower to be happened upon with surprise and delight .

A jungle flower blossomed far from home and for a brief moment was held captive

In my hand and always in my heart.

For Andi from her foster mom, Claudia, 12/2/07

Cookies

Cookies was a 15 year old mini macaw, who came to our family from Mickaboo in April 2007, she had quite a few health problems, among them a tumor on her wing which required multiple surgeries and a plastic collar she had to wear so she wouldn't pick at it.

Cookies was a silly girl always saying "wake up" when it was bed time, answering the phone when it rang, her favorite song to sing was happy birthday, she loved calling the dogs names, and she greeted everyone with a "what's up" & "look it." She was the educator of our bird flock, teaching the other mini-macaws, african grey, and blue front amazon new words. And boy did she love cherries and bananas, she was a messy eater; if you were holding her while she was eating a cherry, she would stain you clothes. Cookies loved to step up and snuggle, on your chest to cuddle, be loved, and to take a nap.

Everyone who entered our home fell in love with Cookies, as we did too, she seemed to touch everyone's heart. She will be remembered for always, even though we didn't have her long. Cookies passed away this summer from a tumor found on one of her kidneys. Cookies we love you, miss you, and will be in our hearts forever. Our baby girl has gone to pet heaven to R.I.P with our other pets who we have lost in this life time. We love you.

Peridot

Will you remember me? Don't let your life pass you by, Weep not for the memory. ~~Sarah McLachlan

Of course I'll remember you, Peridot. I love you so so much and always will. I'll remember how you were sort of an "accident"--I didn't mean to get a female budgie. You were the last bird left in a pet store that was closing the next day. I couldn't leave you there.

I'll remember your hellion baby days. How you would sneak out everytime your door was opened. After a "hair cut", just just ended up being called "little green chicken." Running around that floor you were impossible to catch. I'll remember when you turned into my big girl. My Princess. You loved kisses and loved to be talked to. I even bought a storybook to read to you: "What Is a Princess?" You were so smart. You loved to look at the pictures. I'll remember how you played. You would sit with your hanging toys on your back. Or climb up them. Climb in and out or through your ladder. Or knock over and drag that ferris wheel if we were gone too long. And then there was how you dive-bombed Isaac and Pulsipher when they were playing on cage tops.

I remember all the trips to the vet we made over the years. You loved to go for a ride. You would "peep" when we got to the highway exit and when we got to the bank by the house. Every time. When you were at the hospital for 2 weeks for pellet conversion, they finally sent your silly self home. Why? You would only eat when I came to visit you everyday. When you got home you were fine. I didn't know you loved me that much.

I remember when that tumor (I thought) came back. We went to see Dr. K again and he gave me the news. It was a hernia on your crop. But completely operable. Almost a routine surgery. I asked and he told me "no, it's not a death sentence." So you had your surgery and came out like a trooper. But I remember how you had to be different, as usual. It was not a simple hernia, but one that was almost completely wrapped around the crop. But you improved and were sent home. I knew you could do it! But then you were rushed back to Dr. K, and you were gone the next morning. Oh my Princess, I'm so sorry you had to be alone. I pray St. Francis helped you cross over. I just know he did, you thought his medal on your cage was a toy.

I'll try to remember how to smile through the tears. There is no way I could not. There will only ever be one Peridot. One Princess. Yes, I'll remember you. I love you. We will meet again, my Princess.

Rene

Much loved cereal fiend, singer of adorable songs, graceful flyer, jealous nipper of fingers, and lover of string cheese and curly hair. He was an inquisitive and well-traveled bird, having gone from Wisconsin, to Minnesota, to Connecticut and on to San Francisco, and touched the lives of many. Rene passed on in September 2007 in a tragic accident at the age of 11. He was much beloved, especially by his owner and love of his life, Anna, and will be greatly missed.

Vale

Came into the world December 2001, passed away August 13, 2007 from egg-binding. My sweet little yellow angel. Hand reared and tamed by my brother-in-law. What a special gift you and your sister were! I first saw you and your sister as tiny hatchlings. I knew you would be lutinos even then, once I saw the red eyes and yellow quills. The excitement of being able to finally take you home to my place when you and your sister were four months old! What to call you and your sister? What about Moss and Vale, after the picturesque town of Moss Vale, from where you were hatched. What joy you have brought into my life in your short five and a half years. I will never forget your sweet gentle ways, the excited "chip" sounds you made when I uncovered your cage in the morning. I called you my "party girl" because you were less reserved than your sister and liked to spend time with people other than me. How you liked people's eye glasses and crawling over their heads to get to their glasses! When you were in the mood for a bird bath, I loved it when you used to sit on my arms afterwards, holding out your beautiful long wings to dry. You loved your morning toast on top of the fridge. When I called "toasties" you and your sister would fly to the top of the fridge, where I loved watching you eat tiny bits of honeyed toast. You loved my mother "Grandma" and you got very excited when she whistled to you and you loved spending time with her. You enjoyed riding around on my shoulders when I was vacuuming the house and this you were doing on the last happy, pain-free day of your life. The vet did everything he could, but it must have been your time. Sadly missed, taken away too soon, in my heart forever!

Andrea from Australia

Ponchie

At the age of at least 21 years old, our Ponchie was released from her
battle with cancer. She was a good bird and a loving bird. She especially
loved two things: food, and one of her human companions: Don. He was like a
rock star to her. She had only to hear his voice or his footsteps, or his
motorcycle pulling in the driveway, or even just his cough or sneeze, and
she'd start screaming for him. Ponchie was a classic example of in-breeding
with her physical anomalies, including mis-shapen nares, also the entire
back of her head was bald, and she had primary feathers that grew off the
leading edge of her wing sideways at times. Perhaps inbreeding is why she
got cancer as well, we'll never know. She lived with us for 10 1/2 years
and prior to that with another family member, so she was lucky in the sense
that she didn't get passed around from home to home, or was ever abandoned,
or needed rescuing like so many birds do. She was always loved and always
cared for. She died in the loving hands of her beloved human, but she lives on in our hearts.

Maggie

Nathan Thornton  4/7/1977 - 3/17/2007

In our work for Mickaboo we meet a lot of people, most of them briefly, as they attend our classes, or when we do a phone screen or home visit for them.  Perhaps we get to know them a little bit while helping them choose a bird to adopt and then working with them to make sure the bird and the adopter are happy. There are so many wonderful people who come to Mickaboo, and we are always saddened to hear of the loss of any one of them. We met Nathan Thornton just last year when he, and his partner Cary, attended a Mickaboo bird care class in order to pursue their dream of adopting a parrot. Nathan also wanted to learn as much as he could about bird care as he was employed at PetCo, where he stood out as an employee who actually saw the animals as much more than just products to be sold.
Getting himself in trouble with his bosses at times, he stood his ground on behalf of giving good care to the animals in the store. Nathan alerted Mickaboo to an unacceptable situation that two canaries were living in at the store. With the help of a Mickaboo volunteer, who provided the funds and transport, Nathan got the birds out of the store and into the safe harbor of Mickaboo. Vivaldi and Lemondrop, as they were named, are now in loving homes. Nathan had a  lot of personal tragedy in his life, but he did not seem bitter or angry. He had a big, sweet heart and made an impression on all of us who knew him, however briefly. He will be missed, and we offer our heartfelt sympathy to his friends and family. 

 Nicky Joe  2001-2006

This is a tribute with much love to my budgie and friend Nicky (also known as Nicky Joe) who passed away. He was an adorable earth angel and is now a heavenly angel. Nicky had such a kind and gentle spirit about him. Nicky was a real entertainer and quite a smart little chap. He talked non-stop and was a delight to listen to. He performed all kinds of tricks with his toys and loved to dance back and forth across his perch with a high step up on each foot while listening to music.

Nicky helped to brighten up the days for my mother after she received him as a birthday gift from us when she was ill. Then Nicky brightened up my days when I became his second mom for the next four years. He was our hero with a heart of gold. We loved him dearly.

Nicky is now resting in peace in my mother's arms. He is making all that surround him happy like he did while here on earth. I miss Nicky very much and will always be thankful to have had the pleasure of knowing him. He gave so much love and happiness to everyone, especially to my mother and me. I will never forget him but find comfort in knowing that love will bring us together again. So it isn't really goodbye. I will see him again when he greets me at the rainbow bridge.

With Love from Mama Olga and Mama Carole

Snoopy  1989-2007

Snoopy passed away last week, a death with dignity. Despite his
years (18) and a diagnosis of cancer, he clung to his perch until the
last moment. He sat under his beloved bell for the last week and got
thinner and lighter. Though he had trouble balancing, he was always
up, not huddled on the cage floor. I took him outside in the dappled
sunlight on Monday and left him sitting under his bell. When I
returned an hour later, he lay, finally on the bottom of his cage,
still and silent.
Snoopy was a great Mickaboo find. He passed from home to home during
his long lifetime and finally came to us through a tip from a friend
at Mickaboo. He took a year or so to come out of his shell, and then
became an integral part of our combined avian and human family. He
bonded mostly with my husband, and the guys watched lots of golf
tournaments and Law and Order together. He could recognize the sound
of our car in the driveway and began shrieking his "welcome home"
before we came in the door. He appeared to me recently as a spirit
guide, showing me how to have courage in life and death. He is much
missed.

Sara and Jon 

 Mr. Charms  1980-2007

Parents: Michael and Cordelia

Once, in a land not too far away, there was a great prince named Mr. Charms.

For the first 25 years of his life, no one knew that his birth was great and that he was royalty. After living for a long time in small quarters with very little good food to eat, his caretaker died, and he had to move to another part of the kingdom.

A gentle fairy named Michelle took him under her wing, where he lived for a time, eating well and receiving love and warmth and medicine to cure what ailed him. It was there that two people, Michael and Cordelia, became aware that Mr. Charms was living nearby. They had only heard myths about a prince named Mr. Charms who had magical powers, so when they heard that he was looking for his rightful home they came and got him as soon as they were able.

Mr. Charms moved into his family's castle, and began to give the gift of joy to Michael and Cordelia. He entertained them with his beautiful singing, his comedy, and his quet wisdom. However, though he loved them both, he bonded most closely with Michael, and they became great friends. Michael would play banjo and Mr. Charms would sing along. They would watch theatre together, and would sometimes spend hours telling each other important secrets. They settled into a nice routine of chats over breakfast, naps together, and the occasional duet.

This great friendship lasted a year, at which time Mr. Charms told Michael that his time was up. You see, Mr. Charms was not just a prince of this kingdom; he was a prince of the world. Mr. Charms explained that he had to move on and share his magic with everyone, not just us. Mr. Charms turned into a lovely grey cockatiel with a yellow head and rosy cheeks. He and Michael and Cordelia said goodbye, and Mr. Charms flew away over the rainbow bridge.

Odie

I just lost my best friend, my little angel 2 days ago and I truly feel devastated.  I had Odie for over 10 years and she was the One constant in my life.  She did no fancy tricks, she didn't talk, and she did not particularly like to do much but eat,  and work on her feathers. What she did do was far more precious then any tricks or words could ever be.  Odie provided me with so much love, joy, comfort,  and simple beauty in an othewise hectic life filled with pain and struggles.

Every morning now I awake and do not hear my lttle angel with her soft, gentle chirp as I walk past her cage in route to the kitchen for my coffee.  It is unbelievable how much I miss how cute I thought it was that she knew exactly what time in the mornings I'd be leaving for work, she would always be alert and waiting for her breakfast. And how empty I now feel when I get home from work and do not hear the excited whistle of my little pretty angel so excited that I've returned home.  I miss our snuggling and even the times she seemed to be a pest flying back to me when I've returned her to her cage perch outside the cage.  Or how she would insist on visiting and fly over when she knew that Mama was eating something, Sometimes she would help herself to a taste if she could get away with it. Thank you Mickaboo for doing the wonderful things you do for our most vulnerable friends in need. And Thank you for having a site like this to try and help express my grief and my never ending Love to a major part of my life that is now gone.
 
Mama and Papa will miss you forever Odie-O, aka:My Little O and will never, ever forget you.
 
Sincerely,
Heart-broken with many beautiful memories