MY DIMINISHING BIRD FLOCK

A House Full of Seniors: Creatures and Humans

The signs of decrepitude are obvious

The author’s photo of Paulie, a senior male cockatiel.

We share our life with many birds and five cats. Today, I’m focusing on my birds, not because I love them more, but because their decline distresses me more. The signs of aging are apparent in their diminishing activity, loss of crown feathers, and clumsy flying.

My felines, all seniors, are less active, sleeping more, eating less, and persnickety about the food they consume.

The author’s cat, Buffy, sleeping.

Try to picture my beloved cockatiels as I see them in the vignettes below. My flock is only ten now, with only three relatively young, being middle-aged.

Jay calls incessantly for his friend, Bebe, to fly to his side. Bebe struggles, often fluttering to the floor. He prefers the confines and safety of the flight cage, where flying or hopping between perches is easy. When he fails to land on a nearby perch, he uses his beak and feet to climb up the side of the cage to a perch.

Jay doesn’t understand.