Guest Post by Madalene Cordero

It was late March 2022 when my four year old granddaughter, Aiyanna, spotted a white King pigeon from the window of our house, walking across a very busy street. My daughter took her across the street to rescue it. They were afraid it would get run over by a bus or car since it appeared it couldn’t fly. We noticed the right wing was hanging from its side touching the ground and figured that was the reason why. Aiyanna named her Lily, she thought it must be a girl since she was so beautiful.

Well, Lily grew on us and after a week or so, her wing healed and she began flying around the house. Lily loved being around us and quickly became a part of the family. She followed us all around the house and her favorite spot was perching on the door of where we were.

Around the end of April we noticed her behavior began to change and she was not able to fly as far as she did before and became unbalanced. She began walking in circles and her head began to twist under her body. It saddened us to watch her lose control of her functions so Aiyanna would hold Lily in a blanket and just love on her.

We tried calling vets in the area and the one we found said their exotic pet vet was on vacation. I was informed to take her to Peninsula Humane Society-SPCA wildlife rescue. They transfered her to their exotics department (Palomacy was too full) but despite a week of supportive care and tube feeding, she was losing weight and growing weaker. There wasn’t much else they could do and informed me if that with no improvement, she needed to be rescued or they would have to euthanize her.

Elizabeth from Palomacy came to the rescue and picked Lily up, took her home and for the next three months would nurse Lily, who ended up turning into Willy, back to health. (See Willy Wonky)

While Willy was in Elizabeth’s care, we communicated back and forth and she made me aware of the need for homes for rescued pigeons. So about the second week of June, Elizabeth connected me with a rescue in need of a home: an eight week old couch pigeon named Squeak, who loved watching his tablet and his favorite show on YouTube with birds flying and chirping and sounds of running water. (Squeak is a Homer pigeon, like they use for dove releases, that was found lost or dumped at only three weeks old.)

When he arrived, we tried to make him feel at home so we did the same but put a cage next to the couch and he ended up exchanging the couch for a padded perch and comfy bed. It wasn’t long before he was a part of the family and became very attached to us.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth took such amazing care of Willy. Giving him his meds, taking him back and forth to the vet for tests, loving on him and nursing him back to health. She would always send me pics of his improvement and about three months later, Elizabeth brought a much recovered but still wonky Willy back home to us.

Willy was still a little off balance, didn’t fly and would walk in circles at times, mostly when he was nervous. We had his cage on the ground so he could walk in and out of it by himself. Squeak’s cage was higher but next to Willy’s. Squeak was used to being the main attraction so he was aggressive and territorial around Willy in the beginning.

As time went on Willy began following Squeak around the house and mimicking him. When Squeak flew out of the cage and stretched his wings, Willy would walk out of his and do the same and follow him around. The time they spent together in the aviary helped them bond. Willy stayed on lower ground while Squeak flew back and forth to higher levels. Willy loves water and when he takes his bath, you’ll find Squeak right behind him taking turns in the water.

Today, Willy’s cage is as high as Squeaks and they are connected together so they can walk into each other’s cage. Both of them used to give warnings when they walked in the other’s cage but they are no longer territorial and share everything. Willy rarely walks in circles anymore and he can fly higher than Squeak (just needs a little practice landing)! Now I find them together as Squeak coos and arouses Willy to come over to preen him for a time. We don’t know what all Willy was sick with. His symptoms were strange and tests inconclusive but Elizabeth says that, as so often happens, time and supportive care kept him alive long enough to recover.

What an amazing journey to see Willy’s progress while watching them bond. Everytime I look at them now, they are inseparable. It’s amazing how these gentle, loving, peace-filled companions fill your life with love and joy. Our hearts are filled with joy to watch them grow closer together. It’s only the beginning and we’re still not sure if Squeak is a boy or girl. Needless to say, we’ve adopted them both. They are home.

January 24th 2023 Update:

Squeak’s a lady bird and she married Willy! They are such a happy, sweet couple. Squeak laid their first egg (swapped out with a fake for hatch prevention) but they are still figuring out nestbuilding and sitting.

Madalene Cordero lives in Daly City, CA; is a retired Service Delivery Coordinator; a mother, wife, sister, daughter and her 99 year old mother’s caregiver. She says, Through having Willy and Squeak in my life, I find a place of comfort and peace.