Kathy Hill Brown
You may be wondering what it’s like to live with a starling. It’s definitely rewarding. Sometimes frustrating. And always comical! Starlings are intelligent, active, and inquisitive birds. And Moby is no exception. He’s also a little neurotic, most likely due to his having been a fledgling when rescued, so he will always be a bit wild.
The day begins with a morning greeting followed by the first of many feedings of fresh food. He prefers to be offered it by plate at the door of his cage.
Next comes coffee (for the humans) in armchairs next to the woodstove during the winter months. Moby often flies down onto our laps and hops about. Usually, I will play some music for him, and we will sing to his favorite artists (more on that in a future blog post).
Then, as the day gets going, he will fly in and out of his cage in the kitchen as I do chores. He loves to watch the washing machine slosh about through the glass door.
Sometime in the late morning, he will have his first bath of the day. This is always an animated event with lots of water flying and feather shaking.
Then, around four o’clock, he will be given his favorite treat – cheese. Four or five small chunks of Cabot Vermont Cheddar will be hand-fed to him, which he accepts in quite a frenzy.
At dinner time, he will watch us eat our food from his perch in his cage. He never makes a fuss or begs for scraps. For now, he is content with the food I concoct for him, his daily cheese treat, and the occasional nibble of a Snickers candy bar.
As the day comes to a close, Moby quietly goes to the far end of his cage and prepares for the night’s slumber. And, of course, before we retire, we always give him a peek and say our good-nights.
