# Sticky  Flying Blind Through Life: Unie's Story



## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

I’d like to introduce you to a completely blind bird that flies on a regular basis. As far as we know, Unie’s story is unique in the world at this writing. When we embarked upon this adventure, we could find no other case of a blind bird that flew, never mind one that used sound to navigate. In this regard, Unie is a pioneer in the purest sense of the word. And when you truly consider the magnitude of her achievement with respect to her species, the height that she has gazed down from is very great indeed.

If Unie could hear and understand this story, she would wonder what all the fuss was about. I expect she’d be disturbed as to why we humans need such inspirational stories so much. Simply put, Unie isn’t some larger-than-life action hero, she just doesn’t know how to quit.

Most people having a brief occasion to watch Unie fly probably wouldn’t be especially impressed. But flying blind has its own inherent difficulties that make it different from being a blind human navigating around the house, yard or city. Air is a fluid medium that rarely sits still. It’s like the difference between swimming in a pool in the dark and swimming in a river in the dark—a river that can flow variously slow and easy or fast and dangerous.

It is funny how well most of us can see and yet, ironically, how blind we can be to the plights of others, how little we appreciate those that share this world, this life with us. It is in entangling our lives with others that we learn to love, in loving that we learn to give and in giving that we truly learn to live, for the vaunted “meaning of life” is ultimately what we will all make of it together.

Her name on the Hatch Certificate is E Pluribus Unum, Latin for “Out of the many--One.” Her mother, Winter, had an affair with a married cock. The first egg that she laid, she left in the middle of the floor. The second, she carefully placed off to the side and began sitting. I suppose that she wished that the father would bear his rightful share of the chick’s rearing, but it didn’t happen. If it hadn’t been early summer, I rather doubt that it would have worked. I never knew for certain which cock was actually the father but he’s one of two brothers.

The blessed event finally arrived and she began caring for the chick as a single parent. There was another family living not far away, the father of which had a mean disposition. When Unie was just a couple of days old, I came up to the loft and found her mother terribly upset because something had happened to her chick. I searched around and finally found her, upside down in the dust with holes punched all over her. Her crop was punctured and one of her toes was ripped off. She was cold and almost comatose.

The sane thing to do would have been to allow her to finish dying, wouldn’t it? Fortunately for her, I am not a sane man. I took her inside and cleaned her wounds under warm running water. The warmth brought her back to the land of the living at the same time that it washed the embedded filth from her broken body. Food leaked from the hole in her crop as the water flowed over the hole.

There was nothing for it but to keep her in a sterile environment so I put her in the Pigeonator (an incubator that I built with very fine temperature control) and only took her out to her mom for meals. Nestled in a clean towel, we settled into our routine. She got fed as many times a day as I could get her out there—usually four or five. 

By keeping her crop wound dry, it slowly healed over the next week and a half. Every time that I got it wet to clean it, it would start leaking again. The other wounds on her body healed within a week for the most part. One of the holes was right on top of her head and I worried about her eye underneath.

At the proper time, her eyes began to open and within a few days both were open fully. They seemed fine and she could see just fine—she’d bob up and down, peeping with delight when I took her to her mother. Her mother and I had an understanding—I would herd her over to her nest and she would feed Unie while I sat near. When Unie fell over, I would right her as her mother patiently stood by. Her mother had accepted me as sharing the chick’s upbringing. She knew she wasn’t going to get any help anywhere else, I expect.

Within a week her left eye gained a slightly milky appearance. She started keeping it more and more closed, as well. And then her eyelids began to swell little by little. I began early on to treat it with Terramycin ointment but after a few days, it didn’t seem to be doing any good at all. She did get a brief exam by a vet but it was too early in its course for us to know what it was leading to.

After the swelling had gotten much worse, I got her a full appointment with the vet. When he forced her swollen eyelids apart to look at the eye, he almost swooned because the orb itself was greatly enlarged and completely white. There was nothing for it but to incise the eye and remove all the contents, leaving the remaining sclera to eventually collapse inward like a flower wilting. Those portions would be removed later, some by the vet and some by me. 

Initially, the vet didn’t want to traumatize the optic nerve anymore than necessary because she still had vision in her remaining eye. Also, the eye is very close to the brain so it’s a delicate procedure.

I watched her real closely over the next few days and during the weekend, I didn’t think that she was going to make it. She didn’t respond to her mother for feeding and I didn’t want to tube-feed her at the time because she was so sick. She stood with both eyes closed and I could tell that she was in serious pain. 

When the bad spell had passed she didn’t seem to respond to movement. She peeped in the obvious need for food so I took her out to her mother. But she couldn’t find her mother, even though she was sitting right in front of her. Few things in this life have ever broken my heart as that did. To have come so far and endured so much, and now this. It just wasn’t fair.

Birds are extremely visual creatures—their perception of the world around them is mostly through their eyes. Their communication with each other is primarily through gestures. They have a language but it is very limited in its scope as near as we can tell. They simply have very little ability to gain information through other senses and normally there wouldn’t be much reason for them to.

Imagine yourself as a blind bird. You have no hands with which to feel around and your mouth has all the feeling of a fingernail. Most sounds are pure gibberish---about all they provide is loudness and direction. You are cut off from communicating with your own community leaving you painfully alone. About all you can do is hear the other birds making their various grunts, coos and calls to the nest—a call to a nest that you cannot find from a mate that you can’t be sure is yours. Helen Keller had an easier time making meaningful contact than you will.

It’s worse. For us, personal locomotion is primarily by our legs. For birds, it’s actually with their wings. They use their legs only for short distances. That isn’t to say that their legs can’t do the job—pigeons can walk quite far with no trouble at all—it’s just not what they consider their primary means of going places. They WANT to fly “there” wherever “there” is. Up in the air, they are not free from predators, but they both feel and are safer than when they are on the ground. It’s natural for them. And, of course, their homes must be unreachable by the earthbound predators below as they have extremely limited means of protecting themselves.

There is no animal more cut off from its community than a blind flock bird. Bearing that in mind, how a blind bird can fly and why one would want to is the focus of this article.

(Continued)


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Once we knew that she was blind, we just tried to finish her rearing. So, we tube-fed her and worked at trying to teach her how to eat on her own. As we had no prior experience and I couldn’t find anything on the internet at the time, we were truly flying blind here. I tried to imagine how a blind bird would find things like the food and water bowls so I toyed with the idea of designing little “pippers” to make a peeping sound so quiet that she would be the only one to hear them. I figured that I could put different ones with different tones around her box so that she could have a three-dimensional framework with which to navigate.

In the end, she got her own radio by her box and that’s done real well. She mostly listens to talk radio, but she also loves classical (it depends on the piece—she’s not overly fond of harpsichord music). 

Whenever we were going to pick her up and take her anywhere, we would always say, “come on, sugar” as we touched her under her breast to let her know that our hands were there and it was time to step up. Somewhere along the way, I began to realize that I could say it without touching her and she would step up anyway. Her learned response to this suggestion was what gave me the first clue that she might be able to learn specific words.

One day, she started flapping her wings and flew out of her box. At that point, it became apparent that she wanted the exercise so I took her outside and started her flight training. I don’t remember when or quite how I got the initial idea but the rest is, as they say, history. 

(I should note here that we have never done anything that Unie didn’t want to do. She gets excited when we ask her if she wants to go flying. It’s her choice to step up on our hands--we don’t force her. As a matter of fact, if you leave her in her nest box too long without flying her, she will launch off anyway and end up somewhere in the kitchen.)

As with the radio, I dreamed of “pippers” in the yard, but settled on making a noise myself for her orienting beacon. I started with a continuous sound from her launch point. So, we began with “go-go-go…, go-go-go…, go-go-go…, “ and kept it up until she touched down. 

Now, the first flights weren’t anything to be proud of—she mostly just helicoptered straight down. It didn’t take long before our routine settled into its permanent pattern. I’d get her settled in my hand like a waiter holding a tray and then say, “Ready? One—Two—Three… go-go-go, go-go-go, go-go-go… .” She gets the actual toss on the “three”—just a smoothly accelerating thrust, usually.

Since we did it so much and so often, she actually picked that up pretty quick. She was flying forward and getting into it within days of the beginning. At first, though, she always flew with her feet extended out in front of her in a permanent landing posture and she never flew forward with any actual speed. Now, she retracts her feet a lot and doesn’t bother putting them down until she’s in landing mode. 

I could tell that she sometimes knew she was getting close to landing and other times it was a bit of a surprise. Thus, I learned to gauge about when she was going to touch down (however gracefully or not) and preface it with a “land…, land…, land!” I try to time it so that her landing gear actually makes contact on the third “land!” If it’s going to be a leisurely landing, I try to space the words more slowly to indicate that. If it’s obviously coming up fast, I hurl them rapid fire. The tone and delivery also seem to help with her landing success.

It took awhile for her to understand what it means but it has, oddly enough, become quite useful in other ways. If she’s “drifting out to sea”, I can use it to arrest forward momentum and begin the landing sequence. This is very handy and quite remarkable. I’ve had people try to convince me that pigeons are not capable of “higher thought” or problem solving. Unie has proven to me that premise is pure BS--she deserves more respect for problem solving that a lot of people I have known.

Another helpful phrase that we use is “LOOK OUT!—LOOK OUT!—LOOK OUT!” It’s virtually always delivered with loudness and intensity. She’s definitely learned what that means and backpedals pretty hard when that one’s thrown out. Actually, that one comes quite natural so it wasn’t tough to learn to do on my part. It was much harder on hers because she had to run into a few things before it sank in what that meant.

Of course, it didn’t seem sensible at first to use English commands to a pigeon that didn’t even speak Pidgin English. But, what else could I do? Watching her blindly running into things wasn’t easy on my heart so I yelled. I just didn’t know when we began that she could learn what that meant.

Anymore, I usually conduct flight briefings before we commence flight operations. I hold her on my hand in the launch position up very near my face so that she can sense my closeness. We usually discuss wind conditions (light or strong, gusty or steady, the direction) and any other pertinent information. Of course, this is pure silliness on my part, but if you could see the expression of seriousness that Unie always seems to effect at this point, you would get a kick out of it just like I do. You will be more likely to perform this entire exercise more often if you enjoy it, too, instead of thinking of it as “walking the dog” or something that must be done.

I don’t know what trying to start with a bird that had become blind after having fully experienced sighted flying would be like. My guess is that habits would have to be broken but it’s hard to say. If I had to do that, I’d work inside an empty room or a garage and would begin with all the commands at once. You might have to add one to indicate that the bird was going to bump into the ceiling.

(Continued)


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

When Unie and I have to work inside due to inclement weather, I talk quieter because the sound bounces off the walls as well. She always knows and compensates by containing her wanderings to a tighter area. I have theorized that she can hear the sound reflecting off the wall and she knows to reverse from the reflection but I don’t know for sure. She never bumps into a wall though so whatever it is, she’s good at it.

In starting out teaching a blind bird to fly you have to accept that the only way to learn is to fail. This means crashing. All you can do is attempt to minimize what the effect of that crash is going to be. Leafy vegetation (like soft shrubs) is good. A training place that is surrounded by dense shrubbery without thorns would be ideal. Even a tennis court wouldn’t be too bad.

Winds are funny. They can be nonexistent, smooth, strong, turbulent, choppy, etc. I have noticed that when the winds are the choppiest, it affects Unie a lot. She begins to overcompensate and forms habits of doing so. I sometimes have to take her into the garage to work if the air is too rough to help her relax again. Of course, she loves the thrill of the wild ride, but too much of it begins to instill bad habits.

Sometimes, it’s better to fly with the wind and other times it’s best to fly into the wind. The faster the wind is blowing, the more you need to launch with it instead of against it. In any case, you don’t want to fly in any significant wind---you either wait for the slow moments or you go to a sheltered place to fly.

Hawks and cats are still a danger. I never let Unie get too far away and try to limit how high she gets by using the voice commands to get her to land if she goes too high. I have always had the fear that one of those Cooper’s hawks might come around and pluck her out of midair. I try to work most of her flying in when they’re not around (early morning, and later evening). And I try to keep her lower when I fly her during the day.

Once, a black cat was secretly waiting in the shadows while we were flying one night. After several landings, Unie came down to land not 10 feet in front of me when the cat darted out of the shadows straight for her. I have ever been wary of such a thing so I don’t let my guard down—when she’s not on my hand my eyes are locked on her. You have to also use your peripheral vision a lot. Anyhow, I yelled a fierce scream and ran at the cat. It had been going straight for Unie but veered not a foot to the right when it both heard and saw that I was gunning for it. It passed by without ever slowing up but my heart kept pounding for a long time afterward. I’m more careful than ever now.

Whenever she has a really good flight, I cuddle her to my face and make a soft, trilling “OoOoOoOoOhhhhh, Boooyyy!” sound over and over. I’ve got my lips almost right up to her ear. She always preens my beard tenderly. Most other times she won’t let you do that without biting, but I think she appreciates it then. I get the sense that she doesn’t like being smothered with love, but once in awhile it’s a very welcome thing.

The dictionary defines the word “volition” as “the act of exercising the will.” For a blind bird, eating and drinking are about the only things they do of their own volition. But, when Unie’s flying--she’s in control. Yes, she’s bitten some dust before, but she’s also had some pretty fantastic flights, considering. Believe me, she WANTS to do it. I never slip the key in the door when I’m coming home that her head doesn’t perk up in anticipation of going outside to fly even when she’s obviously been taking a leisurely nap in her food bowl. Whenever I put out my hand and say, “come on, sugar—you wanna’ go flyin’?” she never hesitates. It IS what she lives for--there is no doubt.

If Unie could have a favorite quote, I am sure that it would be one from Theodore Roosevelt:


"In the battle of life, it is not the critic who counts; nor the one who points out how the strong person stumbled, or where the doer of a deed could have done better.”

“The credit belongs to the person who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; who does actually strive to do deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotion, spends oneself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who at worst, if he or she fails, at least fails while daring greatly. 

“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those timid spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat." 


Neither Unie nor I know what tomorrow will bring. I know that if something bad happens to her, I will be heartbroken. But not as bad as if that first day—that day when she helplessly squeaked in unseeing hunger for the mother who rejected her then for her blindness—if that day, if that condition of helpless dependence, had never ended. 

Yes, she is dependent upon us to help her fly. In that regard, we are a team--and yet so much more! For as she flies, our own earthbound feet become as light as the mystical Ether, and we fly with her in spirit. We are her eyes, and she, our wings. We are our own little flock, you see.

This is Unie's home at Christmas:

http://pets.webshots.com/photo/1393366667073664377pvBgAB

And this is Unie flying:

http://pets.webshots.com/photo/1393366803073664377QTWOSt

This thread covers her further adventures:

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=10917

Pidgey


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## Lin Hansen (Jan 9, 2004)

Pidgey,

What a beautiful, well written, inspiring story. Unie is so lucky to have you and I know that you feel lucky as well, to have Unie in your life.

Just beautiful....and thank you for sharing Unie's story with us.

Linda


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Thank you Pidgey and Unie for this most wonderful and inspiring story. Totally awesome!

Terry


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Hi Pidgey, 

This is a very heartwarming and miraculous story of Unie and how she's adapted to life as a blind pigeon. Your accounts of her life from birth until now is a real life roller coaster ride for both you and her. Wonderful story, thanks so much for sharing this with us all !!!


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

...it can get no better...!

Wow...

Way to go Pidgey...! 

And way to go Unie...!

Phil
Las Vegas


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Pidgey,

Too cool,...brought tears to my eyes.

As you can see, I made it a sticky....

Treesa


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## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

What an amazing, heartwarming and wonderful story. Pigeons continually amaze me and so do those who take the time to get to know them and love them.


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## mistenle (Feb 7, 2005)

You are so lucky to have each other. Thank you for sharing your story.


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

All,

Thank you, yes, we are very lucky to have Unie. Mind you, I could wish for her sake that all that had never happened to her but there's certainly no point in wasting time doing that as we can't go back in time and change anything.

But, we've all certainly learned a lot about life because of her and more every day. I am happy that you all understand seeing as how she's only a pigeon! The vet said a curious thing so long ago when we were fighting so hard to save her. I can't remember it word for word but it was something like "this is one of those things where you can't keep yourself from doing it, but you don't want your mother to find out!"

It was a few months later when I told him about her flying and other activities (she loves going on walks around the neighborhood and out in the loft). He told me then that he had been so scared that she would end up standing in a corner "afraid of life" and was genuinely relieved that she had adjusted so well.

You have to know that his veterinarian clinic is Forest Trails of Tulsa (or Bixby), Oklahoma. He, Dr. Paul Welch, cut his teeth under Pearl Hunnicutt who was a famous rehabber around these parts back when virtually NOBODY did that. He's currently the president of the Association of Avian Veterinarians (www.aav.org) and is still active in rehabbing. He's a compassionate man and it's easy to tell he's decent because he's got a picture of UNIE AT CHRISTMAS (he gets a card every year) posted above his desk!

Pidgey


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## melissasue1968 (Jun 16, 2005)

What a wonderful story Pidgey! You should send it to Disney to be made into a movie! 
Melissa


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## melissasue1968 (Jun 16, 2005)

Treesa, 
I'm new 'round here. What's a sticky?
Melissa


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## Poulette (Feb 5, 2002)

This is such a love story Pidgey! You and Unie see each other in St-Exupery's way. "(It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; What is essential is invisible to the eye.)" -The Little Prince 

So touching!

Suz.


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

*GREAT story!*

I agree with Melissasue - I think Unie's story would make a great pigeon movie! Have you tried to get your story published in any magazine? Many people could have a much better appreciation of pigeons!

Keep us updated on Unie and her adventures!


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## kajupakhi (Aug 2, 2004)

GOD!!!!!!! WHAT A BEAUTIFUL, INSPIRATIONAL AND WELL WRITTEN STORY!!!!!!
ITS JUST UNFORGATABLE...seriously, I dont think that I will ever forget UNI..she had a deep impact on my mind...and thanks a lot for everything u did for her...
Even my sis Shyamoki was very much touched by the story and she dreamed of Uni after reading it...
Here's what she wanted me to tell Uni---
"UNI IS THE CUTEST N THE BRAVEST BIRD AND I DREAMED OF HER.
MY DAY WENT REALLY WELL AS I THOUGHT OF HER. SHE DESREVES TO BE WRITTEN TO SO I AM WRITING TO HER. 
AND I LIKE LISTENING TO THE RADIO AS WELL SO WE ARE BEST FRIENDS ALREADY"

Kajupakhi


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## Lin Hansen (Jan 9, 2004)

Hi Kajupakhi,

Nice to see you posting again....hope everything is going well.

Linda


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## kajupakhi (Aug 2, 2004)

Hi Linda
So nice to hear from you and good to know that u remember me. Hope everything is well with you and your birds.
Everything is well with me and my birds too. Kaju loves to play with all the toys I got for him from US. He specially LOVES bells and mirrors.
I am currently in US for work and cant waite to go back to my bird Kaju in India. Whenever I start missing my bird, I visit this site...and u guys and ur birds keep me company...that's why I love visiting this site...all those cute, funny, touching, emotional, inspirational or even sad stories about the pigeons and the people who care about them can really make me feel better whenever I miss my birds.
Also this site provides many useful tips on how to take care of pigeons and fulfill their other needs.



Thanks,
Kajupakhi


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## chriss80 (May 6, 2007)

Such a beautiful story, thank you for sharing it with us!


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## Pinacola (Mar 19, 2008)

*What an inspiration!*

Unie's story is so bittersweet! What a love!

She is an inspiration to anyone who has dealt with hardships in life. What a great bird to take to a classroom, a developmentally disabled school or to a nursing home. 

Her story warmed my heart and made me really fall in love with these intelligent birds! I hope I can live up to her expectations!


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## Pinacola (Mar 19, 2008)

*Disney Movie*

One of the chihuahua's that my son bred is the star of a disney movie now. He was bought by Disney to play the starring role (as a female dog) in their movie.

I don't know if he has an inside to this or not, but I will ask him when I see him on Sunday. This is such a fabulous story and Unie is definitely a star performer in the role of life. She deserves a vote for stardom, even if she doesn't play the part herself, her story needs to be broadcast far and wide. It is such an inspiration, plus allows people to see pigeons as truly intelligent creatures with a great will to survive!

I cannot express the deep emotions I felt just reading about her life story and struggles to achieve, apparently without hesitation. How wonderful she is! How wonderful you are to have brought her so far, understood her needs and encouraged her will to succeed!

Bravo! to both of you...


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## Nosferatu09 (Mar 5, 2008)

it is the closing lines that broke the rim of the eye into a fall of tears...

In a sense Im curious as to what happened to her at first, it sounds excrutiatingly painful

but the cruelty that may lay behind her pain maybe unendingly heartbreaking...

and for that I am glad, that you did not post it...

and I thank you for saving her, and I am so thankful that she is fine now

and I wish her the best of luck

I could not even fathom the agony had the cat taken her, or a hawk swooped her

I know this is not needed, but I BEG you pidgey, that you never let anything happen to her again...

Thanks for the very inspiring story and she looks so cuddley =]

... interestingly enough, this story somewhat fits what might be the concept behind a song I've been working on lately

but not quite I guess, we'll see... 

Take care all, best wishes


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## penname (Jul 28, 2008)

You and Unie are an amazing duo! What a lovely and inspiring story, thank you for sharing it with us. I now have hope that our seemingly blind little dove will have a close to normal life. I wish there were more people like you on this earth.


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## Teresa (Jul 10, 2005)

Just had to read Unie's story again, and marvel anew at her seemingly impossible achievements -- and at your resourcefulness and dedication.
I wondered if you've shared this information with the scientific world, as it would shed new light on studies of pigeon/bird behaviour and intelligence.


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## little bird (Aug 11, 2006)

" A free bird leaps on the back of the wind and floats downstream till the current ends
and dips her wing in the orange sun's rays and DARES TO CLAIM THE SKY."
MAYA ANGELOU/ I know why the caged bird sings

Pidgey, ...Due to your patience and loving care, Unie has always been a "free bird".


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

little bird said:


> " A free bird leaps on the back of the wind and floats downstream till the current ends
> and dips her wing in the orange sun's rays and DARES TO CLAIM THE SKY."
> MAYA ANGELOU/ I know why the caged bird sings
> 
> Pidgey, ...Due to your patience and loving care, Unie has always been a "free bird".


Beautifully said, Little Bird!!

GREETINGS TO UNIE WITH LOVE, HUGS AND SCRITCHES from

_Shi
Squeaks
Dom
Gimie
Woe_


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

little bird said:


> " A free bird leaps on the back of the wind and floats downstream till the current ends
> and dips her wing in the orange sun's rays and DARES TO CLAIM THE SKY."
> MAYA ANGELOU/ I know why the caged bird sings
> 
> Pidgey, ...Due to your patience and loving care, Unie has always been a "free bird".


WOW...little bird...where have you been?
Beautiful quote.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

mr squeaks said:


> Beautifully said, Little Bird!!
> 
> _Shi
> _


_



Charis;338290
Beautiful quote.[/QUOTE said:



DITTO!! 

Click to expand...

_


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## Larry_Cologne (Jul 6, 2004)

Pidgey,

Christmas Season's Greetings to Unie (and to you, and to all others at PT). An hour ago I was telling a couple (old friends of my wife's from Antwerp), visiting this weekend to see the Cologne Christmas markets _(Weihnachtsmarkt),_ about *Unie*. They have some Belgian relatives into pigeon racing, and told us about the "Pigeon Hotel" near Liege, Belgium, where pigeon people go to do business.

Nice quote, Little Bird.

Larry


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## graybird (Apr 4, 2011)

I don't have the words to describe how this story makes me feel, but I think 'unforgettable' comes closest to describing the impact it has made on me. Thank you so much for sharing it with us. You and Unie are making me look at my own bird through new eyes.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

I'm so glad to see this thread come up again. I hope our newer members will read and enjoy it.

Terry


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## Garye (Feb 20, 2005)

I somehow missed this story but it is a truly remarkable one. Unie is a very pretty bird and unbelievable. I'm so glad you never gave up on it.


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## laughingdog (Jun 14, 2011)

im not saying the end probably wasnt good, and it was fine after a while, but initially it was horribly painful, fearful, and cruel to keep it alive when wasnt wanting or able to feed. am i the only one actually thinking of the feelings of the bird? im assuming through all this it was on no pain meds, as birds tend to die from them. ive had birds temp get an eye injured, and if it injured one, i could see (no pun intended), treating and accommodating it to hope itd get better, but that was just torturing it! before anyone jumps down my throat, im legally blind, and actually know how it is to grow up and how it feels to be in similar situation, and how i will forever be segregated from main stream. ive been told was burden as child, and know those would have been better off without me, even though im doing good now. id imagine me being put on bike and sent down the road, was the same as tossing that poor bird through the air (possibly as painful and embarrassing and the feeling of defeat and uselessness as well). just saying as well as all the butt slapping, all should look at the other side of this as well and not be encouraged to promote more suffering.


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## GingerPigeon (May 22, 2011)

It's awful such things were said to a precious child. You were born into the wrong family.
I think tossing the bird was a mean thing to do to.


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## Cyreen (Jun 6, 2010)

It's fortunate Helen Keller had a vastly different outlook.


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## GingerPigeon (May 22, 2011)

Helen Keller was loved and supported by her parents.They got her the help she needed.


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## Cyreen (Jun 6, 2010)

My point being that everything is a matter of perspective. It's interesting where others see a story of triumph, someone else chooses to see a tortured animal.


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

laughingdog said:


> im not saying the end probably wasnt good, and it was fine after a while, but initially it was horribly painful, fearful, and cruel to keep it alive when wasnt wanting or able to feed. am i the only one actually thinking of the feelings of the bird? im assuming through all this it was on no pain meds, as birds tend to die from them. ive had birds temp get an eye injured, and if it injured one, i could see (no pun intended), treating and accommodating it to hope itd get better, but that was just torturing it! before anyone jumps down my throat, im legally blind, and actually know how it is to grow up and how it feels to be in similar situation, and how i will forever be segregated from main stream. ive been told was burden as child, and know those would have been better off without me, even though im doing good now. id imagine me being put on bike and sent down the road, was the same as tossing that poor bird through the air (possibly as painful and embarrassing and the feeling of defeat and uselessness as well). just saying as well as all the butt slapping, all should look at the other side of this as well and not be encouraged to promote more suffering.


One is assuming that birds and animals have the same thinking and feelings as humans do, which of course is only natural on our part as that is all we really know.
I feel sorry for your personal experiance, and can understand why you would come to such a conclusion.
Not all humans think and feel the same way, and sadly there are some out there that behave and act in the same manner that a lot of wild species live 
- If its ill or deformed - cast it out or kill it, as it is of no use to the rest of us.

If one breaks a leg or limb, it can heal, but normally takes a certain amount of physiotherapy and physical pain to regain full or part use, but those that go through it would rather endure that to be independant and have a better quality of life.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Quazar said:


> One is assuming that birds and animals have the same thinking and feelings as humans do, which of course is only natural on our part as that is all we really know.
> I feel sorry for your personal experiance, and can understand why you would come to such a conclusion.
> Not all humans think and feel the same way, and sadly there are some out there that behave and act in the same manner that a lot of wild species live
> - If its ill or deformed - cast it out or kill it, as it is of no use to the rest of us.
> ...


Thumbs up to you, Quazar!


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Cyreen said:


> My point being that everything is a matter of perspective. It's interesting where others see a story of triumph, someone else chooses to see a tortured animal.



Reading through your comments, Cyreen, it felt to me like your comments were belittling to laughingdog. You probably didn't mean it that way but that's how I took it when I read it.


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## laughingdog (Jun 14, 2011)

i didnt think anything was belittling to me and took no offense, but thanks, and i know the out come is good for the bird now, but remember animals dont think like us, they still have that terror of thought to worry about predators instinctively hearing any noise initially thought, so would be like someone stabbing at you after making noise, doing it all over again after blind folding you, and you will expect to be stabbed at every time you hear them make a noise never having the thought or for a longer while than you could calm down from having the most horrible panic attack you couldn't even ever imagine? initially the bird went through a lot of terror and suffering especially if it had to be force fed (ive never had to do this even with just gotten orphaned/rescued/abused animals as they see the rest at feeding time chowing down and just go with flow i guess. or something feeds them in some animals, as they start screaming to be fed). it was an interesting science project but not like ive seen with birds gotten fish hooks etc through eyes and just recovered and worked around it or were given mercy killing as they were not able to say they wanted to die, but refused to eat or drink (thus saying it was stressing). we as supposed only animals of reason, should use it to think that quality maybe better than quantity at time. course ive been considered heartless as see a dog mangled howling in streat and will just break its neck and not try to haul it with guts falling out to a vet, because i feel for the animal more than my own concience of maybe its guts couldve been stuffed back in and bones repaired over monthes, could have cathader and metal rods surgecally implanted after bones were re broken and set etc (ive seen and assisted in this with dogs actually at my old job, and the dogs are never "happy" after wards being kept alive and suffering and constantly afraid after, because they know it could hurt to be touched as well as move. P.S. dont buy or promote breeding of those tiny true tea cup, apple headed chihuahuas, yorkies, etc., as their bones shatter like fine china). course then ive seen pitbulls shot in the face nine times and all the rest with that from police (most police, some for good reason, do often unfortunately shoot first and ask no questions) or other people, and still be the friendliest, happiest dog alive acting, before even any sedatives, pain meds, or treatment (so maybe depends on animal and perspective of owner as opposed to former vet assistant for all we know it might have been a attempt at a mercy killing as the adult may have sensed it was suffering and something was already wrong with it. ive had the same thing happen, and aside from actually finding you get some chicks that are weak due to hatching wrong, usually when weak and we help them out, which i do, that the baby actually needs to be asphyxiated to make its muscles convulse and jump start with adrenaline or something (it works every time with weakly born chicks with to weak or tough a shell to hatch on time/properly on own. for some odd reason, so just assuming). so im not saying im above the idea, but just not saying some miracle or triumph. 

looking back i have no idea why it suddenly bothered me though to think about it, as the animals that dont amuse or are useful to us, are doomed anyway, and i get the thoughtfulness sentiment and probably alot of money put into the bird as well as extra time. so i guess just hit a nerve before.


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## Cyreen (Jun 6, 2010)

Charis said:


> Reading through your comments, Cyreen, it felt to me like your comments were belittling to laughingdog. You probably didn't mean it that way but that's how I took it when I read it.


No my intent wasn't to belittle; however, I acknowledge I do have a tendency to be blunt. If he is who he claims to be, then he certainly wouldn't appreciate pity.


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