March 28, 2024
Columns | Bureau County Republican


Columns

Bond ... bird bond

Recently, I have been dabbling in the hobby of aviculture. I say dabbling, but birds have become my obsession.

Last January I didn't even own one bird. The most recent count of my indoor population has me tallying 38 avian friends in my house. In my defense, 12 of those birds are not mine. I am just babysitting. (Its a weak argument, but it's all I've got.) I have gotten very curious looks from people who have learned of my newfound delight.

I simply explain that for a year, I was the only human occupant in my house, and I didn't have anyone here to tell me no. My birds are caged in pairs with the intention of breeding them and making new birds. I love creating life and encouraging it however I can. It's all a learning process and I'm finding out so many new and exciting things. One of the interesting things to me is the bonding process.

In order to successfully breed, lay eggs and raise babies, a pair of birds must bond. The male and female display such behaviors as preening one another, calling to one another and they become very anxious when they are apart from one another. The best chance at successfully bonding birds is to put them together when they are very young, and raise them together.

Don't get me wrong, there are birds who will mate with a variety of partners and successfully raise babies, but to watch a bonded pair preen and cuddle is a thing of beauty. You can see the caring and love they have for one another. During breeding season, they will take on a foe of any size together, knowing they have one another to fight by their side. My pair of conures attacked me with badger-like vigor when they were sitting on eggs and protecting their nest. My bloody fingers are proof that they were ferocious in their attempts to keep me away from their offspring.

I had a male finch whose partner died unexpectedly and the poor guy called and called for her for days until I found him another partner. It was sad to hear his cries and know that his little birdy heart had been broken. He missed his companion and mourned the loss.
It is also possible to put older birds together and have them bond, but the success rate isn't as high and you might end up with a pair who are just buddies and never make the Chuck Woolery "love connection." Those birds can have just as strong of a bond, but the percentage rate of success isn't quite as high.

Isn't it like that with relationships to Jesus? We need to be bonded to Him in order to fulfill our purpose — to go out and spread the Word. Our chances of making a strong bond are best if we are introduced to Him early in our lives by going to Sunday School and Bible School and making Him a part of our every day habits and routine. Early exposure isn't foolproof, but chances are much better.

Many people don't encounter His love until later in life, and they can still find that special bond. If we are truly bonded to our relationship with Him, we seek Him. We call out to Him. We become anxious when we are apart from Him. We know He is by our side to fight our foes, no matter their size. If for some reason, we lose our way and become separated, we mourn the loss of His presence in our lives until we are reunited. He is our partner and will fight for us and with us to the bitter end. So seek that bond ... that God bond.

Lori Boekeloo of Hennepin is a mother of three. She can be reached at lorianne67@hotmail.com, or friend her on Facebook for more humor and inspiration on a daily basis.