This is Nubs the Cockatiel

[theoldchick]

This is his story:

Nubs hatched on Halloween 1988. I found him and his siblings unmoving in the nestbox. Heartbroken, I picked up a lifeless chick and placed him in my work scrub pocket. The other two were buried in the mountain clay then I rush off to work. Work was an hour away and my plan was to ship the body to the state lab and see what had happened. Thirty minutes into the drive I heard faint peeping, and by the time I arrived, the naked hatchling was moving about.

Estatic and very nervous, I placed Nubs (cockatiel babies are UGLY) in a stainless steel bowl lined with toilet paper. I really didn't think he would survive, but the little fellow began to bob his head. I fed him the only thing available at the clinic- a product called Nutra-Cal mixed with warm water and created a thermal gradient so he could stay warm. Incredibly, Nubs survived and terrifed the staff with his ugliness. I found bird-feeding formula and hand raised the little ugly guy.

Here he is today guarding his paper nest:

Talking to the camera:

He gets around pretty good and nobody better get near his nest! Unfortunately, I tear his paper castle down every morning only to have him remake another in a few hours.

 

[TwoCrows]

What a sweety you have! I have a 14 year old male Cinnamon Cockateil named Peep, looks exactly like yours. His nest consists of a large paper bag placed in the bottom of his cage. I put pieces of paper in there, seed treats and these foraging boxes with seeds in them so he can tear up the stuff and make a nest inside the bag. I take the bag out everynight and it usually lasts about 2 weeks, as long as Peep doesn't chew thru the bottom of the bag and cause the contents to spill on the floor. That warrants the bag to the trash!

You have a sweet looking boy there. What a wonderful story, you have a heart of gold.

You are a wonderful person for saving such a cute bird.

 

[theoldchick]

Thank you for the kind words.

And here I was thinking Nubs was the only Cockatiel with a paper fetish! He likes cereal boxes-especially a Cheerios box-I think he likes the yellow color. He's an avid paper chewer!

 

[dkvart1]

What a wonderful story and a beautiful bird.

 

[Player Hater]

aw, you save heem

 

[TwoCrows]

Quote:
Does he like the color grey? My Peep just loves anything grey, like a sweatshirt or something of that nature and will try to make a nest out of it. And boy does he defend it! And there he waits for his beloved female Cockatiel to come to his side, and she never comes...Silly bird.

If I leave any sort of paper anywhere near him, he will chew it. Checks, newspapers, magazines, of course all the important stuff

 

[theoldchick]

Grey doesn't do anything for him. He likes the color red, though, because he was on my shoulder for his first Christmas as I wrapped gifts. And he still loves toilet paper. Also, he likes to talk to pictures found in the Sunday ads. He's so entertaining.


See how he has a picture of a person facing him? He was talking to it just before I snapped this photo. Oh wait, you can't see it. Sorry.

 

[TwoCrows]

That is so sweet! You really gave that bird a wonderful life. Does Nubs like dental floss? My Peep will not allow you to floss your teeth in front of him unless you give him a strand! He holds it in is right talon and chews on the other end and makes a big spit ball out of it. When he is done he wants to chew on the end of my tooth brush LOL.

Anyway Nubs has a good life with you.