'Free to fly' pigeon forms decade-long bond with family
They say that if a bird flies the coop but returns to your home one day, it probably shares a special bond with you.
One TikTok user seems to have befriended a pigeon that despite being “free to fly” wherever it pleases, somehow always finds its way back to the person's home.
Rachel, or @rachtryx on TikTok, has since “taken” the bird in as her pet, naming her Birdy.
In a video, Rachel said Birdy flew into her house one night over a decade ago, and has been her pet ever since.
Many have advised her to set Birdy free, to which she replies that the bird has “full freedom”; it flies anywhere it pleases, but somehow always finds its way back to Rachel’s house.
“He just treats my house like a hotel, the only difference is that he doesn’t pay rent,” she quipped.
@rachtryx Replying to @_hankko ♬ original sound - rachel
Uncharacteristic of most birds, Birdy is apparently very clingy and playful around Rachel’s family.
Speaking to MS News, Rachel revealed that she was the first to discover Birdy when it flew into her bathroom in 2012.
The then 12-year-old Rachel screamed in fright, and she and her brother both waited for their parents to come home and chase it away.
“As kids we were rather terrified because Birdy was shaking, which was indication to us that it was scared as well.”
The family tried to chase it away several times, only to have the bird fly right back. When they locked the windows, Birdy would simply perch outside – until Rachel’s dad allowed it back in one day.
The family then decided to adopt it.
Rachel said she still finds it hard to believe she’s the owner of a pet pigeon.
“Throughout the years, it never fails to amaze us with its clumsy behaviour, such as tripping over itself. It is also rather intelligent because it knows its way back home and how to avoid dangers.”
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