Falmouth pet bird goes missing, rescued by gardener next town over
Casper the cockatiel was returned to his home in Falmouth this week. (Courtesy of Laura Genese)
Waking up at 6 a.m. on Monday, Tammy Merrill realized she’d forgotten to fertilize the pollinator garden she is growing next to her West Cumberland home. Getting up early to tend to her bee-friendly plants, she was surprised to find another small winged creature out there.
Her golden retriever had started sniffing at a bird that was sitting on the pavilion next to the garden. At first, Merrill was worried the dog had found an injured wild bird, but quickly realized otherwise.
“I saw its little cockatiel feather that went up his head, and I was like, ‘Oh, that’s somebody’s pet,'” said Merrill.
She held out her hand, and the little gray and white parrot walked into her palm.
At 6:30 a.m., Laura Genese’s phone rang. She’d been up since 4:30 a.m., searching her Falmouth neighborhood for Casper, her daughter’s pet cockatiel that flew away five days earlier.
While the Genese family had cared for chickens previously, adopting a cockatiel for 18-year-old Lilah Genese last year was the first time they’d had a pet bird inside their home. The whole family quickly fell in love with Casper’s affectionate and intelligent nature. At 1 year old, he often perches on Lilah Genese’s shoulder and can sing simple melodies.
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“He’s very loyal to her,” said Laura Genese.
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On June 17, Casper was sitting on Lilah’s shoulder when he suddenly flew out the open sliding glass door and into the surrounding woods.
Cockatiels are small members of the parrot family. Native to Australia, they’re about the size of a mourning dove. Pet cockatiels can’t survive in the wild for long, as they’ve lost the ability forage for food and avoid predators.
In five days since, the Genese family frantically searched for the missing bird, who also serves as Lilah Genese’s emotional support animal. Following guidance from the internet, they patrolled within a mile radius of their home on Hurricane Road at dawn and dusk, when lost pet birds tend to be most active, calling his name and playing cockatiel calls from their phones.
They also put up flyers in the neighborhood, knocked on doors and Laura Genese posted in Falmouth’s community Facebook group and other local missing pet forums, asking if anyone had seen Casper.
In another community Facebook group for Cumberland and North Yarmouth residents, Merrill posted on the morning on June 22 that she found what she believed to be someone’s pet in her garden. Within a minute, members of both groups connected the two women.
“We don’t always love social media, but this is the exact kind of thing social media should be about, community building and supporting each other,” said Laura Genese.
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Laura Genese and her daughter and son hopped in the car and rushed to Merrill’s address in Cumberland, a 2.1-mile drive, or 1.47 miles as the crow — or cockatiel — flies. The reunion brought the family tears of relief, joy and disbelief, said Laura Genese. Merrill said that she also shed a tear.
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‘”I’m just happy that that young girl has her bird back,” said Merrill.
The Geneses quickly brought Casper to their veterinarian. He was dehydrated and hungry, but despite the long journey, there was not a scratch on him.
With some rest, he’ll soon be back to singing on Lilah’s shoulder for a long time to come — pet cockatiels can live up to 30 years.
Laura Genese said she’s grateful to everyone who supported their search online and helped them find Casper.
“It was definitely the power of community that brought him home,” she said.
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Sophie is a community reporter for Cumberland, Yarmouth, North Yarmouth and Falmouth and previously reported for the Forecaster. Her memories of briefly living on Mount Desert Island as a child drew her. More by Sophie Burchell
