This Bird Lover From Pune Befriended 30 Parrots In Lockdown Who Now Visit Her Home Daily
Pune, 25th August 2021: 27-year-old Radhika Sonawane from Karve Nagar is among those who like to feed birds in her area rather than thinking of locking them in cages.
And when lockdown forced this finance professional to stay home 24X7, she made friends with birds, especially parrots. Now about 30 of them turn up daily on her balcony. Some have become so friendly that she feeds them by hand. The visitors include parrots, bulbuls, squirrels, and sparrows.
“Even before the lockdown, a couple of parrots used to come but they did not get much attention. During the lockdown, I started putting grains for them. Because of that, their number has increased. They come daily around 6.30 am and stay till 7.30 am. I’ve started getting up in the morning and began to give them grain, fruit, and water so that they gradually become acquainted with me”, said Radhika, who works as Assistant Manager with SBI Mutual Fund.
She added, “There are a lot of trees in front of my balcony, which makes a friendlier environment for birds. Seeing parrots and feeding them takes away all my stress. One or two parrots have become very special to me. I feed them with my hand. Even though I don’t have special names for them, I’ve started recognizing them by their eyes, their tails, their colors. I learned bird watching at home. Birds even brought their babies and fed rice to them on my balcony. Feeding birds and watching them brings joy to me.”
She learnt things about them from bird lovers and the internet. To make birds comfortable she has made her balcony bird-friendly by adding natural touches like plants, small nests, etc.
