Pia, a Finch's Rescue Story

Article from “The Mickaboo Bird Rescue Companion”
Published September, 2023

By Delayna Jane Myers

Pia the zebra finch came from a large rescue of 177 finches in 2022. The birds were found in horrible filth and neglect, with an ailing owner who was unable to maintain their care. (A photo of some of the 177 finches in their aviary is at right.) It was heartbreaking, and Mickaboo had to act fast. Many of the birds were deformed, sick, or injured and some of them were already dead. The birds were sorted and administered veterinary care. Thankfully, Pia survived and was adopted into a sweet home. But that wasn't the end of her story...

Her new adoptive mom soon noticed that things were off. Pia had heavy breathing, half-closed eyes and just looked plain awful. And, she couldn’t fly! The vet found she had two badly-healed broken wings. She was given Meloxicam for the pain since she seemed lethargic and generally "down". The Meloxicam helped a lot.

However, Pia returned to Mickaboo because her adoptive parent could not afford the vet expenses caused by Pia's egg-laying and egg-binding. (Egg-binding occurs when the eggshells are too soft, such that the eggs can break inside the bird.) Aside from pain medication twice a day, Pia now also needs calcium and regular Lupron shots.

It has been a long journey and Pia (pictured at the left) is still on the road to recovery. Although she will never fly, she can hop around her modified flight cage and has become somewhat hand tame. She is adorable and has the cutest chubby cheeks! She will jump on her foster mom's hand in the flight cage and will sit on a hand or finger after her medications are done. Her call is similar to a normal zebra finch but has an uptick at the end. It just shows how special Pia is. An Angel with broken wings!

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Pia, a Finch's Rescue Story