The finches that call Milward's 'home'

Chirpy, colorful little birds give visitors a much-needed lift

By Margaret Buranen - Special to the Herald-Leader

"Hope is the thing with feathers/That perches in the soul," Emily Dickinson wrote. Later in this poem she compared hope to "the little bird that kept so many warm."

Reflecting on Dickinson's poem, it's not surprising that birds would bring some comfort to people who are grieving. Robert Milward, owner of Milward funeral homes, thought so when he saw an exhibit with birds at a trade convention about eight years ago. He ordered six birds immediately.

Pablo Alcala | Staff

Milward funeral home keeps tropical-colored Gouldian finches and society finches because they provide company and comfort. Photo by Pablo Alcala | Staff

Pablo Alcala

HERALD-LEADER - The Milward funeral home keeps finches on the premises, cared for by Bob Foley. They entertain and bring comfort to visitors, and at night they put themselves to bed, said Foley. Photo by Pablo Alcala | Staff

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Advice from a vet and an owner
Dr. Craig Blair is one of a few local veterinarians who treat "exotic" animals such as rabbits, snakes, ferrets, and birds. He offers advice for people interested in owning a bird.
His practice, Clays Mill Veterinary Clinic in Lexington, has an exam room set up for birds and other exotic pets that includes a tiny scale to measure a bird's weight in grams while the patient sits on a perch, small tubes that hold blood for analysis and tiny anesthesia masks.
Here are a few tips Blair offers:
■ Because birds are so small, hypothermia can kill them before an illness does. "The first thing I tell an owner who calls with a sick bird is to warm the bird. Put it inside his shirt or put it in a box with a hot water bottle," Blair explained.
■ Sick birds most often have upper respiratory or sinus infections, or gastrointestinal tract problems.
"Probably 95 percent of birds' health problems are related to nutrition or poor husbandry, meaning bad caging or environment," Blair said.
■ Birds should be fed pelleted food, particularly the Harrison's brand. "It's a myth that pet birds should eat only bird seed," he said. "Seeds don't have a lot of nutrients they need."
■ Caging must be large enough for the bird to get exercise. The largest birds need cages at least 5 feet high and 5 feet wide.
■ Consider how much time you can spend with a bird. Finches or canaries sing and don't require a lot of time. The larger birds, the ones who talk, "are so gregarious. If they don't get contact with people, they mutilate themselves or develop behavior problems," he cautioned.
■ Be familiar with the various varieties of birds.
Half of Blair's bird patients are cockatiels and budgies (also known as parakeets). The rest are macaws and other parrots. Blair's favorite bird is the cockatiel.
"They're the perfect size. They can do everything the big birds do. They can learn to talk, and they're extremely friendly. They're easy to handle, and they don't develop behavior problems."
The best talkers are generally African gray parrots and Patagonian conures, Blair said. He noted that talking ability also depends on how much time the owner spends talking to the bird. Managing to say the first word or two is the most difficult part for any bird. Once he's begun to talk, he starts imitating whatever he hears.
■ Know how much it can cost. Blair estimated that a new bird owner would spend $750-$1,000 for the bird, vet care, caging, food, and toys for the first year. "Thereafter, it would be about $250 to $300 per year," he said.
Making room for macaws
Bird owners Debbie and Tom Griswold share their Nicholasville home with three cats, two mules, and one German shepherd. And in the last three years they have added six macaws and one conure to the mix.
Debbie Griswold's only prior experience with birds was briefly caring for a cockatiel years ago. But, "I had long been fascinated by the beauty of Amazon parrots," she said.
All of the birds except one were obtained from private owners in Central Kentucky. The first one was Clark, a handsome blue and gold macaw.
"Birds are very affectionate creatures, a lot of fun to be with," she said. "You can see their intelligence. They entertain themselves, and they entertain you."
The Griswolds, whose birds are patients of Blair, offer this advice:
■ Don't buy a bird on impulse.
"I did a lot of reading about what it would be like to have one, the pros and cons," she said. "Then it took a while to convince Tom."
■ Birds have distinct personalities.
Maya, their dainty blue-throat macaw, enjoys music. She bounces in her cage and bobs her head.
"She looks like she's dancing," Griswold said.
George, a green-wing macaw, enjoys sitting on Griswold's lap.
■ Not all birds bond with their owners.
The Griswolds' two largest birds, scarlet macaws Randy and Lulu, have not bonded with the couple. Randy will charge the door of the cage the two birds share if the cats walk too close.
■ Birds can be messy.
Debbie Griswold changes cage papers every day and wipes the cages down at least weekly.
■ Some birds can be taken outside.
Because their flight feathers are trimmed, the birds can't fly away or into an object that would hurt them. In good weather, the Griswolds take the birds outside on the deck.

Both Milward funeral homes have had birds ever since.

Lexington resident Caroline Stanfill is a fan of the birds, and often visits them when she attends a visitation at Milward.

"It makes you forget why you're there. It helps when you're grieving," she said. "I wish Milward's had had the birds there when my mother died."

"This is a little something we do," said Bob Foley, a funeral director at the Milward funeral home on North Broadway. "People see and hear the birds when they walk in. It gives them a lift."

Foley is in charge of caring for the birds overall, assisted by Jimmy Stoker at the Milward's Southland location. "They're a lot of fun to play with," he said, adding that caring for them is not much trouble.

All of Milward's birds are finches, which are smaller than canaries. They can remind a viewer a little of hummingbirds, although they are larger and can't keep up with a hummingbird's wing speed.

Some of the birds are society finches, which come in a variety of colors. Others are the Lady Gouldians, also called rainbow finches, which were first found in Australia. The juveniles are olive, gray and brown until their first molting. Then they burst into color, each bird showing a purple chest, yellow breast, and green back. Their red heads end in bright blue collars.

Perched motionless on branches or clinging to greenery in their thermally controlled cages, the finches appear to be brightly painted wooden toys. When they fly, their cage becomes a multicolored blur.

Their heads cocked to one side, the birds watch their visitors with tiny black eyes, while chirping softly. "What did you think of our aerial act?" they seem to ask.

The finches "are a bunch of showoffs," said Foley, with a smile.

They don't mind large crowds of people — in fact, they seem to enjoy the extra attention.

The birds can attract notice from people who are just walking past Milward's. Foley recalled a Transylvania student and her parents who stopped to peer in the window late one night.

"People are welcome to come and see the birds anytime," he said.

The finches have straw nests but use them mostly for laying eggs. The egg laying happens at random, for there are several breeding couples. Foley said, "You see an egg, then two days later a little bald bird, then before you turn around, it has feathers and it's flying."

And when the finches have spent another day bringing delight and comfort to visitors, they put themselves to bed. "When the lights go down, they all get on one limb, together," Foley said.