The Strange Object
Image: YouTube/SusanHickman
It was a normal spring day when one woman spotted a strange object on the ground. Unsure as to what it was, the woman moved in for a closer look. Realizing it was a bird’s egg, she quickly picked it up to examine it. Then…it happened. The egg started to move.
The Cracked Egg
Image: Scribol
It was June 2015 when Susan Hickman posted a video on Youtube documenting a new era in her life. The video started with Susan revealing how she found an egg while taking a walk outside. It was what happened next that really surprised her.
Damaged and Unsure
Image: Scribol
From what she could tell, the egg had been purposely isolated from its nest and the mother was MIA. The egg seemed damaged, with a cracked shell, revealing it must have had quite the fall.
A Tiny Survivor
Image: PALO
After picking up the egg, Susan realized the chick inside had survived the fall…and it was moving! What a lucky little guy indeed!
The Wonders of Nature
Image: PALO
Susan watched in wonder as the baby bird began to hatch from its egg. After a few moments, she held a brand new baby in her hands, all alone in the world and in need of love and attention. Could Susan be its surrogate mother?
No Mother and No Chance to Survive
Image: YouTube/SusanHickman
At first, Susan wanted to immediately return the baby bird to its nest. Unfortunately, she didn’t know where it was and was afraid the baby would die without a mother. Therefore, there was only one solution to the problem. Can you guess what she decided to do?
A Surrogate Mother
Image: Youtube/SarahHickman
According to Susan, she explained in her video that she refused to let the little one die. Therefore, she knew that in order to give him the greatest possibility of survival, she would need to take him home with her.
Keeping the Hatchling Warm
Image: Youtube/SarahHickman
Creating a makeshift incubator, Susan’s number one priority was to make sure the little chick was warm. While she didn’t have previous experience with baby birds, Susan wanted to make sure its basic needs were met.
Experts Weigh In
Image: Youtube/SarahHickman
Reaching out to friends that had experience with bird rehabilitation, Susan received some bad news. According to their past experiences, the chances the baby would survive were very low. Do you think Susan gave up hope?
Naming the Baby
Image: Youtube/SarahHickman
Regardless of the bird’s grim prognosis, Susan continued to take care of the baby the best she could. The next morning, she found the baby was still alive, so she decided to name it Klinger. We think these two are going to be best friends, don’t you?
Hungry All the Time
Image: YouTube/SusanHickman
Over the next two weeks, Susan quickly discovered that raising a baby bird was no picnic. The hatchling had to be fed every 30 minutes every single day. That’s one hungry bird!
Growing Every Day
Image: YouTube/Sarah Hickman
Susan revealed the baby NEVER missed a meal and was always hungry. As time went on, he started to grow and become fluffier, looking more like a bird as the days passed.
Feathers Begin to Sprout
Image: Youtube/SarahHickman
As Klinger continued to grow, feathers soon began to come in. Unfortunately, he was still too young to determine what kind of bird he was, but Susan was determined to investigate. She wanted to know the ins and outs of the species so she could provide for the baby better.
Susan the Bird Whisperer
Image: Youtube/SusanHickman
For Susan, raising the bird was a thrilling experience. As he continued to get bigger, one day he opened his eyes for the first time. Klinger finally had the opportunity to look at the woman who had been his surrogate mother all this time.
A Darling Starling
Image: Youtube/SarahHickman
As Klinger continued to grow, his feathers came in completely. While he loved Susan, he quickly became independent and started to learn to fly. Soon, Susan was easily able to identify, the bird. It was a sweet little starling.
An Unexpected Problem
Image: YouTube/SarahHickman
According to Susan, her plan was to release Klinger back into the wild when he was old enough to take care of himself. However, her plans changed when she discovered that the bird had already imprinted on her. Would he ever be able to survive in the wild?
Never to Go Back
Image: YouTube/SarahHickman
Due to Klinger identifying with humans rather than other birds, there was no way he could learn the survival skills he needed to stay safe in the wild. Therefore, if Susan released him, he would most likely die. Of course, this wasn’t an option for Susan.
A Loving Home
Image: Youtube/SarahHickman
Thankfully, Susan lived in a state that allowed people to have starlings as pets. This meant that Klinger would always have a loving home and be provided for.
TLC 24/7
Image: Youtube/SusanHickman
Now, Klinger enjoys days filled with love and attention. He’s discovered that he loves bathing in a small dish in the sink and loves to play with his toys. Susan recently revealed the bird has started to speak a little, of course he isn’t fluent in English just yet.
A Beautiful New Beginning
Image: Youtube/SusanHickman
Despite the fact that Klinger will never return to the wild, if he hadn’t been rescued by a curious kind soul, he would have died. Now, he can live out his days being pampered and cared for, in a home that most starlings would dream of. For Susan and Klinger, this is the beginning of their story.