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The Story of Tinker: My Goffins Cockatoo
By Rebekah Robinson
In 1994 I had a severe back injury. As I was in the healing process, I was staying on the Gulf of Mexico with my husband, Thomas Edward Robinson. We saw a white bird traveling with a pack of green Quaker parrots. We were on the 5th floor so they went by at eye level.
He was eating sea oats with them, and with his weight he pulled down the stalks of the oats so they could eat them also. As my health got better my Husband and I walked on the beach and I approached the white bird. He let me get within 5 feet of him several times.
Hurricane Gorden was approaching far south of us. We went to dinner and returned before dusk. Right outside the door was the bird. Many neighbors were trying to feed it, but he would not let anyone near him. I reached over and scratched it on the head, my husband got a blanket and gently scooped it up and we brought it inside. We put him in the bathroom on a perch (a towel rack that was multi-level) gave him vegetables and water.
My Husband tended to the bird because I was too weak. The bird was bonding to my Husband because he was his caretaker. I wanted him to love me, but I was in so much pain that I was actually praying to God to either ease my pain or bring me to Heaven.
I got the will to work through the pain and help change his papers and food and water. As I slowly became a caretaker, I got stronger and had the will to live.
We named him Tinker, and he was as a child to us. He started talking and this is his vocabulary list:
| 1.”Hey Baby” |
12.“Some” |
23. “Peanut” |
| 2.”Pretty Bird” |
13. “Sip” |
24. “Play” |
| 3.”Pretty, Pretty Bird” |
14. “Eat food” |
25. “Meat” |
| 4.” See the bird” |
15. “Bird go sleep” |
26. “Burger” |
| 5. “Love You” |
16. “Spaghetti” |
27. “ Becky” |
| 6. “Kiss” |
17. “Carrot” |
28. “Where’s Becky” |
| 7. “ What’s that” |
18. “Drive car” |
29 “ Tom” |
| 8. “ Bird scared” |
19. “Bird sorry” |
30. “Tinker” |
| 9. “It’s O.K.” |
20.”Yuk,Yuk,Yuk" |
31.”Tinker” |
| 10. “Go outside” |
21. “Chicken” |
32. “Come Here” |
| 11. “Take bath,shower,go swim” |
22. “Seed” |
33. He belly laughs
34. Dominant Alpha Seagull
Call
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The following is a song written by Thomas Robinson about Tinker
Tinker
Oh there was a little parrot, A look-in for a perch.
A hurricane was commin, So he landed on our porch.
His feathers were a glow, and as white as the snow
Which melted just like butter, when we said Hello
Oh Tinker Dinker Doo We love you
Oh Tinker Dinker Doo Hello to you.
His laughter is a belly roll His flight is straight and true
But not un-like his story of which there is no clue.
So we asked him for his name And he gave us this reply.
I’m Tinker Dinker Doo And I like to fly
Oh Tinker Dinker Doo Hello to you
Oh Tinker Dinker Doo We love you.
I’m Tinker Dinker Doo A Goffins Cockatoo
I’ll sing and dance and strut and prance for just a seed or two.
Editor Note: After Thomas passed away Tinker came to live with Fred, Ramona & Tammy Smith due to the health of Rebekah. She would come quite frequently to visit Tinker. He left recently to go back to Rebekah’s on a trial basis to see how she will get along with him. She considers us her “Bird Family” and we have made a life long friendship thanks to one little white bird named Tinker.
© 2006 Imperial Bird Club |
