A Boy and His Bird

For Biniyam’s 6th birthday we gave him a little chick. Because a chick would be lonely on its own we also gave his sisters a chick to share.   

“Pickily Pickle-Juice Pickle” is the name Bini chose. 

The picture above brought to mind one question, how long could a bird SO loved survive? Well, much to everyones surprise, she has survived a month and a half, making her the longest living chick in our little muzungu village.  Her sister, the girl’s chick, unfortunately lasted less than 24 hours before it was picked off by a bird of prey.  Since then many other pet chicks have been picked off by the brazen and ruthless crows and hawks that circle the skies above us. 

It has been fun to see Biniyam take on the roll of father and protector of his little chick, guarding her every move when out of her pen and gently instructing her on where she should go to hunt for grasshoppers. 

He obviously adores her (as do all the kids) and we are really hopping that she survives the rest of our stay in Burundi.