Guest Post by Heather Hohlowski

EVERYTHING BEGAN WITH SUNNY
Sunny was a German Owl pigeon, surrendered to Palomacy in 2022. She and her husband Slim came to us as temporary fosters for about a month.

Slim and Sunny

About five weeks after settling into their new long-term foster home, Sunny was attacked by other pigeons in the aviary and was found in the morning, scalped and huddled in a corner. Unfortunately, pigeons are known to sometimes exhibit aggressive behavior against a member of their flock who appears ill. We believe that’s what happened with Sunny, as her foster mom noticed she had not been herself the afternoon before the attack.

After being treated at Medical Center for Birds (“MCFB”), Sunny spent five weeks as a medical foster with the amazing Cheryl. Sunny then moved back in with us once again. We had a peaceful three months before Sunny began looking a little “hunched.” Suspecting she was egg-bound, I tried providing a steam treatment, to no avail. So the next day, I drove her up to Medical Center for Birds, where an ultrasound showed a large abdominal mass. Surgery revealed it to be what Dr. Speer called a “fossilized egg,” which he removed, along with her uterus.

Left: Sunny exhibiting signs of egg-binding. Right: Sunny receiving steam therapy.

SUNNY MEETS NICK
While recovering at MCFB, Sunny won the heart of Nick, a vet tech, and spent morning rounds happily riding around on his shoulder. Because it was recommended that Sunny no longer live with a male bird (due to the risk that she could potentially lay an egg that would be deposited into her abdominal cavity), we were looking for a new foster home for Sunny. Nick quickly adopted her.

ENTER CHICKEN
Six months later, I was asked to babysit a woman’s Palomacy foster bird for a couple of weeks. Like Sunny, he was a German Owl pigeon. His mom brought him to me with his personal nest box and favorite blanket. About two weeks later, Chicken started showing signs of illness – he was lethargic, not really leaving his nest box, and not eating much.

Sunny stands on Nick’s stethoscope until he agrees to take her home

The handsome Chicken scopes out my aviary

You can guess what happens next – that’s right, I made another trip to Medical Center for Birds, and after a check-up and some bloodwork, it turned out he had psitticosis, a disease caused by the bacteria Chlamydia psittaci. While Chicken was receiving treatment at MCFB, he met Sunny. It was a love connection, and Chicken was adopted! Nick, of course, kept a close eye on the couple, making sure there were never any signs of mating, which, as mentioned, Sunny needed to avoid. But Sunny had no interest and made her feelings known about the subject; Chicken remained a perfect gentleman.

A PIGEON NAMED RIGOR MORTIS?
Last year, Sunny passed away, leaving Chicken widowed and heartbroken. A few months passed. Then one day, a woman named Kathryn was at an appointment at Medical Center for Birds and stopped to chat with Nick about pigeons. That’s when Kathryn heard about the lonesome Chicken, and Nick learned about her rescued single-man pigeon, Rigor Mortis.

Kathryn had rescued Mr. Mortis from a person who had posted about rehoming him. She saw his living conditions and knew she needed to help. Of course, I had to ask Kathryn about his unusual name, and here’s the story: “I was talking with my family one day about what happens scientifically to your body when you pass away. I made the offhanded remark that “rigor mortis” would be a morbidly funny name for my rescued pigeon. And it stuck!”

Mr. Mortis was featured in Palomacy’s 2025 wall calendar!

After chatting, Kathryn and Nick decided to try some pHarmony, and Kathryn brought Chicken home for a playdate with Rigor Mortis. Mr. Mortis had never had another mate before meeting Chicken. But suddenly, a solid bromance was born. Though they prefer to have their own cages, they are best buds and love to hang out together.

Best buddies