Fly High My Sweet Scarlett Marie 🦜

Scarlett0422

New member
Jul 21, 2022
2
24
Parrots
Recently lost our Scarlet Macaw of 16.5 yrs but will eventually rescue another ounce our hearts are healed a bit and the grief isn't so painful anymore :(
I wish I could start of in this forum with some funny shenanigan's story my Scarlett did but instead I have to share the sad story about my sweet girl being gone and yes I mean have to share cause I don't feel like anyone else that doesn't have that bond with a feathered companion understands the depth of pain we feel when they leave us. If you lose a dog everyone feels sorry for you but as soon as you say you lost your bird they give you the "it's just a bird" look...... if they only knew what magical bond they're missing out on sharing your life with a winged best friend.

Our story began in 2006 when a friend invited me to come along to a Tupperware party. I walked in the house and there in the kitchen was a huge cage with the most beautiful Scarlet Macaw (she was 18 month old) that kept saying "hello" but no one paid attention to her. I spend most of the afternoon talking to the bird and falling in love with her. With my husband about to deploy again and my then teenage kids mostly ignoring me I felt like I had enough love and time to give this sweet girl the attention she deserved. We offered to trade our boat for her and they gladly accepted.
It took more than a year for her to completly trust me due to the neglect and abuse of her two previous homes prior to coming to us. I spend every waking minute with her and in time we had a bond that simply couldn't be broken and upon my husband's return from war, he had to win her over cause she wasn't going to share her momma with anyone. My husband and I were the only ones she truly trusted for the rest of her life.
She accompanied us through several military moves and seen many of our fur babies come and go over the next 16.5 yrs.
Her last day started off as usual by bringing her into her outdoor cage at about 6:30am for a few hrs so she could enjoy some natural sunlight and do some critter watching since she was always fascinated with our peacocks and guineas. It had been an extremely rough year with my husband still recovering from nearly dying after being electrocuted twice by a power line and me taking care of him and everything else which incl 21 horses and many more animals since we are a non profit animal rescue.
We usually would bring her back in at around noon before it got too hot out even thou in the years prior she was outside all day and never had any issues. That fatal day I had been up since 3 am(due to my husband forgetting to put his cpap on) and was extremely exhausted so I decided to rest for a bit not knowing that my husband fell asleep as well. We woke up a cpl hrs later and my husband came in hysterically screaming "Scarlett is dead" carrying her in his arms. We frantically tried everything including cpr but it was obvious she was gone 😢 we held her for several hrs to come telling her how sorry we were and how much we loved her all the while hoping and praying she would suddenly wake up by some miracle. I'm never going to stop feeling guilty for falling asleep thinking I left her out too long, it will haunt me to my dying breath.
We decided to have her cremated so she can be with us forever.
She was like a child to us, we loved her soo much and tried to do right by her but in the end we failed her badly. Our hearts are shattered beyond repair and the reality of her being gone is almost more than I can handle. She was my companion for over 16 yrs and got me through some tough times incl multiple deployments, my kids moving out and every heartbreak in between. She would lick my tears when I cried and tell me "kiss kiss" and stick her little tongue out to kiss my cheek and imitate the smacking kiss sound. I will miss her for the rest of my life, we always thought she'd outlive us.
My initial thought was I will never have another parrot but I've come to realize this would not honor her memory cause I know she would want us to help another parrot in need like she was when we found her
For now we need time to heal first, in time hopefully a feathered friend in need will be guided to us by Scarletts spirit.

Please be kind in your replys cause nothing you could possibly say comes anywhere near to what I tell myself already.

Scarlett-Marie
07/04/04-07/18/22
 

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PrimorandMoxi

Well-known member
May 29, 2015
474
658
New Jersey
Parrots
Max (23yo) Blue and Gold Macaw,
&
PRIMOR (8yo) Red Lored Amazon,
&
ABBA (33yo) Red Lored Amazon - RIP
So sorry for your loss. we definitely understand. It's not going to be easy, but try not to beat yourselves up too much.
This forum is a good place to come for non-judgmental sympathy (and all else) because only the most caring of humans are members.
Sending peace and love and healing thoughts...
 

BirdyBee

Well-known member
Jan 7, 2022
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Current birds:
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Past birds:
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Jeff
Gertjie
Welcome to the forums, but I'm so sorry about what happened.

It's not your fault. These things happen. You couldn't do anything.

Most of us here are able to relate to these struggles, so you are in good hands.

Rest in peace, Scarlet.
 

Terry57

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Nov 6, 2013
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I'm so sorry you had to join under these heartbreaking circumstances, but I'm glad you found us.
I'm so sorry for your loss of Scarlet. Please don't blame yourself, it may have just been her time and had nothing to do with being outside.
Sadly, some things that happen in a bird's earlier life can have lasting impacts on their health.
She sounds like such a wonderful bird, and I'm so glad she was with you for those 16.5 years. You showed her what love and caring are, and I believe she took your love with her, and left behind her love to help comfort you.

Thank you so much for sharing, and for wanting to honour her memory by taking in another parrot who needs you. I think this is such a beautiful tribute to how much Scarlet was loved.

Sending my deepest condolences to you.

Fly free, Beautiful Scarlet. You will always be loved and remembered.
 

HeatherG

Well-known member
Apr 25, 2020
3,893
6,966
I am so sorry for your loss.

I have had a few close bird friends and they are real friends and real bonds.

Your Scarlett sounds like a sweet girl. Accidents happen. It’s not your fault.

I rescued a Quaker and very shortly had its water bottle fail. I didn’t figure out what was wrong until I found the poor bird on bottom of its cage. That was 13 yrs ago and I still feel guilty.

It is hard to be busy and have health issues and exhaustion. You did the best you could.
 

Birdgirl24

Well-known member
Dec 2, 2021
1,756
1,154
North Dakota
Parrots
I have 1 budgie, He is a male both. I have been looking into getting an Eclectus Parrot tho.
Most people dont understand the pain i can relate to that- i had a beloved budgie die while my family was over for the holiday season and all of my family members would say like its just a bird get over it but its never JUST a bird its a family member its a FRIEND its a little companion you love with all your heart and when you lose them it just shatters you and your world around you the pain never goes away it just gets better but we are here for you! and we all understand your pain. Fly to higher skies Scarlet. :red1:
 
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LaManuka

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Aug 29, 2018
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My heart hurts for you, Scarlett0422, I’m so very sorry for your loss of your beautiful girl. These miraculous creatures bring us so much joy and love while they’re with us, but they leave such a gaping void of grief when they pass. You gave her such a blessed life during the time you were together, and every bird should be so fortunate as to know the kind of love that you gave her. I lost my tiny little lorikeet Lilly, who similarly was my constant companion and my “heart and soul bird” until her untimely loss at only 3 and a half years due to illness just this last January, and for me it wouldn’t matter if it had been 3 years or 300, it would never have been enough time with her.

I tell people this all the time – it helps so much just to be a part of a community like this, full of people who understand the depth of the bonds that we share with our birds, and how very much it hurts when we lose them, so I’m glad that you are here. I think in time the best way that you could honour Scarlett would be to give another bird the kind of love and cherished life that you gave her, and your heart will know when you are ready for this.

Godspeed to the Rainbow Bridge, beloved Scarlett Marie, until we all meet again ✨🙏
 
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𝕾𝖙𝖔𝖗𝖒𝖞𝕻𝖎𝖈𝖆

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2x Parrot of the Month 🏆
May 2, 2021
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Apollo(F): sky blue dominant pied Australian budgie
Fly high, beautiful girl. I can also relate somewhat to you, I recently lost my sweet Pepper while on vacation. He died a horrible and panicked death, and I cannot stop beating myself up over it. I’m not going to say it 100% wasn’t your fault, but just know that she passed knowing how incredibly loved she was, and she got a chance to live life to the fullest. Some birds live a horrible life for their entire lives. Although her life was short, you showed her the sweetness and joy that life can bring. No one could have done any better than you.

Godspeed, Scarlett ❤️💚💛💙
 

SunConureBaba

Well-known member
May 16, 2022
101
262
Greater Toronto Area, Canada
Parrots
Sun Conure son (with me in spirit);
Baby Robin (my son's reincarnation? RIP);
Red Factor Sun Conure (adopted);
Magpie (rescued as baby, returned to the wild after 1 year, 24+ years ago).
I'm so sorry for your loss.

Like you, I held my son's body for a few hours the day when he transitioned. When he was alive I often hoped we could be together for eternity.

You should adopt another parrot in the future when you feel better. You might find the new parrot quickly / automatically learning the behaviors of the deceased parrot. However, note that a new parrot usually cannot replace the deceased.
 

wrench13

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I too offer my thoughts and feelings for Scarlet-Marie. And like you, I too lost a treasured feather baby, our Max, who also just.... went away one day. No warning, no symptoms; just gone in the blink of an eye. Parrots become so much of our lives, a vital life force who share our day to day existence.

I donate to the Cornell University Avian Studies program, in the name of all the parrots who have passed since my last donation. Scarlet-Marie will be included in that next donation.

Fly free, Scarlet-marie, to meet again on the distant shore.
 
OP
Scarlett0422

Scarlett0422

New member
Jul 21, 2022
2
24
Parrots
Recently lost our Scarlet Macaw of 16.5 yrs but will eventually rescue another ounce our hearts are healed a bit and the grief isn't so painful anymore :(
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #12
I too offer my thoughts and feelings for Scarlet-Marie. And like you, I too lost a treasured feather baby, our Max, who also just.... went away one day. No warning, no symptoms; just gone in the blink of an eye. Parrots become so much of our lives, a vital life force who share our day to day existence.

I donate to the Cornell University Avian Studies program, in the name of all the parrots who have passed since my last donation. Scarlet-Marie will be included in that next donation.

Fly free, Scarlet-marie, to meet again on the distant shore.
Thank you for your kind words ❤️
 

BillsBirds

Well-known member
Jan 9, 2012
1,371
40
Largo, Florida
Parrots
Timneh African Grey (Bailey), Lovebird (Elvis)
Nobody except another Parront can understand the bond we have with our fids. Know that many of us share your grief because we have been through it ourselves. When you are ready another earthly angel will find their way to you.
 

MoreForLifeNow

New member
May 22, 2010
3
4
Parrots
Researching the right one for my family.
My heart is so heavy for you; I have had my blue crown conure for 12 years...one of my best buds and I completely empathize with your grief. You gave Scarlet an amazing life! RIP Scarlet Marie!
 

Sama

Member
Jul 14, 2021
15
58
Australia
Parrots
Amazons, eclectus, indian ring necks, cockatiels
I wish I could start of in this forum with some funny shenanigan's story my Scarlett did but instead I have to share the sad story about my sweet girl being gone and yes I mean have to share cause I don't feel like anyone else that doesn't have that bond with a feathered companion understands the depth of pain we feel when they leave us. If you lose a dog everyone feels sorry for you but as soon as you say you lost your bird they give you the "it's just a bird" look...... if they only knew what magical bond they're missing out on sharing your life with a winged best friend.

Our story began in 2006 when a friend invited me to come along to a Tupperware party. I walked in the house and there in the kitchen was a huge cage with the most beautiful Scarlet Macaw (she was 18 month old) that kept saying "hello" but no one paid attention to her. I spend most of the afternoon talking to the bird and falling in love with her. With my husband about to deploy again and my then teenage kids mostly ignoring me I felt like I had enough love and time to give this sweet girl the attention she deserved. We offered to trade our boat for her and they gladly accepted.
It took more than a year for her to completly trust me due to the neglect and abuse of her two previous homes prior to coming to us. I spend every waking minute with her and in time we had a bond that simply couldn't be broken and upon my husband's return from war, he had to win her over cause she wasn't going to share her momma with anyone. My husband and I were the only ones she truly trusted for the rest of her life.
She accompanied us through several military moves and seen many of our fur babies come and go over the next 16.5 yrs.
Her last day started off as usual by bringing her into her outdoor cage at about 6:30am for a few hrs so she could enjoy some natural sunlight and do some critter watching since she was always fascinated with our peacocks and guineas. It had been an extremely rough year with my husband still recovering from nearly dying after being electrocuted twice by a power line and me taking care of him and everything else which incl 21 horses and many more animals since we are a non profit animal rescue.
We usually would bring her back in at around noon before it got too hot out even thou in the years prior she was outside all day and never had any issues. That fatal day I had been up since 3 am(due to my husband forgetting to put his cpap on) and was extremely exhausted so I decided to rest for a bit not knowing that my husband fell asleep as well. We woke up a cpl hrs later and my husband came in hysterically screaming "Scarlett is dead" carrying her in his arms. We frantically tried everything including cpr but it was obvious she was gone 😢 we held her for several hrs to come telling her how sorry we were and how much we loved her all the while hoping and praying she would suddenly wake up by some miracle. I'm never going to stop feeling guilty for falling asleep thinking I left her out too long, it will haunt me to my dying breath.
We decided to have her cremated so she can be with us forever.
She was like a child to us, we loved her soo much and tried to do right by her but in the end we failed her badly. Our hearts are shattered beyond repair and the reality of her being gone is almost more than I can handle. She was my companion for over 16 yrs and got me through some tough times incl multiple deployments, my kids moving out and every heartbreak in between. She would lick my tears when I cried and tell me "kiss kiss" and stick her little tongue out to kiss my cheek and imitate the smacking kiss sound. I will miss her for the rest of my life, we always thought she'd outlive us.
My initial thought was I will never have another parrot but I've come to realize this would not honor her memory cause I know she would want us to help another parrot in need like she was when we found her
For now we need time to heal first, in time hopefully a feathered friend in need will be guided to us by Scarletts spirit.

Please be kind in your replys cause nothing you could possibly say comes anywhere near to what I tell myself already.

Scarlett-Marie
07/04/04-07/18/22
So so sorry for your lost it is so hard and too much pain .you lost pretty bird and yes it is like a child ..
Scarlett flew away so far yes but will be stay in your heard long .,❤️
 

Chrissiejingles

Active member
Nov 21, 2019
71
220
ENGLAND
Parrots
Mr Jingles OWA.....RIP
I'm so very sorry for your loss. I, and many of us on this forum, know exactly how you are feeling. That awful, sad, helpless feeling of grief.....guilt, sadness and regret.
We feel like that because when we lose something so dear and precious to us, they take a piece of our heart with them and we keep them in our hearts for always. How can we not? These little creatures are so very special. Funny, loving, cheeky, grumpy sometimes..the list goes on.
Rest assured that when Scarlett passed she knew how much you loved her. You rescued her from what would have been an unhappy life. You took her outside because you wanted her to be happy and healthy. Unfortunately we cannot control everything or predict what will happen in life. This is not your fault. You gave her a good life.
Your bond will never be broken.
Your Scarlett will be looking down on you with so much love.
My thoughts are with you.
 

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