Magpie Makes Its Home With Australian Family Who Rescued the Bird
She's free to fly but always returns to the home of the family who rescued her.
— -- Her name's Penguin, but she's an Australian magpie, a bird commonly found walking the streets of urban cities in Australia, similar to pigeons in New York City.
Though Penguin is a wild bird who's free to fly, she has made herself at home with the family who rescued her when she was a baby, photographer Cameron Bloom told ABC News today.
She stays in a tree just outside Bloom's house in Newport, Australia, he said, adding she often swoops in through the windows to greet the family or play with them, and she even sleeps in bed with Bloom's kids when it's rainy outside.
"She's a very smart and playful bird," Bloom said. "She's like a puppy. When anyone's using a broom, she'll chase it like a dog will, and she plays catch with socks in the home. She also starts flapping her wings if we flap our arms like a bird."
Bloom said his son, Noah, now 11, rescued the Australian magpie as a baby when she fell out of a tree and he found her limp on the ground about a year-and-a-half ago.
"She was so small, and though we weren't sure if her wing was injured, it was clear she was very weak and couldn't fly," Bloom said. "We got a lot of tips from a friend of mine who's a vet, and he explained to us how to take care of her."
Bloom said they fed Penguin food and water from a syringe, and about five months later, she gained enough strength to fly from the lounge to the computer in the family's home.
Within a few more weeks, Penguin was able to fly outside, but she always came back, to the family's delight, Bloom said. He added she's not technically a pet, but she willingly chooses to be with them all the time.
Bloom, a professional photographer, documents quirky photos of Penguin on an Instagram account dedicated to her called @penguinthemagpie. She can be seen with Bloom's sons brushing their teeth, playing games with them and even going to bed with them.
Penguin also sings a "beautiful greeting song" when the kids come back from school or when the family pulls into the driveway, Bloom added.
"She's definitely family,” Bloom said, “and our kids' best friend.”
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