A pet cockatiel that was caught on camera playing a game of “peekaboo” with a nest full of his baby brothers is proving that birds do have loving instincts.
Turkish-born professional cockatiel breeder Tolga Sezdi, 27, has had 9-month-old Çapkın since the bird was born. When Çapkın grew curious about one of Sezdi’s latest broods, he ventured to the edge of their nesting bowl to engage with the baby birds.
“This was truly the perfect moment,” Sezdi told The Epoch Times. “Normally he used to play this game with us a lot, but it hasn’t been for a long time.
“We thought he forgot, but when he sensed that his brothers were afraid, he suddenly started to take care of them.”
Wanting to make the moment “immortal,” he captured it on film.
Sezdi has bred more than 100 birds to date, including the nesting brothers who are now 4 months old.
“Most birds become jealous in such situations,” he explained, “but Çapkın—meaning ‘flirtatious’ in Turkish—chose to share the love with his brothers.”
Sezdi said that cockatiels are usually very “smart, funny, and playful pets.”
While Sezdi knew the sweet, heartwarming video would attract attention from netizens, he had no idea it would be watched by millions. “I’m still really surprised,” he said.
The breeder, who goes by Neşeli Kanatlar, or “Happy Wings” on social media, is a university academic who has been breeding cockatiels in Bursa for almost 10 years. It’s not a simple hobby, he insists; cockatiels need just as much love and affection as cats and dogs.
“If you are currently feeding a bird, or want to adopt one in the future, you should make sure that you can meet all its needs,” he advised. “They really all have special characters and they feel love very deeply.”
