A woman raised a sparrow as a house pet after she found the chick shivering on the pavement, and they now love to cuddle—and even go on walks together.
Dr. Manvi Tiwari, 26, spotted the tiny, featherless chick on the pavement on her way to the gym.
She had never cared for a bird before, but Dr. Tiwari, then a medical student, couldn’t resist taking it home.
“It was raining, and she was very little and shivering,” said Dr. Tiwari, who lives in Delhi, India.
She named the bird Muffin and consulted with vets and experts on how to care for it.
Dr. Tiwari made a nest for the bird with blankets to simulate her mother being on top of her and used a heat lamp to warm her up.
The woman also used forceps and tweezers to feed the little bird every 30 minutes, and, within a few weeks, Muffin’s health started to improve.
Muffin began sprouting feathers about a month later and taught herself how to fly.
Dr. Tiwari found the fledgling in March 2021, and the two have been inseparable ever since. The bird has really taken a liking to humans, the mom said.
“It was destiny. That was the only time I’ve ever been at home for months,” the woman said. "She would sit there and hop all over me while I prepared for my exam.
“She’s a very energetic bird. She taught herself to fly.
“We would walk her outside and she would fly around and always come back. She’s imprinted.”
Now the two are inseparable. Muffin loves to cuddle with Dr. Tiwari, and the pair often go on walks together.
“Muffin has always been a cuddly baby. She started showing affection at a very young age,” Dr. Tiwari said. “She loves to sit on our shoulders and neck and try to cuddle, especially when she is sleepy.”
