Sweetheart, the beloved yellow-crested Cockatoo, is safely back home with her caretaker, Joel “Birdman” Cornwall, following her disappearance, which was reported on the front page of the November 7 edition of the Canning/Gosnells Examiner.
The much-loved bird disappeared on October 31 in Thornlie after opening a window, sparking an outpouring of support from the local community.
That afternoon, Monther Abujado, a local concrete worker, found the Cockatoo wandering nearby.
Unsure whose bird it was or what to do with it, the bird was passed on to a friend. However, while doing some shopping, they recognised Sweetheart on the front page of the Examiner and immediately sought to get in contact with Birdman.
As birds provide him with a sense of purpose and companionship, the loss of Sweetheart weighed heavily on Joel, impacting his mental and emotional well-being, especially as he battles severe pain with numerous surgeries pending.
He was ecstatic with the news she had been found and felt an overwhelming sense of relief, describing the moment the pair were reunited.
“She is so stand-offish to everybody, but when I was brought back together with her, she just jumped straight into my face. Everyone just laughed their heads off,” Joel said.
“It’s like she never left, but she’s been very clingy since.”
With the bird’s return, Monther Abujado also brought along a stand and 10kg of bird seed, kindly refusing any reward. However, in return, Joel gave him a stack of free fruit and veggies as a thank you.
As Birdman is a cherished figure across the WA community, sharing his love of birds and dedicating his time to helping those in need by distributing fresh produce and hosting community cook-ups at South Beach, the community’s support reached far and wide.
He said this support was overwhelming and expressed his gratitude to everyone who helped.
“Even one of the managers from Woolworths in Forest Lakes, who I’ve never met before, recognised me in the paper, and when I came in to do my shopping, she gave me six copies and even laminated one for me,” Joel said.
“That’s when the emotional weight of the community’s support hit me. Here was a person, a manager of a shop who had seen me but didn’t know me personally and had gone out of their way because they understood what it meant to me.”
Reflecting on the community response, Joel said that, whatever the circumstances may be, he hopes others are offered the same kindness and support he has received.
“This is a story about when people come together, the impact we can have on each other’s lives,” he said.
“The power of the community coming together to help others is amazing; we need more of that now than ever. And to be on the receiving end of that this time was pretty special.”
