Rio, our cockatiel, passed away September 8, 2002. Rio would have been twenty years old in just a few months. He was hatched in January 1983; we got him a couple of months later, in early spring '83, long before we had any kids. During his life, he's seen two kids, three dogs, one cat, three houses, four presidents and innumerable fish, hamsters and other creatures.

For most of his life, he was a very active bird. Flying around the room (we left his cage open), landing on your head, leaving the occasional "head-poop", fighting with ceiling fans (that cost him a broken wing), squawking & whistling at guests...

The last couple years he was much quieter, enjoying his retirement. The average lifespan of a cockatiel is 12-14 years, so Rio was the equivalent of a bird centegenarian. He passed away in his sleep.

Here are two pictures of Rio, from his younger days:

Here Rio is perched on Mitchell's head (circa 1990?)

And from even farther back in the archives, here is Lindsay playing with Rio (circa 1984)

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