2 years ago a strange meeting with a baby bird began an adventure for Adam and his partner Lisa.

The couple realised that a baby Starling had fallen from its nest and was being attacked and would likely die, if they didn't step in, to intervene.

With this intervention, Taki the baby Starling became imprinted to the couple and curiously, developed an awareness that humans would provide safety.

Taki has taken off in previous adventures and come across some well-meaning souls, sometimes keeping her in their aviary or homes. Taki, however, has a home and several carers, and they are keen to find out where her adventures may have taken her this time.

(Taki needs a helping wing/hand to find her way home. Image Provided)

Locals may have had their own interactions with Taki, who has been known to frequent Nimbin, Ballina, and Byron Bay, often flying from one to the next within a short 30 minutes.

Taki's favourite haunts in recent months have been The Bilinudgel hotel and Brunswick Heads area, however, she has been known to fly longer and longer distances, and hop into cars, with video's on her very own dedicated, social media page "Taki's Adventures, found here.

Taki is an unforgettable bird to experience, she flew up and landed on my shoulder out of the blue one day, but took off almost as quickly, once I had expressed my delight, and Adam Kaoullas and Lisa say this is a very regular report of the impact Taki has.

“Taki first visited my workplace last week (Old Maids Burger Shop in Brunswick Heads) and surprised us all. Luckily one of the customers knew her story and assured us that she’s not lost, just wandering. She spent the whole day at the shop, and I couldn't help but stare in complete awe as this little creature bounced from one person to another, making everyone feel so special and loved.

"Nature has mysterious ways of reminding us that life is, indeed, magical. This little crossover - having nature come to us rather than going “out” to be in nature- was all it took to make every single person smile (except for one employee with a legit bird phobia but she made it till the end of the shift). I took this video of her as she was having a snooze on the sanitation station right next to the door, perhaps the ultimate reminder that life goes on, that we may be different as humans, but no matter how different we are, we could all use a bit more kindness in our lives.

"Lesson learned from a little bird roaming free,” says Northern Rivers business owner Shahar Eberzon.

"We were walking along the beach one day, and Taki flew off ahead, and landed on the shoulder of a lady who looked quite down. She said to us with a big smile on her face afterwards "I really needed that today." reminisced Adam.

"It's like she knows who is safe and who needs a bit of her magic."

While Adam tells me of the consistent intention to support Taki to be wild "We always wanted her to be wild, as that is how she was when we found her, she has always had access to fly whenever she likes, and initially, we didn't want to bring her in the house or domesticate her fully, so we even taught her to eat and forage for food, such as burying food for her and supporting her to learn to dig it up, and the same with flying."

"I actually thought the very first time she flew, wow, there she goes, she must be fledging.. but she came right back to us, every time!"

"She's amazing, when we lived a little further South, she would fly away and we would always go to the cafe, our favourite, and she would meet us there, every time! We asked the staff there if she had been waiting the whole time, but she only ever arrived when we did, so it was like she was able to track us, just incredible!"

"When she went missing for a couple of months, we realised she had found a new home with a loving carer, and we were happy for her, but it works out beautifully now, as she for a while, went back and forth between us, but now, we can care for her on holidays etc as needed, and be extra eyes and ears, and she has a large and safe place to come home to."

(Taki sunbaking on a break from her adventures, nestled in a friend's hair. Image Provided)

"If she has flown further afield to look for a mate, then I totally understand that, there are very few Starlings here in the Northern Rivers, in fact most Starling flocks live South in the Alpine region, however, a few do exist further North, including one in Southern QLD.

During Covid, I was locked out in Queensland due to study commitments, and she went missing again. It turned out she had been taken in by a beautiful-hearted gentleman in Stokers Siding, he had put her in the aviary, where he has hundreds of birds and a number of other Starlings, however, the reason we don't believe she has done this is based on what he had observed; she just wasn't that interested in the other birds!"

In fact, the Meriam-Webster dictionary defines a Starling as: any of a family (Sturnidae, especially genus Sturnus) of usually dark gregarious oscine birds especially : a dark brown or in summer glossy greenish-black European bird (S. vulgaris) naturalized nearly worldwide and often considered a pest.

While Adam admits that Taki has been unpopular only with a few cafes in Byron where she became a little "too friendly", in her younger months here, she is most often considered a delight and is much loved by her carers and the wider community.

"If she has been taken by the wild, another animal, then I can come to peace with that, however, part of the usual protocol for Veterinarians and Wildlife Carers due to Starlings not being Native species, is that if they do catch her, though she isn't easy to catch, they will put her to sleep."

So, Adam and the Taki care team, along with many individuals in the community who have grown to love this little magic bird, are imploring for more information, from anyone who may have seen this little adventurous spirit, and to please, share this article far and wide, as maybe just maybe she has hopped in a truck or car, and gone too far out of her usual zone, to know which way is home, or been affected by the weather or captured and placed in an aviary somewhere again.

As Adam believes, "A free spirit, deserves to be free."

If you have any information regarding Taki's whereabouts or can spread the news even further, please do get in touch via the social media page link here.