NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A robin likes to land on his rescuer’s shoulder as he sings and plays the guitar. Now, the bird is the face of a campaign to help save other wild animals.
It's not unusual to hear music in East Nashville, but it’s peculiar to see a robin sitting on someone's arm. Trevor Silva and his wife found the baby bird on the concrete one day. All the animal rescues were slammed, and they were told to leave it alone. They feared it would die in a storm or be eaten by a cat. Silva said, "Legality be darned on that. We weren’t going to leave this bird outside, I’d pay the fine, that’s fine.”
Their family nursed the bird back to health and named it Robin ‘Bitty’ Birdie Sanders Williams. "Over the course of the week we’ve been outside doing wing exercises,” Silva said, “And then we slowly started introducing Bitty to the outside."
On the porch, it has a birdhouse called the 'Bitty Manor.' "We’re in the process right now of transitioning from wet cat food to mealworms, and we’re using a tray with mealworms on it, and leaves on top," Silva said.
Bitty's survival story got out in the community. Silva said, "People walk by and go 'yay Bitty.'
As they hit a crossroads in the robin's recovery, Trevor has mixed emotions. "It’s difficult. We kind of form this bond, but at the same time, I know it’s what’s right for Bitty, Bitty needs to be an independent bird," Silva said. When Bitty grows up, they hope the bird will still visit.
Trevor's company, ‘My Cluck Hut,’ is going to dedicate a vegan soap to Bitty which will benefit the Nashville Wildlife Conservation. In addition, two local artists created a poster and other items with Bitty on it to benefit the conservation fund.
