Barney the west coast cockatoo
| barney the west coast cockatoo |
Barney the west coast cockatoo when ask to write about the cockatoo, my first thought was of a nice, big, luxury car. Similar to a luxury car, the cockatoo is increasingly accessible to all (credit being so available), but not everyone can afford to maintain it. Much like a luxury car, the cockatoo has a two-speed personality: charming and exasperating. It requires a lot of care and is easy to damage and/or break.
The Cockatoo
This parrot model comes in four sizes: micro, mini, medium and super and three colors: pink, white and black, except for the micro (the cockatiel) that is now available, thanks to human ingenuity, in a wider selection of colors. Initially develop from Australia to Indonesia, the birds of the cockatoo family have almost disappeared from these regions due to the plundering of forests and smuggling (here I give the example of the lemon-crested cockatoo, today terribly at risk because of the rampant deforestation in Sumba, Indonesia, the only island where it is found). Consequently, certain models are now produced in series in North America.
At home…
The cockatoo is able to adjust and to use for his betterment the environment in which it is located. It is terribly intelligent and adaptable, capable of judgment and reasoning. It knows how to make the most of its environment, even use tools. Cockatoos use their hands (feet) extensively to manipulate objects and to prepare and ingest their food (the Rosalbina and the cockatiels are the exception, perhaps because they generally feed on the ground.
cockatoo
The cockatoo is curious, almost from the moment of its birth. Indeed, unlike other species of parrots, the cockatoo is born with the capacity to hear and will immediately receive auditory stimuli in its environment. As soon as it is capable of doing so, the young cockatoo will start exploring its environment. These adventures will take the form of digging, exploring shapes and textures and attempting escapes out of the nest. The baby cockatoo will nibble and taste everything that passes near its beak.
The parrots
The parrots belonging to the same social group take care of each other. They are constantly calling and notifying the group. When a predator appears, they will protect each other as best as they can. Observers note that, surprisingly for a prey animal, cockatoos do not seem to dismiss a member of their group if it is injured or ill, and frequently they will stay near a dying member. In addition, cockatoos will help each other. It is common if a baby falls from the nest to see other members of the group take turns to feed and protect the little one. Such behaviour would indicate a strong emotional bond in this species of parrot, link rarely observed in other social animal species.
In Our Homes…
The cockatoo is a resolute and persistent bird. When it focuses on an object, it is almost impossible to distract it from its obsession. At one time, I bought telephone wires by the dozen, believing that one day, my cockatoo would eventually understand not to touch them. Finally, I had to abdicate. It was much easier to change the location of the phone. My cockatoo had more willpower than I. This luxury model is equipped with a super microcomputer and a lot of RAM. It never forgets. Better to remove the object of its desires, otherwise, it will return tirelessly to finish what it start.
