Down at the local park this morning was a flock of around 15 Sulphur Crested Cockatoos pulling up seeds on the sports oval. What caught our attention was one of the flock "talking", I heard a very clear "Hello Cocky", "What's your name love?" and "How ya going buddy".
Someones pet has escaped and returned to the wild, no, we didn't attempt to catch the bird, just left it in peace with the flock.
Good on you "Cocky", free at last!! I wonder, if he is going to teach the others to speak. Hope, he learns from the "normal ones" how to find food!! Was he eating?
M-L
Yes, he/she was very much part of the flock, so Cocky is back where he belongs with his own mob. Two years ago we had a Cockatiel land on the back fence and it talked, all it would say was "Hello $#@*head". My daughter said it should get the velvet soap treatment like she did when she was small for the dirty word! Going to check the cockatoo flock again in the morning to see if the "escapee" cocky is still with the mob...Raven.
I've had an escapee hanging around since 2008. Couldn't believe my ears when it said "hello", occasionall said "What ya doin" as well. It has a mate, children and other relatives arrive before bad weather and when the Canadian walnut has nuts ready to eat. :):)
A flock of Sulpher Crested Cockatoo's flew across this morning whilst I was out the back. Couldn't fail to notice one of them had around six feet of restraining chain hanging off its leg. Another escapee, good on you Cockie!
I lived in a small town in the Hunter Valley about 25 years ago and there was an escaped white cocky that hung about with cattle egrets. Was funny to hear "hello cocky" coming from a flock of egrets.
It seemed to be doing OK, we used to see or hear him periodically over a few years. Wild cockatoos moved into the area so hopefully it joined up with them.
I have had 2 escaped cockatiels land in my back yard recently, presumably attracted by the calls from the aviary!
The first, a standard grey male, landed in my garden. I took a cage out to it, wondering how I was going to catch it. It simply walked into the cage! Obviously it was used to doing just that. It now lives in the aviary with my other cockatiel (which was solo at the time).
Then just last week I saw a yellow cockatiel land on the aviary roof, but it flew off as soon as I approached it.
- soakes
soakes
Olinda, Victoria, Australia
I can't help but be concerned by bird escapees generally, especially where the escapees aren't part of the native fauna. From what I'm reading sulphur crested cockatoos seem to have been involved in a well coordinated mass breakout & this is fine if they escape into country which is within their natural range. Even then, talking birds among non talking birds may cause their own problems.
I recall seeing 4 African love birds at our place a few years ago, a long way from their natural habitat & obviously escapees. Big potential problem, folks. We have enough animal & plant escapees in Australia to keep our extermination authorities busy for the rest of their lives. That's if they are of a mind.
I guess the upshot of this is that if people keep non indigenous species in captivity then there's a huge ecological responsibility on them to ensure these species don't escape into the wild. This applies to plants as well as animals. Sadly, there are people who aren't assiduous in this endeavour.
A restraining chain? Gee really not a nice way to keep a pet and now the poor thing has to survive in the wild with a six foot chain attached. I don't like his chances.
I know someone who let their Sulphur Crest go because he was sick of the bird, it would only speak in Russian. I was furious that he could treat a pet like that, he shouldn't have bought him in the first place.
I always wonder how a bird that has been in captivity can survive in the wild when it's had no form of training to forage for food.
Yes, good comments, Kimbolina. The only good side to your story about the Russian speaking sulphur crested cockatoo is that its owner didn't release it in Russia.
Re posting 29 June about Cockatoo with six feet of chain dangling from its leg:
The mentioned bird was spotted in a large group at the park this morning, I went home got some seed, pliers and calico bag.
The group quickly gathered when the free seed was on offer, my neigbour kept the feeding up and I managed to throw the calico bag over the bird with the chain on its leg.
Despite putting up a huge fight and biting many holes in the calico I managed to snip the chain amid many lost feathers!
Cocky had a telephone number on the silver leg ring and name "Golly". I rang them and was told Golly had escaped from a farm near Goobang Junction in Jan this year. Golly released with his new Sydney flock!
Good on you Raven for saving Golly.
aww that is wonderful. At-least now Golly has a chance in life without the chain causing any serious damage. Well done Raven :)
Well done, by Golly, Raven.
What a great story about Golly, thanks Raven for probably saving it's life, just so great to hear that Golly adapted back to his natural environment.
I only just read this - thanks Raven for doing that for Golly very brave of you too - those SCC certainly can inflict a severe bite.
Alison
~~~~~~
"the earth is not only for humans, but for all animals and living things."
Golly is still about, he was at the park this morning with seven others foraging on the oval. So he seems to be a local now. Long way from his original home near Goobang Junction.
Hey Raven, I really enjoyd this story and this made me join the page. Good luck to you mate! and Golly too!!!!
*on a side note, I originally read the loaction as Goonbag Junction... lol
Picka's Mum and a few others
Goobang Junction is not very far from the western NSW township of Parkes, where they hold the annual Elvis Presley fest, so Golly flew quite a few miles to reach the northern suburbs of Sydney...