Cockatoo Bombs

We were so uninformed with our first bird; it makes me shudder to think about it. Like I said, I read everything I could get my hands on, but reading is not doing – you have to learn through experience. It’s actually quite awkward the first time you handle a bird. I’ll never forget making a frantic call to Mary (the wonderful lady we bought Spike from) just days after bringing Spike home. I was standing in front of the cage just about to put her in when she climbed up my arm, walked across my shoulder, grabbed the back of my (then) long hair with both feet and threw herself backwards while vigorously flapping her wings and shrieking like something straight from hell. To say I was startled would be a gross understatement. I removed the excited bird as quickly as I could – something not easily done – and ran to the phone. Upon hearing the description of what had just happened Mary laughed and said “Oh Cathy, Spike is just playing. A lot of birds enjoy hair surfing.” Hair surfing?? Well now, that was never discussed in any article. I thought the bird had gone mad!

Mary also had drilled us on keeping the cage and bowls absolutely clean, so like good little bird owners we were at it every chance we got. One morning I was getting ready for work while my husband was wiping down the cage. All of a sudden Mark started swearing. I went to the living room to see what was wrong. Mark had been cleaning the bottom grate and was kneeling in front of the cage furiously wiping at his neck. Spike was on top of the cage above him. I asked what happened and before Mark could answer, Spike threw her wings up with a little shriek and replied “I got ‘im”, then actually chuckled!

She also planned and carried out an attack on the cat. Spike was sitting on the top of her cage when I noticed her watching the cat. As the cat came nearer to the cage Spike positioned herself at the back. When Puss walked between the cage and the wall I saw Spike look down over her shoulder and drop a poop bomb directly on the cat’s back. As I chased the cat down to clean him off I could hear Spike laughing.

I find it amazing when a bird says or does something that is appropriate for the situation. It happens a lot, and usually it’s something that the bird has never said before and may never say again. I remember the time I was sitting on the couch while Spike was perched on my finger. I was holding her up in front of my face talking to her when she reached out and bit my nose!! I gave her a little shake and loudly told her that was not nice and never do that again. She immediately looked down and replied in a tiny voice “I’m sorry.” I could not believe my ears – how did she know to say that?

Another time my niece Christie was visiting and we were all in the living room goofing around with the birds. Emelio had been singing something (Mary told me that greys don’t sing, but mine certainly does) and Mark said to him “Here’s a song for you Emelio . . . I wish I were an Oscar Mayer wiener.” Without any hesitation at all Emelio sang it right back to him. He had never said it before, probably never even heard it before, and he has never said it since. I think our wild laughter might have scared it out of him!

I have since read that parrot language is taught to babies by their parents, and that communication is very important in the bird world. So much that they actually learn our language in order to communicate with us. Sometimes I believe that, other times I wonder – like when I’m trying to explain that I really have to trim wings or nails and it won’t actually kill them. Maybe they just don’t want to hear it!

Cathy