Dear Parrots magazine,
Demanding Cockatoo
I read in the April issue, Sally Blanchard’s article on manipulation which strikes great big bells with me.
I notice you have depicted an Umbrella Cockatoo that appears to be shouting out, and can really relate to as I also have a young Umbrella Cockatoo.
He came to me with a stated age of three years, although I suspect he could be a little bit older. Now he is a real manipulator. We all know parrots can be very intelligent, which means they have an ability to learn, and my Elmo really plays on it. He can be extremely noisy when he shrieks out, but of course, he merely wants my attention, and like a big softy, I will go up to him and pick him up, which he just loves.
I know I shouldn’t react to his demands, but because he is the love of my life, I just want to make him happy. Yes, he knows exactly how to make me react and I suppose I just admire him for it, and reading Sally’s article made me laugh, as I fully understand how these birds use their intelligence.
Elizabeth Frost, Clackmannanshire