Riven is my Umbrella Cockatoo who came to live with me on December 12, 1998 when I lived in Canada.  

When I moved to the USA, I imported her (this was extremely difficult).  However I felt that abandoning her would have been irresponsible.  

Riven is a wonderful (despite obnoxious) bird and one of my best friends.  She has a good sense of humor and can say a few things here and there (a long with making a myriad of her own noises and behaviors).  She came up with behavior on the left -- and she trained us to use a hand and noise cue to get her to do it.  Click on the left photo for a video of her doing it.

  
(Santa photos 2002)

Her only drawback is that she isn't particularly fond of men.  This is how a guy has to hold her. Which she likes, but at the same time....  I think it is the fact that she is jealous of me.  I've tried my best to socialize her but nobody (including her) is really willing to cooperate or take much interest in the problem.  Men can pet her through the cage bars but he cannot hold her without a towel.  Riven's breeder has mentioned that she has a sibling who is the same way.  I've heard they get this way once they reach maturity...so that is the end of that!   

This all just demonstrates that a parrot  is a serious commitment and Cockatoos make the *worst* pets.  They are a very needy companion and demand a lot of extra time and money.  They destroy their toys and need new ones every month.   They are also incredibly noisy, take up a lot of room, make huge messes and may or may not get a long with the rest of the family.  Cockatoos are the #1 abandoned large bird, because owners don't research or make impulsive buys..  So never think of them as a pet.  Ever. And never buy any bird on impulse - always research a breed you are interested in.

Click here to see truth about cockatoos:  http://www.mytoos.com/ 

Here are a few in case you are not interested in her web page.  Isn't she ugly as a baby? =D

May 24, '98	2 Weeks old	Pulling a wagon
Required toys	Required Cage	Famous "Freeze"