Lydia,

I used to volunteer at the Woodland Park Zoo raptor
area. I was able to make the Spectacled Owl "Coba" purr
by rubbing behind his ears. I don't think the pet store
parrots should be considered domesticated like dogs and
cats, however they have been known to become very
attached to (usually) one individual. This is sometimes
a problem when the bird is separated from that
individual. The bird can get so stressed that it may
start to feather pick (picking out it's own feathers).
Also, since they can live for a very long time, owners
often need to consider that the bird may outlive them.

I have also seen hand raised crows that are very social
and have a small vocabulary. They are highly
intelligent, quick learners.

Congratulations on your "first contact"

Deana McReynolds, DVM
Tacoma, Wa.
> Hi Tweeters,
>
> This week I had the wonderful opportunity to get to know a Citroen Cockatoo
> named Sophie. Sophie is a wonderful creature and the first bird I've ever
> really gotten to know personally. As a beginning birder, observer of wild
> birds, getting to know this very people oriented bird is quite enlightening.
>
> I have learned to "speak" cockatoo. Sophie greets you by bobbing her head
> or her entire body. I return the bobs and coo at her. We exchange bobs and
> coos and then with much skill and dexterity she's on my shoulder making eye
> contact. I then begin to stroke her feathered back and neck. I am
> surprised how this bird is both soft and "crisp" to the touch. She really
> enjoys having her neck gently "massaged" and she expresses her pleasure by
> PURRING! Yes, purring. Just like when I "massage" my cat's neck and under
> the chin, Sophie the cockatoo will burst into purr. She even had me
> "massage" her wings for her. First one wing, then the other. I really
> appreciated this mini lesson in bird physiognomy. Oh, in addition to her
> purring she fluffs her crest as high as possible. She also licked me with
> her rubbery tongue and gently checked out my earrings with her mouth.
> Sophie is a very gentle bird.
>
> Now, on to a wild bird comparison......I have seen crows, bob their heads
> and bodies in what seems to be greetings to other crows, and of course have
> heard all sorts of sounds coming from them. One afternoon when NOBODY was
> around, I tried talking to a crow. I made crow like noises and the crow
> just stared at me. Was I speaking crow with a human accent?
>
> Are the parrots and cockatoos one finds in pet shops domesticated birds like
> white geese and chickens? Or are they still considered wild? Housebroken?
> Socialized?
>
> Will a hand raised crow become as people oriented as Sophie the Citroen
> Cockatoo?
>
> I am not one who only wants to sit back and observe other species, I enjoy
> interacting with other life forms. It's been well over a year, and I'm still
> marveling over my "first contact" with the litter of baby long tailed
> weasels.
>
> Lydia In Kent, WA
> Lydia Gaebe
> lgaebe at msn.com
>
> Watch For New Web Page!
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