When Sandy entered the household almost two years ago, Sparky at first had a difficult time dealing with it. Ignoring our dog, Guy, Sparky had decided that he was number two in our flock, and he was determined to prove that to Sandy. The little sneak would be very sweet and friendly toward her when the #1 flock member was around, but as soon as Michael was out of sight, he would try to intimidate her and even beat up on her by banging her with his huge beak. After being placed immediately back into his cage, he soon learned that these outbursts would not be tolerated, so he gradually began to behave and accept Sandy as #2 flock member ahead of him. In the past few months he has grown from tolerating her to actually liking her, as the photo in the right shows. But Dad is still number one in his book, and he grows very impatient in the evening when his daily out time approaches. It is a myth that cockatoos need constant affection. They are very self-motivated when it comes to entertainment. Just give them a lot of toys that they can play with and destroy, and they will be happy for hours. What is important is that they get regular attention, at the same time each day. This is very important when male cockatoos are reaching sexual maturity, from about four to eight years of age. At this time they can be very demanding. Sparky's hormone storms led, a few years ago, to some excessive feather picking and self-mutilation. A regimen of Prozac, an "Elizabethan" collar that is worn whenever he is unattended, lots of diverting toys to chew, and regular love and attention have kept him a happier bird. We have been trying to imagine what living the rest of our lives with an eternal three year old will be like, but one thing is certain... it will never be dull.

UMBRELLA COCKATOO. Cacatua alba P. L. Müller. Also known as the White Cockatoo. They are native to several islands in the central and northern Moluccas in Indonesia. Length about 18 inches (45cm). Their color is a beautiful, pristine white, with the undersides of the flight and tail feathers yellow basally. The beak and feet are greyish black. The eyes are a very deep brown, almost black, which in the females lightens to a reddish brown at maturity. They make a very raucous screech. They have been observed to feed on various seeds, nuts and fruits in their native habitat.