Confident cockatoo who is talkative too

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A white cockatoo named Duke comes to Best Friends for rehoming. This bird is extremely confident and talkative.
By David Dickson

Have you ever driven an hour and a half with a parrot on your shoulder? Neither had Al and Michelle (two of our staff members) until Duke came to town!

Confident cockatoo comes to Best Friends

Duke is a new cockatoo at Best Friends. He's a friendly guy -- so talkative and confident that his family said he just about scared their puppy to death! They were finding him to be a bit of a handful, as parrots often are, and needed a new place for him. As luck would have it, Best Friends had room for the guy and agreed to take him off their hands (and off their puppy). Al and Michelle from Best Friends would come out to St. George, Utah, to pick up Duke. Should they bring a cage?

A bird who rides on your shoulder

"Oh no!" cried Duke's family, "you can't do that! Duke is used to riding on people's shoulders when they drive."

Never say Best Friends isn't accommodating! Next thing Al and Michelle knew, they were driving an hour and a half back to the sanctuary with a parrot jumping from shoulder to shoulder, talking to them all the way. "Hello! I'm a pretty bird!" (Just a few of the things Duke can say.)

Duke is only six years old, quite young for a parrot. He won't be up for adoption until he's passed all his health tests, but that's OK. Because in the meantime, all he has to do is get along with his delightfully egocentric roommate, Seppi, who likes to have all the attention to himself and be the smartest in the room, and ...

Uh-oh. Let the drama begin!

See the adoptable birds available from Best Friends.

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Caring for Pets