Lucie the Rescued Umbrella Cockatoo

 The day Lucie came in to rescue, weighing 546 grams!!

***NOW***

2 years later she now weighs 587 grams and is much happier!!

My name is Lucie and I am a rescued Cockatoo.  Lucie went immediately from the rescue site to the Rainbow Feathers Avian Vet, as it was obvious she was extremely underweight. She had not been handled or trained and was fearful of EVERYTHING.  She was submissive (flipped over on her back on the bottom of my cage) which was NOT normal behavior for a parrot or an encouraging sign.  Lucie was dirty and smelly (had not had a bath for at least 4 years).  Her body feathers were curled, dry (no oil) and filthy.  The beak feathers were deformed.  One side stood straight out and the other side remained flat.  These feathers should have folded inward to hide her beak.  She was so underweight, her breastbone protruded.  These were just the physical signs of neglect.

The saddest was her mental and emotional neglect.  Her lack of human interaction and her FEAR of everything, any new object in her cage, any movement around her cage put her into panic.  Her inability to communicate or interact was pitiful.  Initially, the only noise she made was a panic cry when handled for dispersing her oral medicine.  Occasionally, she made a faint peep noise. 

Six months of patience, trust building and bonding has resulted in a substantial weight gain (50 grams).  She was slowly introduced to another Cockatoo.  Their cages are across of each other. He has been a positive influence on her and a good model for learning Cockatoo behavior. 

This once broken bird has become part of a flock.  She now loves taking regular showers and can screech and scream with the best, although her cries are sometimes comical since they sound more like a chicken.  Lucie has learned to “step up” on command and willingly comes to her new owner.  She kisses, prunes and cleans her human companion.  She continues to get her fresh corn on the cob and although she continues to refuse other types of fruits or vegetables, is offered them on a regular basis.  Lucie continues to be timid and mildly fearful when out of her cage, but her success in overcoming ALL obstacles is certainly anticipated.  Her BIGGEST step of all, BONDING, LOVING and TRUSTING has been taken, the rest is a piece of cake!!

An Umbrella is a long-term commitment.  They have dander and scream loudly for attention. They have a powerful need to chew and can be quite destructive. An Umbrella owner should have experience with parrots before taking on this feathered handful.  It is not a good first bird or a good child’s pet.  It is charming and affectionate but is not for everyone.  They require a large amount of time with their human family.  If you do not have a lot of time to spend, this is NOT the bird for you.