Sydney, my three year old female Citron Cockatoo, is a sweetheart most of the time. Her most annoying habit is trying to dump the seed tray at the bottom of her cage. She knows she is not supposed to do this. I have arranged it so that she cannot pull it out, but that does not stop her from chewing holes in the corners of the heavy plastic tray. Usually I ignore her until she tries it three times. Then I redirect her with a "Sydney, you're grounded!" and a 'time out' in her cage for about five minutes. This usually does the trick.

Yesterday while I was in the other room, Sydney was chattering and Winston (my very talkative Vosmaeri Eclectus) kept telling Sydney to be quiet -- the first phrase he ever learned. When Sydney ignored him, he said "Sydney, you're grounded!". She promptly went into her cage and when I came into the room, there she was in her cage with a very quizzical look on her face! This little episode made me laugh.

MORE ON THE TERRIFIC TRIO

My first parrot was Sydney, a Citron Cockatoo. She was a sad little girl when she came to me. She had not been nurtured during the first few months of life. Her rough beginning included being stolen from a pet shop and then being rescued when the thieves took her to another shop for feeding help. She then was held in quarantine until the ring of thieves accepted a plea bargain. When I met Sydney, she was sweet, but understandably, skittish. I bonded with her immediately because I had just lost my mother who succumbed to Alzheimer's disease after a three year struggle (both hers and mine). I doted on Sydney as I was still in caregiving mode.

When Sydney was about a year old, I decided that she needed a friend. I travel on business occasionally and I thought that if I had two birds, they could keep each other company when they were boarded. I decided that a Vosmaeri Eclectus would be a good choice. I chose a male because I liked the brilliant green of the male Eclectus. I was led to believe that the male would be a better pet than a female. More importantly, I wanted a quiet bird (I believed what I read in books!). I hoped that the new bird would talk and that the two birds would be friends. I hoped that the 'love sponge' nature of the Cockatoo would be complemented by a more reserved bird (or so I thought) like the Eclectus.

Well...... Winston arrived at my home unweaned. He was at one feeding a day. From the very first moment, I knew that he was reserved. Even so, Winston had a commanding presence and today the two birds get along quite well. Winston has developed into an excellent talker. What amazes me most is that he uses phrases in context. Of course most birds will pick up those phrases that are EMPHASIZED! On at least one occasion, it was necessary for him to hear a phrase only once to learn it. Last Christmas I was decorating with lots of feathered help. "You're a brat" I told Winston when he shredded the ribbon I had carefully cut for a Martha Stewart-type project.

Well the next evening, I was tired and the birds were tired. Of course, overly tired birds lead to lots of noise and activity. Sydney was doing her "I'm an eagle" routine and Winston and I took turns telling her to "Be quiet". Finally she was silent. Then, out of the silence, I heard "Sydney! You're a Brat". For the next few days leading up to Christmas, Winston used the term "You're a Brat" as a term of affection to everyone! Well, at least I like to think that it was a term of endearment.

At this time Sydney is three, Winston is two, and just recently a female that I've renamed Cleo has come to live with us. Cleo is five or six years old. She has a domineering personality that initially caused Winston to ignore her or to avoid being near her. Maybe someday they will be "close friends". At first I thought that a third bird was a BIG BIG mistake. I also had to convince my family that I was mentally sound!!! Did I mention that I live in an apartment?

Now that we have adjusted to each other, I am very glad that I have them all. They have such distinct personalities. In my home, the term "bird brain" is a compliment. I am constantly amazed by these clever animals. We still have a bit of bonding to do as Cleo settles into our little family.

I have already taken Cleo to the local natural history museum where I am a docent. They currently have a dinosaur exhibit. There is a theory that birds are related to dinosaurs and Cleo is known as my 'living dinosaur'. She fascinates the children. She is my diplomat of education and a wonderful example of the need to preserve wild habitats like rainforests. Stay tuned for the story of Cleo's antics at the museum!