Dear Parrots magazine,
Two faces of Rupert
Thank you for your article on Cockatoo aggression. I feel like it has been written about my much loved Galah Cockatoo, Rupert. One moment he is rolling onto his side wanting me to kiss him, and the next minute he is flying to attack me. For some reason when I turn my back to him this is when he attacks me.
I am reaching breaking point with him, as he frequently bites me, and I am afraid that it won't be long until he permanently scars me. I have kept birds all of my life with great success, but Rupert has been and still is a big challenge for me. I am going to find out more about the hormone implant, which does give me some glimmer of hope. I have also been doing lots of trick training with Rupert which has helped, but his attention span is minimal. I also wondered if you could recommend a parrot trainer/behavioural specialist, and also where can I find out more regarding instructional interaction?
Many thanks.
Anna-Christina, by email