A nice day out with Echo

[Sarahmoluccan]

Back to the park today! It was Christmas in June there so it was busier than normal but we stayed in the less busy part of the park. Echo was pretty talkative for the first part half an hour. Saying "I love you" and "Hello" alot. Echo was a really good boy. We had little kids really take to him.


After the park my mom pick us up and we when for a little car ride, she had find a friend's house to pick up some tickets she bought from him. Me and Echo waited in the car. A mutual friend show up there for the same reason. Before she went in she visited us and she told me a story about a budgie in her apartment building. Her neighbors bird got outside, they were on the 5th floor. Her neighbors was clearly distraught but the next day a memo went out that someone one a budgie on the 7th floor on the opposite side of the building. It was her bugdie It's nice when these stories have a happy ending. Some pics of Echo in the car.

And one more shot of Echo once home in the back deck looking at flowers

 

[rockoko]

Echo is gorgeous! Looks like he enjoyed the outing! A fun day!
Good news about the Budgie.

 

[Begone]

What a great day, both for you and Echo, but also to be told about that happy ending with the budgie.
It always strike me that Echo looks so calm and happy, I can't see anything mean or aggressive in his eyes.
If I was their I would surely give him a kiss on his forehead.

 

[Sarahmoluccan]

It always strike me that Echo looks so calm and happy, I can't see anything mean or aggressive in his eyes.

He is amazingly calm in public He occasionally something might spook him but usually it takes a little bit of reassurance and he's good. He does really like people, especially kids. I love kids reactions to him. A couple kids today sort of lined up to pet him at one point. And when the second kid went to pet him, Echo said "Hello" to him first. The look on that kid's face was priceless!! It was like he just saw a magic trick or something! He sort of froze then took a little step back and finally petted him It was too cute

If I was their I would surely give him a kiss on his forehead.

He wouldn't let anyone do that but my guess you'd have the right kind of energy to make him be good with that

 

[Tiel Feathers]

Every time I see photos of Echo he melts my heart. It’s so great that he likes kids.

 

[faislaq]

What an amazing birdie ambassador.

 

[Fia Baby]

Is Echo ever a terror at home? I hear that about so many cockatoos, especially the umbrellas, but Echo seems to be too angelic for such behavior;-) Any family secrets you can share?

 

[Sarahmoluccan]

Is Echo ever a terror at home? I hear that about so many cockatoos, especially the umbrellas, but Echo seems to be too angelic for such behavior;-) Any family secrets you can share?

Great question!! He can bit a of a terror at home, in the typical cockatoo ways. Some screaming, making big messes, not listening when there's something he wants but isn't allowed to have and even bites. But bites are extremely rare these days. Right now I advantage 1-2 bites a year. And now days they tend to be bites because of over excitement and not particularly aggressive.

After a month or so after I first got him, he went through a really bad phase of biting and liked to go after my face. Typically this happened after I took something he wasn't allowed to have. Before I figured that out they seem totally ramdom to me. And scared me alot to the point I thought about rehoming him.

To be fair to Echo even at his worst he wasn't constantly biting and there was only a handful of times where he actually got my face. But I was definitely rattled my his aggressive behaviour. Which is why I thought about rehoming him. But even only slightly aggressive Toos can end in really bad places. And thought of him ending up in a closet or a basement being neglected made me want to really work on our relationship. Time outs for biting, making a little game of give and take to help him be less possessive over things and lots and lots of praise when he's being good, really saved our relationship.

I'm so grateful everything worked out because he's so good now even when he's being a bit of a terror. When he gets over excited about something I really have watch his behavior. If he does the soft beak clicking cockatoo thing, which I understand as "I mean you no harm" then I know he won't bite me even if he's over excited. So as long as I watch his body language cues I'm good.

I trust him in public because his had never show aggressive or fearful behavior around a new person or people. He really enjoys meeting new people. I worry abit about if he got over excited in public but so far that's never happened. He's very very good at staying calm and even if he spooks at something he gets over it really fast. He body language is almost always show that he's relaxed, he'll have the cockatoo beard (feathers around his lower back) most of the time and soft beak clicking sometimes too. Plus he'll preen himself alot too even when on other people or being petted. He's just very relaxed in those situations

That's a really long answer to your question but I hope it gives you some insight to what he's like

 

[Fia Baby]

Thanks for sharing that. You've really made an effort to observe and learn his behavior - he's lucky he landed with someone who took that time, especially knowing he could hurt you. He's a beautiful bird! Male U2s and M2s have such bad reputations, perhaps undeservedly. I've always wanted one, but never felt I could take on a male, but reading this makes me reconsider a bit. For now I'm good with my own 2 birds (sulfur crested and green wing), but if I ever come across a male, maybe I'll take the leap?!

 

[Sarahmoluccan]

Thanks for sharing that. You've really made an effort to observe and learn his behavior - he's lucky he landed with someone who took that time, especially knowing he could hurt you. He's a beautiful bird! Male U2s and M2s have such bad reputations, perhaps undeservedly. I've always wanted one, but never felt I could take on a male, but reading this makes me reconsider a bit. For now I'm good with my own 2 birds (sulfur crested and green wing), but if I ever come across a male, maybe I'll take the leap?!

Thanks Yeah I'm not sure why M2s and U2s get a bad rep more so than others toos. I've known a citrus Cockatoo that was a really handful and very bitey. But we thought he was mostly badly abused is his previous home. M2s are loud! And moody are times too but some of the sweetest birds I've known have been M2s. Goffins seem like such little balls of energy I could how they would be difficult for some.

My personal opinion is personalities are more important then the type of cockatoo when determining which cockatoo would be a good fit for your own individual situation

 

[Dona]

I loved all the pics! Beautiful, beautiful boy. There is nothing like seeing a photo of a bird outside!

 

[JoJo&Loki]

Awe, sounds amazing for you both!
I can’t even fathom anyone ignoring “hellos” from such a cutie ... no way in heck I ever could! He is sooo adorable

 

[Sarahmoluccan]

Here's the portrait framed. I think it looks gorgeous

 

[rockoko]

View attachment 308397
Here's the portrait framed. I think it looks gorgeous

Omg that is gorgeous!

 

[rockoko]

Sooooooo pretty with all the colors!

 

[Sarahmoluccan]

@rockoko Thanks so much!! I love all the different colors too

 

[CrazyBirdChick]

I love seeing Echo out and about! He is such a handsome and well behaved boy. His eyes look so intelligent and almost human like.

Also, love the Zane portrait and the frame you picked. Looks gorgeous!

 

[Sarahmoluccan]

I love seeing Echo out and about! He is such a handsome and well behaved boy. His eyes look so intelligent and almost human like.

Thankyou!! It's lots of fun bringing him places

Also, love the Zane portrait and the frame you picked. Looks gorgeous!

Thankyou!! I'm very happy with it

 

[faislaq]

View attachment 308397
Here's the portrait framed. I think it looks gorgeous

Zane!!!
It's perfect

 

[Sarahmoluccan]

Zane!!!
It's perfect

Awww thankyou!! Makes me so happy that people remember him so fondly