Marlene
Welcome to the neighborhood!
I am so excited! 
It is with great pleasure that
I announce the Celebirdy for the month of
May 2015......MILTON!
I announce the Celebirdy for the month of
May 2015......MILTON!
1. How did you acquire your bird?
After Cassie, our LSC, passed in January 2010, I contacted a rescue in Ohio, where they had two 'toos for adoption, a Goffins and a LSC. I expressed an interest in the Goffins- another LSC was out of the question because of Cass.
Anyway, after a through vetting, we were approved for adoption- unfortunately, theG2 had found a new home.
I was so disappointed- and my wife contacted Second Chance Rescue in Rochester, NY, whom our AV had recommended to her. They had an Umbrella Cockatoo for adoption-and because of our AV's high praise of taking care of Cassie, offered to let us adopt the U2, sight unseen.
So, we drove to Rochester in February 2010, walked in the door of a foster home, and there was Milton, sitting on the back of a recliner!
2. What is your bird's name, age, and sex?
Milton is a male Umbrella Cockatoo. He is 19 years old....
3. Does your bird do any special tricks?
Milty doesn't do any tricks. I don't want to teach him any. If a behavior leads to something, fine. He does like to flip upside down on my finger and display and yell. We now shortened this to a bowing to people. He does this at the end of our visits. The people are charmed to meet such a polite birdie!
4. What are some of your bird's favorite foods?
Milty eats just about any type of veggie you give him. His favorite fruit are apples- Gala apples. He also favors Cheerios-from my bowl. I don't mind him eating them, I just don't like it when he puts the half-eaten Os back in the milk,and picks up a new one...
5. What is the funniest thing your bird has ever done?
This is a tough one. Milty has done so many things. I love what he did to a combination lock we have for his cage. One time, Kathy left the lock on the cage. Milty seized the lock, dragged it back into the cage, pounded it on the floor, dipped it in the water bowl, then tossed it out the door. Broke the inner mechanism of the "guaranteed for life" lock.
We now make sure we remove the lock from Milty's reach everyday....
6 .How has your bird enriched your life?
Milty has shown me that everyday needs to be lived to the utmost....Seize the Day!
7. What you tell people are considering this species?
These birds are EXTREMELY INTELLIGENT AND SENSITIVE!!! If you are considering bringing a U2 into your life,think....YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE A LIFE ALTERING EXPERIENCE!
Let me say something I always say when we do our visits... A Cockatoo has the intelligence of a five year old child, the temperament of a two year old, with a can opener on their face, for seventy years.
I think that says it all....
8. What is the activity level and noise level of your bird?
In the wild, Cockatoo calls can be heard up to 3 miles away. Milty is a good representative of a 'too. Milty MUST be monitored at ALL TIMES....he always is into something-always roaming around. Toos are not T-stand birds. Milty is also very typical of that 'too behavior.
9. What are some of your bird's quirks?
Milty likes a definite set schedule. When he's ready for covering his cage, he coughs...it sounds just like an "old man's cough". He learned that from his first owner.
Mlity likes to attack plastic bottles. He also is extremely camera-aggressive,he has damaged two of them beyond repair. His former owner gave Milty pens that had the ink taken out of them to play with as "toys"...so you can't use a pen or pencil around him. He still considers them as "toys"....
10. If you bird talks, what is the most surprising word or sentence it's ever said?
We estimate Milty's vocabulary at about 125 words. He uses them in context, so we think he knows what some of them mean. Some of my favorites....
When first introduced to our guinea pigs, Milty scoffed and said "NOT A BIRD"....then he called them "RATS".
When we shower (together) Milty is in heaven. He calls out," IM WET...YOU WET...WE BOTH WET ...WE REAL WET...EVERYONE WET.WET WET WET".
One time I was eating M&Ms. Milty wanted some, of course. He said "I LOVE IT". I told him, These are bad for birds, Milt. You can't have any. He then said "BAD FOR YOU".
A few days ago,I told Milt "I love you", because he had just said that to me. He responded "A LOT?"
11. What is your bird's favorite treat?
Dairy products. We know these are bad for him, so he only gets cheese or ice cream very rarely.
Bob & Milton....
Sounds like Milton is a wonderful bird. I love how you describe him as having a can opener on his face. Definitely describes the mischief he can get into
And that their stories are shared here on AA 
I want more Milty stories! You could make a book of them, I bet!
He is a trip, and I love your posts about him,, keep them coming!
