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FAQ About the Hiking Cockatoos

Ch 1: Answers to your questions

Mozart the hiking Triton Cockatoo in the Utah Desert

Mozart in Utah (Bryce)

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Updated: 03-27-2004

These pages provide information about 3 Triton Cockatoos: Mozart, Kaipo, and Amadeus as well as Cockatoos in general. We also cover why you might to think twice before purchasing a Cockatoo as a companion animal. These 3 birds are very beautiful, intelligent, cute, cuddly with their friends, and well behaved in public. At 14 years old Mozart would talk and sing to people he met on the trail, the two others at 1 and 2 years old are beginning to talk a little. Judging from the smiles that grow on people's faces as they see us, I think that they are a great joy to all. But they do not become all of that overnight. A lot of training has gone into socializing these birds to behave in a way that is comfortable for them and the people they encounter. Mozart had 14 years of training and we could take him just about anywhere with confidence. We are still training Kaipo and Amadeus in the basics. A lot of work (for both avian and human) goes into the mutual learning experience of taming a wild creature and teaching both how to get along with one another.

Mozart and Rob, in Zion Canyon

Mozart with Rob in Zion NP

Taking them out on our hiking trips has some risks, but is a vital part of keeping them healthy and happy. The risks are manageable and the benefit to the bird is important. Cockatoos bind very strongly with their human companions, and usually have to be pried away from them. They are very gregarious creatures, born performers and they love to interact with people. But, like small children, they can be overwhelmed by large crowds or threatening objects (dogs, strollers, walking stick, small children.) Sometimes we may have pushed our "bird-iness" card into your hand as we rushed away from you out on the trail. Please forgive us, we didn't intend to be rude, but their safety and well being comes before all else. The public can be very demanding and easily overwhelm these birds. That's one reason why we have a "Bird-iness Card" so you can find these pages and get your questions answered.

Cockatoos are marvelous, intelligent, magical birds. But they are not for everyone. Although affectionate and gregarious they are not domesticated like dogs, nor cats. They are wild animals that are tame, with instincts which are sometimes in conflict for living with humans.

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