Stalking the Blue Eyed Triton Cockatoo

The search for Mozart's Younger Brother!

Part 4: Babies in the Store and the Cockatoos are laying eggs

Updated: 11-24-2006

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In mid April we thought it was time to check again for a baby Triton at the American Bird Company. Saturday was a beautiful Spring day, so we hopped in the car and took the "Whites Ferry" across the Potomac River just above Leesburg, VA. Arriving at the American Bird Company we found the large Cockatoo cage which once housed "Rascal", Pat's companion Citron Cockatoo was no longer empty. A beautiful Moluccan Cockatoo was sitting on the main perch and watching the traffic go by on Lee Highway. You can select any of the small images here to see a larger version in our Web Image Galleries.

Our hopes for a baby Triton were raised, could it be that the Cockatoo chicks had started to arrive? The new Cockatoo in the window was named "Ginger", and it was a bird that Pat had sold two years ago. The unfortunate bird was with a family that did not take it out of its cage. Pat had repurchased the bird to give it a better environment. It was a friendly and happy bird, but did not know how to "step up" yet. However, "Ginger" was the only new bird, the only other cockatoos in the store were the 2 Goffins and the Umbrella babies we had seen on our last visit. To our questions about how much longer and when, the answer was still "all the cockatoos are laying". Since that was the answer at the beginning of April, it will be May before any of these eggs will hatch and a few weeks after that before they appear in the store.

The baby Umbrella was very appealing. The last time we visited it was sleeping in the back of its cage and looking like a porcupine with the new feathers still sheathed. This time it came up to the cage front and was working hard for someone to take it out for cuddles. "Ginger" the new Moluccan was very friendly and bouncing around the countertop, even if she was a bit awkward about sitting on people. She will learn that skill fast enough. Pat seemed happy with her new companion.

We will check back in early May to see if there is any news about a Triton chick. Mozart was a May hatchling, and now it looks like our next Cockatoo may also be hatched in that month. Or later. The wait is not easy, we miss living with a Cockatoo!

Once again we consoled ourselves by stopping off at the German Gourmet store, which is just up the block. They have a lot of the german foods I had as a child. It was nice to pick up some of the specialty hams and liverwursts.

On the way home, going past Dulles Airport we stopped off in Sterling, VA, to visit with Susan at the "Featherheads" bird store. Susan, as you may recall, offered us a baby Triton just before Christmas, in December 2004. But it was not the right time for us, while we were still grieving our loss.

On this visit to the store we found that she had a number of baby Sulphur Crested Cockatoos, including a female Triton and a small Umbrella. The Triton was hatched on November 17, 2004, but not yet weaned. Susan brought these two babies out and attached them to us. The Triton was quite a bit smaller than Mozart was at that age. But it was very endearing and stuck to us like glue as did the baby Umbrella. The Triton female had the most intense blue eye ring that we had ever seen.

The Triton really seemed to enjoy being stroked around its head and ears, making soft sounds of pleasure. The Umbrella was more reserved but would not let go. Susie got cuts all over her forearms from the sharp claws of the Umbrella. I wore a long sleeved shirt and did not get scratched. But it reminded me of the first year we had Mozart, how we had to learn how to train him to allow us to file down his claws so that we would not be scratched. Neither bird had its gender determined yet. Both had more weaning to be done before they could go home with anyone.

It was thrilling to hold a Cockatoo again and smell the dust that their feathers give off. I look forward to the pleasant chore of cleaning Cockatoo feather dust from everything in the house again. When we "adopted" Mozart 14 years ago, he was not an awkward baby. He was pretty much full grown and very agile. So this was the first time that we had actually held Cockatoo babies. Susan told us that the baby Triton will not be weaned for another month yet. This one was taking a long time to wean and it was pretty small. Susan observed that the size of Tritons, like their life spans varies somewhat.

Of course, we fell in love with the both chicks, but we were "safe" since neither bird is ready to go home with anyone yet. But we still want to wait to see if Mozart's "younger brother" is coming. If that does not happen, we'll have to pursue other alternatives. For now, we just have to be patient and wait.

Pele the Eclectus

Good news about our Eclectus parrot. Pele, (our Volcano Goddess), is feeling much better. On her most recent visit to her Vet, Dr. Giebel, he found that she is completely healed on her right leg and "98%" on her left leg. She has been going in twice a week for changes to her leg wound dressings. Last week she spoke a few times, it was good to hear her clear little voice saying "Hi boy" and "Hi girl" again.

She has started a feather molt to replace her plumage. She skipped a molt last Fall. This is the first since last Summer. She is becoming more aggressive and occasionally leaps off the kitchen table to take up territory in a corner of the kitchen floor. You can view her on the Bird cam page.

Next...

Story Links

• Part 1: Stalking the blue eyed Triton
• Part 2: February/March a Sterile Egg
• Part 3: April no Easter Chick
• Part 4: Mid-April Cockatoos are Laying
• Part 5: May, Scrambled Eggs, Broken Dreams
• Part 6: A new companion is found!
• Select R2JWEB Images (follow link to Photo and Travel Galleries for more pictures).