I am the proud "mama" of a two-year-old noble macaw named Lucy and a six-month-old eclectus hen named Leilani. Before bringing Leilani home as a baby, Lucy and I looked at eclectus pictures together and talked about the "special new sister" coming to live with us, and I let Lucy watch me set up Leilani's cage and help to pick the toys. When Leilani arrived, the transition was unbelievably smooth. Lucy wanted to preen her new sister and constantly made kissing noises at her, and they are excellent friends to this day.

This September I will be taking the big plunge and adopting a nine-year-old umbrella cockatoo. He is reported to be a real snuggler, with no big behavioral issues. I will use the same method as above with Lucy and Leilani to prepare them for their "special new brother", but want to know how to best make the new umbie comfortable as well. He will be in a new home, with a new cage and new family, and arriving by plane, so I cannot see him beforehand. What is the best way to introduce him to all this in a way that will feel safe and non-threatening to him?

-- Wendy Drake, Des Moines, Wash.

IT SOUNDS LIKE you have a real growing family there! Providing a smooth transition for your new cockatoo should be fairly easy. Keep things calm and quiet for a few days to let him settle in. Don't try to force yourself on him or expect him to want to cuddle right away. In his own time he'll decide that he's ready to check out this new person and see what good things she has to offer. Make sure you know what his favorite treats are so you can give them to him yourself and establish right away that you're a pretty good thing to have around!

Cockatoos are very different from macaws and eclectuses, however, and it will help to keep a few things in mind. One of the biggest mistakes people make is spending too much quality time with them. Cockatoos learn very quickly how much time they can have and when situations change and the cuddles come less often, behavior problems can ensue.

Also, don't be too surprised if your two current birds aren't as welcoming of a third as you are. Although most species of parrots live in flocks, they do establish a pretty strong pair bond and defend each other against outsiders. If your two have bonded, they may see this new guy as an intruder. To prevent this from happening, make sure you give them just as much attention as you do the new bird.

ParrotChronicles.com

-------