Hello from Perth, Australia

[Jono]

Hi there!

My name is Jono, and I've recently become a half owner of a Galah (rose breasted cockatoo), or pink & grey, as they are known over here. My housemate hit him with his truck driving back to the city from the outback, so he put him in the truck. When he got to Perth, he took the bird to a local fauna centre, who told him to look after him for a week, till he recovered, then bring him back to get checked up. We borrowed a travel cage from a neighbour (who has a greater sulphur-crested cockatoo, so it was a big cage), and looked after him.

I was concerned that the little guy was uncomfortable in the new surroundings, so I spent a lot of time being patient and allowing him to be as free as possible. There are jokes from the neighbours, saying I pretended to be a tree for four hours; but at least he was getting used to the situation.

Too used to it, it seems... When we returned to the fauna centre, they told us he was too domesticated to be returned to the wild... after ONE WEEK!! We decided to get our own cage, and look after him.

That was two or three months ago. While looking up information for care of the bird, we came across trainedparrot.com, and some of Michael's videos. We LOVED the idea of the galah playing dead, and since then, we've been trying to train him. He's picked up a lot of tricks, and can even vocalise his name pretty well (Pipio is latin for chirp, so it isn't too hard to see how he manages to tweet it out). The neighbour with the Sulfur-crested cockatoo is amazed (and maybe a little dismayed) at the progress we are making, considering her bird was hand-raised, and ours was wild no so long ago... and was hit by a truck!

So, hello all, nice to be part of a loving and bird caring community! I'll keep you informed of our progress, but for now, you can see some of the stuff the clever guy has picked up already, here -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-iFaeNxXVI

Due to the fact that my housemate is outback doing geology most of the time, Pipio has attached himself to me a lot more (might also be that I didn't hit him with a vehicle). He's really a sweet little guy, and once we get him a little more housetrained, we have no doubt that we'll get him to play dead before too long.

Just thought I'd introduce myself, didn't realise I wrote an essay... oh well, HI!!

[rebeccaturpeinen]

First off: Good going with saving him and taming him and all!!! And welcome to the forum

Second: I watched your video.... you did all that with a wild bird that was hit by a truck? In 2-3 months??? Now I am dismayed.....

Now siriously, good job! I'm impressed

[felix11]

Wow, that's so cool, considering when you met him he was wild! I live in Australia too, in Brisbane Galahs are my favorite bird, I would love one if they weren't so noisy... Great video!

[kaylayuh]

Welcome to the forum! You have a very lovely bird.

[zazanomore]

Good job on taming1

Welcome

[CheekyandMalolo]

Welcome! I'm an Aussie too, from Melbourne. Looks like this site is being taken over by Aussies!

[GlassOnion]

Welcome! I enjoyed reading your story. I'm amazed at how you could tame a wild bird like that!

[captwest]

Hello Perth,welcome to the forum. Great video bye the way.LOooks like your a bird person, you'll do great here.It's cool having a young bird who wants to fit in.It looks like ya'll having a good time, Richard and no ya'll ain't takin over. The South goin to rise again.

[patdbunny]

Welcome!!

People find puppies in burlap sacks ditched in bushes, kittens thrown in dumpsters, galah parrots . . .

WHY CAN'T I BE SO LUCKY???!!!

[zazanomore]

Welcome!!

People find puppies in burlap sacks ditched in bushes, kittens thrown in dumpsters, galah parrots . . .

WHY CAN'T I BE SO LUCKY???!!!

I always keep an eye out when I'm outside for lost Greys