I thought I was going to end up with a cockatoo. My sister called. Animal control in a nearby town, one with which my sisters vet office works, had come into possession of a 5 year old, female U2. The owner had passed away. We can't take any birds at the rescue right now, and they were looking for someone to foster it or adopt it.
She kept telling me that it was friendly and loved everyone. I tried explaining that the bird is still a juvenile, and that "loves everyone" stuff could be turning very soon. Also mentioned that a U2 is not the kind of bird you can just put in a cage in a corner of your home and "foster" until a permanent home comes along. They're one of the neediest birds there is.
Well, she found a home for her pretty quickly. I guess they called a client with big bird experience, and she came and took the bird right away ( before I even got to go visit her). It's a happy ending, but I worry so much about a bird of that age. Maybe changing home at the start of puberty will be exactly what she needs. Leaving the nest, so to speak, at that age, may be a natural thing and it may really work out.
I just hope the adopter knows what she's in for. At this point, with the U2 and M2s I can handle at the rescue, I just hug them and tell them I'm sorry. There seems to be almost no way to really meet their needs. You can make them so happy, but as soon as you walk away, they seem so miserable. I just don't know how many people leading a normal, moderm lifestyle are equipped to make these birds content.