I have a new bird and I am teaching her to fly.
Yes, I know that sounds ridiculous because I actually can’t fly myself, although I did try tried several times as a child until my dad banished me from my flight pad on the garage roof. The second time I broke my arm he decided that the time had come to explain to me that my arm was an arm and that it would never be a wing. I remember sobbing. I was four.
This new bird is five months old and has been hand-raised. She has come all the way from the other side of Australia. She is beautiful, exotic, an endangered species and, even though she is temporarily in a cage in our veranda (right next to our weiro’s cage) I let both birds out during the day and they usually hang out on top of the biggest cage, munching seed and chattering to each other.
Last evening, I put Buttons the weiro to bed in her cage so I could concentrate on our new bird’s first flying lesson. I flapped my arms up and down and she looked at me from her perch for a moment, then suddenly began to copy me and, a moment later, she was flying all around the veranda – wow! I was a little disconcerted when she smashed into me but when I picked her up she pressed her substantial beak against my nose as if to say, “that was fun!”
Her name is ‘Wantok’.
jmgoyder 
Wantok looks like a regal bird and I’m sure you’re going to have some fun with her. I’m enjoying your bird blog – it’s fresh, amusing and inventive. Keep up the entertaining work 🙂
Thanks, Johanna – I really appreciate your support as I am a relative newbie to blogging and you are a star! Julie
I love your story of wanting to fly when you were younger; I could visualise a young Julie launching herself from the garage roof. Did you have a cape as well? How lucky to have a red-tailed black cockatoo, I’m sure it’s very greatful for the flying lessons. 🙂
Oh my god they are my favorite bird:) I was going to ask if you were going to get one. Saw some in pet shop last week.
She is incredible! Come and visit.
Hmmm, very exciting. Will look forward to your next post. 🙂
I was trying to create a bit of suspense by not revealing Wantok’s breed but two commenters have already figured it out!
I love them. Was so tempted to get the one in the petshop, but didn’t think Stella (dog) would be too impressed or Brian at the price 😉
I can’t see the rounded fluffy crest erected forwards over her forehead, so I assumed she must be a Glossy Black-Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus lathani), not a Red-tailed black Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus banksii).
Since I’ve never seen either in real life, I’m not sure. Her long red tail feathers look more like the Glossy Black-Cockatoo.
She’s a red-tail but my photo wasn’t very good – I’ll get a better photo soon!
Nice post, Julie! Informative, with just the right dash of humor tossed into the mix !
Thank you!
Why have you ripped off my photo & pasted it into your blog pretending that its your bird ???
Please forgive me, Wayne. I accessed what I thought was a free photo site when I was new to blogging. I will remove the photo immediately. Julie
Should I re-post or do another one and attribute to you? I have plenty of photos of Wantok and didn’t mean to misrepresent – so sorry.