Name :

Venus.

Species:

Rose Breasted Cockatoo (Elopholus roseicapillus.)

Sex:

Female

Age:

6 years.

Favorite Foods:

According to her Dad, Daniel, Venus absolutely loves fruit of any kind. "No matter whether it's apples, grapes, oranges, or bananas, she gobbles it all up!" he says. Venus also enjoys a variety of seed and Zupreem Fruit Blend Pellets.

Favorite Toys:

Venus prefers to stay in one place most of the time, so she likes her toys to be hung within reach of her perch.

"I will hang bells, beads, wicker balls, and plastic loops over her perch" says Daniel, "and watch her go at them until she's torn them all to bits."

Favorite Perches:

Venus has a t-perch that she stays on while she's out of her cage during the day. "She also likes to perch on the open door of her cage." says Daniel. "I think she likes the easy access to her treats and all of her toys."

Dislikes:

If there is anything that Venus hates, it's having her wings clipped. "She sulks about it for hours after it's done." Daniel says. "I don't even attempt to do them myself anymore. It's not worth the grudge she holds against me!"

Special Talents:

Venus is unique amongst many birds in that her biggest talent doesn't involve vocabulary or vocalizations. "I've had Venus since she was 3 months old," says Daniel, "and I've never heard her make a peep. She's completely mute. I guess her best talent is that she never screams!"

Life With Venus:

Daniel found Venus through a breeder that he looked up online. "When I decided to get a parrot" he says, "I knew I wanted a Cockatoo.

I actually went to visit the breeder to see an Umbrella Cockatoo, but I fell in love with Venus the moment I saw her."

He brought Venus home when she was 3 months old, and they have been inseperable ever since. "She has a sleeping cage in my bedroom, a shower perch in my bathroom -- she has really taken over my life, but I wouldn't have it any other way." Daniel explains.

Daniel owns his own business, and Venus comes to work with him every day. "She's my office assistant and my best friend." he says. "She's there for me every day, and she's sort of become the office mascot."

Proving to Daniel's clients and coworkers that sometimes feathered friends make the best friends, Venus shows others that pet birds can be just as friendly and affectionate as dogs or cats. "She never meets a stranger." Daniel says. "She will step up and love on everyone that walks into the office, and she never bites. She really is just the sweetest bird you could ever meet."

Congratulations, Venus, for being chosen as Bird of the Week!

To learn more about birds like Venus, check out this profile on Rose-Breasted Cockatoos. <i>Do you think that your bird should be the next "Bird of the Week"? If so, email me at birds@aboutguide.com with photos and information about your pet. Make sure that all images are clear and bright, in .jpg format, and at least 200px.</i>