Mr Video the cockatoo

A few days ago, we were in Castlemaine when Kurt pointed out a man who was walking on the street with a cockatoo on his shoulder. A few people had gathered around him and I asked Kurt to turn the car around! Kurt sighed indulgently and did so.

I got out excitedly from the car and went up to the man with the cockatoo now on his arm, admired by a few people gathered around. The cockatoo whose name is Mr Video was very relaxed about being patted. He was so gorgeous, totally at ease with the strangers touching and stroking him. When I gently stroked him, he turned shyly to look at me while he snuggled close against his owner's arm, like a shy child.

His owner told me that they'd owned a video store in town and Mr Video had been the resident bird. Mr Video has been with him 17 years, and loves riding on the motorbike. That's true, as I saw for myself later, when we stopped at the traffic light and next to us was Mr Video on his owner's shoulder, on the bike. When the bike took off, Mr Video ducked his head to the front of his owner's chest and hung on, looking like he was enjoying himself immensely!