Umbrella cockatoos are the clingiest parrot on the planet. If you don’t believe us, ask the parents of Charlie Junior the Cocktoo. Charlie now lives with a 20-something couple. He is around 25 years old. Before being with his new family, he was mute. Imagine their surprise the first time he said “Love youuuuu.” Like parents with a toddler, Mom and Dad looked at one another in shock when the cockatoo spoke.
Videos by InspireMore
Mom, Ellie Jade Jackson, during an interview with Newsweek, says, “There is a rivalry between me and the bird, as Charlie hates me to go anywhere near my husband but loves me when I am in the house alone.” That rivalry is evident in many of the videos they share. She sometimes calls Charlie an “evil chicken” while joking about how the bird stole her husband.
Although Charlie is over a quarter century old, in cockatoo years, he is still in the toddler phase. These beautiful birds can live to be 100 or more in captivity. When they adopted Charlie, they expected a lifetime commitment, but not the challenges of the toddler years.
Adopting Charlie was always Ellie’s dream, and her husband only agreed to it to make his wife happy. When Charlie moved in, things took on a different perspective. The animal developed an affinity for the man who never wanted him. Even though it began as a one-sided affair, Dad now loves the bird completely. Charlie loves Ellie, too, but only when his Dad isn’t home.
If you want to see more of Charlie Junior the Cockatoo, follow him on Instagram and TikTok. Ellie manages his accounts, so you’ll see lots of Charlie and his Dad, but not much of his Mom.
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You can find the source of this story’s featured image here.
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