A cockatoo in a shopping centre
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (357178)
Rockingham, Australia
June 28, 2025 7:28pm CST
I’ve seen a couple of feel-good stories lately and thought I’d share this one about a sulphur-crested cockatoo that managed to get itself inside a shopping centre in Cambelltown, New South Wales, Australia, but then couldn’t get itself out. It was in the centre for a month, living on brioche and other snacks.
After multiple attempts by various people to catch the cockatoo with a net or basket, it became very frightened of people in general. A volunteer with the Sydney Wildlife Rescue, Ravi Wasan, took a tame cockatoo, Doris, to the centre and, after some patient waiting, Mickey settled near Doris and eventually entered a cage nest to Doris.
Mickey has since been returned to the wild. It can be difficult to free birds when they get inside such a large space.
The photo is Vince's and is of Jimmy, a sulphur-crested cockatoo that we looked after once.
17 people like this
15 responses
@JudyEv (357178)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Jun
@Ineeddentures At least he had plenty of food choices I guess. He must have found water somewhere.
1 person likes this
@Ineeddentures (7133)
•
29 Jun
That is a fine looking Cockatoo that you looked after Judy.
Shame the bird in the shopping centre didn't get out quicker
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@JudyEv (357178)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Jun
@Ineeddentures I've heard they're very noisy. Is that so?
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@Ineeddentures (7133)
•
29 Jun
@JudyEv
Good stuff.
We had an Orange Wing Amazon which had to drink my coffee from my mug.
I had to hold the mug whilst it perched on my arm and drank from the mug
When I smoked weed it would put it's head in my open mouth and inhale the smoke
It laughed a lot
1 person likes this
@allknowing (148514)
• India
30 Jun
Good that it was sent back to the wild.
We had Gamma our pet rooster who lived for 12 years.
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@Traceyjayne (2603)
• United Kingdom
29 Jun
We often have pigeons in a local supermarket. Customers find it funny , the staff don’t even try to move it.
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@JudyEv (357178)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Jun
Pigeons can get very tame. They do make a mess however.
@JudyEv (357178)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Jun
@Traceyjayne I wouldn't like seeing them around open foods.
@Traceyjayne (2603)
• United Kingdom
30 Jun
@JudyEv yes, they never seem bothered about the shoppers ... I worry about the mess and the fact they can be around loose foods ...fruits and veggies.... bread, cakes etc
1 person likes this
@arunima25 (91235)
• Bangalore, India
29 Jun
Glad that the trick worked and the bird could be returned safe to the wild. It must be frightening to be around people for it.
That's a good looking bird that you and Vince looked after. Is it legal to keep these birds as pet?
1 person likes this
@arunima25 (91235)
• Bangalore, India
30 Jun
@JudyEv Oh! Okay. Thank you for explanation.
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@GardenGerty (164421)
• United States
29 Jun
From the title I had jumped to the conclusion that Mickey was for sale at a pet store. Here in the US people get them as pets and then sometimes tire of them. I think it was in San Diego that the zoo had a very large enclosure full of cockatiels and one of them talked. You just knew it had been a pet and been given up. I am glad Mickey trusted Doris. That made a happy ending. We had a sparrow that got into our gym and it stayed for a few days. They would prop all the exterior doors open, and close the doors that led to the interior of the school. Eventually it found its way out.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (357178)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Jun
Often when a bird gets inside a building they persist in flying up, especially if there is light up high. It can be difficult to entice them low enough to go out a doorway. The way you did it would work as well as any.
@snowy22315 (191961)
• United States
29 Jun
I have been watching cockatoo videos on Tik Tok and Facebook. They are funny little creatures. There was one where a cockatoo got a toy dinosaur out of his toy box..threw it down the stairs, and went down picked it up and hopped up stairs with it, and put it back in the toy box. They are good at dancing to music and other things.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (357178)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Jun
It's amazing how clever they are. Very entertaining too.
@wolfgirl569 (118435)
• Marion, Ohio
29 Jun
It had a good life there and didn't want to leave
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (357178)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Jun
We saw spikes on window ledges just the other day. They were pretty common in Europe too.
@LindaOHio (192981)
• United States
29 Jun
I'm glad the bird was able to be returned to the wild. Such a lovely bird.
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@LindaOHio (192981)
• United States
29 Jun
@JudyEv Yes. Most DIY places have sparrows in residence. They come in through the big bay doors and seem to stay.
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@AliCanary (3343)
•
29 Jun
Oh, poor bird! I'm glad this story had a happy ending.
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