I like where your head is-- it sounds like you could definitely make this work.. I DO agree, they are what they are-- but most people don't know exactly what that is, and many make it worse. THEY NEED people who get them.
A really solid behavioral foundation (both in relation to the birds themselves and ABA) will take you far PLUS time..TONS OF TIME. So in that respect, it sounds like your head is in the right place. That is essential and I am glad to hear that you are thinking that way, because you have to almost be in an educator mindset for these birds...Someone who gets them, reads them, understands what can reinforce behavior (for better or for worse) etc etc. I wrote the following because it is what I thought of when I read your reply--it isn't because I think YOU don't know these things (not sure if you do or not) but this is what popped into my head, so now you get to read an unfortunate novella (again LOL)!
I should preface this again by saying that U2s are my favorite parrots- I love them so much, and their "CRAZY" behavior can be both lovable and maddening all at once (it isn't really crazy, but it feels that way sometimes. I am not trying to be down on U2s- but I think they are poor "pets" for most people (heck- they aren't pets--- they are like little dictator children with extreme needs)---I think they need their own adoption category--a category between kids, pets and prison inmates maybe lol. <3
I know about the "HOT 3" but I think U2s might very well be on-fire in comparison.
With U2s, some things that are unique would be:
1. their extreme desire to graft themselves to you (yeah- I know all birds can be needy, and lots of other birds scream for attention or fly to their people, but U2s are naturally super needy within a home and can be intense (because we can't provide the flock dynamics etc that they would have in the wild).---I have lived with and spent a lot of times with lots of birds and NEVER have I seen any species(besides u2 and m2s) SO obsessed with wanting to be with people /get that constant attention/tactile interaction-
Lots of people find this "neediness" very difficult to resist initially (because 1. if they (U2s) DO get their way, they aren't nearly as loud if they don't, and 2. because people LOVE cuddling animals and birds are cute (and it "feels" special to have a bird WANT to be with you)----but overindulging this neediness frequently creates a monster within a home (even though it is all based on instinct)- it can be hard to find the line between being attentive and overly-attentive (ESPECIALLY for people whose birds are not yet sexually mature--very easy to set an unsustainable precedent and indulge behavior that will eventually become inappropriate). Some of this neediness can be curtailed some with training, BUT it feels a lot like swimming against a current at times...that desire/instinct never goes away-- it's more about finding ways to meet their needs in ways that are more acceptable for you personally...which again, is still annoying--and again-- this is more intense than what is seen in your typical needy parrot...It can work in a home, but it requires you to bend to the bird more than the bird will ever bend to you--but don't get me wrong, YOU MUST be more stubborn than the bird--- and that takes patience...(Ultimately, you make it work for the bird in the least aversive way possible for you). Noodles is pretty "calm" as U2s go, but 1. she wouldn't be that way without constant work, 2. she used to be way worse and 3. "calm" is relative. She DEFINITELY puts on her best performances for visitors, so no one ever really sees her "true colors"
U2s also become hormonal more easily than most other types of birds (even though all birds are very hormonal, Umbrella cockatoos are like raging middle-school boys all the time), which means that all of the snuggles are actually feeding into their sexual motives (even though they want snuggles all the time) ---people have a really hard time identifying sexual cockatoo behavior because it just looks adorable and they "seem" so happy to play with boxes, get "scritches" under their wings etc.
They are like the clunky seductresses of the bird world---they win people over through their awkward and persistent charm, and then are like, "WE WILL BE TOGETHER...FOR-EV-ER AND EV-ER...or I WILL KILL YOU BECAUSE YOU TALKED TO _____"
I know this early 2000s movie gets a lot of flack for being sexist and amplifying stereotypes, but sometimes, having Noodles reminds me of "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" (including the chill, then crazy parts lol)...only I guess I would be the "guy" in this case...and despite Noodles desire for it to be so, our relationship is not sexual LOL (at least on my end)! This is meant to be a silly comparison-- I know she is a bird etc etc. LOL
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZMGk_Ml1fc"]YouTube[/ame]
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2Q27LruEnA"]YouTube[/ame]
Knowing all of this is about half of the battle- the other half is meeting their needs while still teaching independence and tolerating the behaviors that pop up as a result of interventions...and that is the very very tricky part. Again, training (which often involves planned ignoring) can lead to bursts in undesirable behaviors temporarily (and that could be months). U2S
REALLY do need more attention than other birds in order to be mentally content (it's their nature) and so what might seem excessive for another parrot would actually be the bare-minimum for a U2..You basically have to be a pre-school teacher forever. That having been said, TOO MUCH is also a problem...SO you have to figure out a balance between nature and what works in your home, while still working for the bird (but sometimes it takes a chunk of time to figure that out, as the bird will push back against any perceived decrease in attention).
Then you have the volume issues. Training a cockatoo to scream less and be more independent requires a lot of patience because initially (as in, many months) it often involves hours and hours of screaming on end (so loud that you can't hear people 4 ft away from you even though the bird is 1 room over). You know how life is when there is a baby in the house and everyone does everything for that baby to stay semi-content (like signs on the door saying, baby sleeping, DO NOT RING)? Or, let's all sing the "Mr. Cuddle Bug song to put baby to sleep!" Or "OMG the baby did a silly face, lets all stare at it and try to replicate the moment with great enthusiasm for 1 hour straight!"
That's what life CAN be like with a cockatoo---especially for the first year when you are still training/getting to know the bird...They are programmed to be loud, but when I refer to screaming, I mean that "ah ah ah ah" attention-seeking/ "tantrum" scream (if you will excuse my anthropimorphization). Only...a U2 can take off a finger if it wants to and a U2 can scream louder than 10 babies...and fly LOL. pesky details...
Of all the birds I have encountered, I would say that U2s and M2s are the LEAST suited for life in captivity--that's why so many of them have so many issues. It is stressful to try to smush a square hole into a round peg, BUT, they can be great if you have the time and energy (it just takes a lot of time and energy and the bird has to be on the forefront of almost everything you do).
These days, Noodles is WAY more independent than she was (but still super-needy compared to other types of parrots). Her "independence" also doesn't translate to all settings (when we visit my parents' house, she will scream for hours if she knows someone is home and they are not in the same room with her OR if she can see them and wants to be where they are--and this isn't a fear thing either---she loves it there, and no one reinforced this behavior, but it's like it resets whenever we leave and go back for a visit)....It's the same stuff she used to do at my house when I first got her, only worse, because there are more people to keep track of there and she has SERIOUS FOMO (fear of missing out).
At my house these days, she is out 90% of the time if I am here, and she will play on her cage or playstands. She can be alone in a room without screaming here (which wasn't the case for the first year after I got her when she would scream for attention ALL the time). She is still pretty demanding (but in a more acceptable way) and needs lots of random interaction and over-the-top enthusiasm from me (we sing, dance, look out the windows, talk about things in the house, play games)----really, think annoying pre-school teacher. She does still try to get my attention frequently, but I also talk to her about where I am going (using predictable words- which has helped her anticipate and be less anxious) and I talk to her from the other room if I hear her say something.
When I DON'T respond to her nice attention-seeking behaviors, that is when she will resort to worse ones and ignoring those is harder (but essential to ignore) because they are very disruptive and sometimes, downright dangerous, which is why you have to respond to the good....If you saw her right now, you would think she was super-chill always.
I am rambling, but basically, having a U2 means you have to be "ON" all the time- they NEED that positive attention, so failure to keep up with all of their quirks can lead to worse things (at the same time, TOO much attention isn't healthy either)...Then, there is the type of attention---they can't build their relationship around petting/watching TV together on your lap etc, as that is too much contact and can become sexual.
Then there is the tri-point bite and their body language (which many people find difficult to read, as many very different behaviors look similar unless you really know the individual bird.
, I did some more research on the U2, and I suspect that your defensiveness may be partially fueled by the fact that the females are so commonly put into breeding mills. I wasn't aware that this was such a problem, but I understand if that factored into your responses. Trust me, breeding is the last thing I want for any captive birds. I don't even want it to happen for humans!
