"Brrrrring! Brrrrring!" The sound of a telephone ringing. "Hello," I answer from across the room. "Eh.eh.eh.eh." The sound of a telephone busy signal. The sound of a phone ringing, me saying hello, and then hearing a busy signal is nothing unusual. But it is when all the telephone sounds are coming from a bird.

     The bird is Tahoe, a six-year-old sulphur-crested cockatoo who came to us from a young family that was looking forward to a new baby. So Tahoe was moved to the husband’s office, where he interrupted meetings and generally did not fit in. I assume that is where he learned the telephone mimic.

     This type of parrot is native to Australia and Tasmania. It is one of the best known of all Australian birds. Tahoe is white, with a bright yellow crest that curves forward when it is opened. When closed, it forms a yellow plume at the back of the bird's head. The underside of the wings and tail are pale yellow. The strong curved beak is black. He breaks Brazil nuts like paper. The sulphur-crested cockatoo is large, about 49 cm long, including tail. Males and females look alike. The average lifespan is seventy years.

     In the wild cockatoos eat the seeds of grasses and plants, grains, roots, berries, and buds. They also eat the insects and grubs on the crops and weeds. They feed in the morning and evening and spend the hottest part of the day in trees stripping off leaves and bark. The flock will stay in the same feeding area until they have exhausted it before moving on.