Sydney was born sometime before 1991 and was purchased as a gift for a 8th grade girl. She grew up and left Sydney behind at her parents. Sydney stayed in a room to himself and was left to go in and out of his cage at his own will. Sometimes he'd walk into the room where they'd be sitting, look around, and then head back to his cage. His former owners told us he can dance around a little hat to the Mexican Hat Dance. Somewhere along the way, his wing was broken. I have to keep the feathers on that wing short to help him keep his balance and for cleanliness.
Since he can't fly, he JUMPS when he is afraid. This has been distressing to me! It's one of those things you should tell someone about! WOW! Sydney will fall to the floor with a thud, so now I try to keep him low over a broad surface. It appears that some time before we acquired him, this caused him to break a joint in one foot. If he loses his balance, he will fall on his back and not be able to right himself easily. I watch over him carefully in our busy household to keep him safe. I really like the old man. I enjoy the quieter moments when I can get him out of his cage and let him hang out with me. He's my "Let's chill!" buddy.
When someone asks him to perch on their finger, he make gestures at their fingers with his beak to warn them to be careful of his wing. He can sometimes be grumpy and will refuse to perch when he is not interested in coming out of his cage. He sleeps a lot, but he IS older than dirt! He seems interested in watching our other birds but not in closely interacting with them.
Cockatiels can live to be 30+ years old, so we will take good care of Sydney and see how long he blesses our lives.
