Week 2.5: This was our first look at Amadeus, a male Triton Cockatoo chick. This was late May 2006 at 2.5 weeks. You can still see a yolk spot on his back.
He can barely raise his head and sleeps during most of our visit to the American Bird Company in Falls Church, Va. We had been waiting for his parents to bring him into the world for over one year.
He fits in the palm of the hand. Swaddled in a towel, he sleeps and poops in between his feedings.
Feeding is done with a syringe and a liquid food. On seeing these pictures our friends commented, are you sure you are getting the right bird? and how does something so ugly get to be so beautiful. But to us he is already beautiful! We have waited over a year for his parents to hatch this baby.
Amadeus was part of a clutch of 2 eggs. His brother went to another customer who intended to use him as a breeder, but became a companion bird after all.
At this stage the bird sleeps a lot.
We visited the store every weekend, spending several hours with the baby. We brought Kaipo, our other Triton along with us, but he was not too thrilled at the prospect of having a rival.
Yup, its hard keeping that head upright!
A crop full of food is just like a balloon and one must be careful not to press on it or squeeze it, because the food will be pushed up.
Sleep, little baby.
There's the egg yolk spot on his back. Yes, he is lying on his tummy!
The chick is so small and so warm!
Every now and then he could summon some energy to rouse himself to stand up.
But not for long, and immediatey, he fell asleep.
Week 3: Oh my, I can stand!
All the parts are visible, especially the crop (obviously full bag that seems to hand from his chest) and the ear (just behind and below the eye.)
Sleepy baby! The wing feathers are just visibly emerging but the fuzz predominates yet.
At this stage in life the chick grows rapidly.
Standing up, even if we have to use our rump to keep us upright!
Just covered in a yellowish fuzz there is not much to keep him warm. So the store is warm and humid, the a/c turned off, even though we are in the heat of June.
Week 6: Another week and we have feathers! We want to be fed too!
The crest feathers are already emerging and distinct, along with the blue eye ring of the Triton.
You can see the flight feathers beginning to grow our, as well as the tail feathers on the rump.
We can almost stand up! The leg bones on this guy were enormous. The rest of the body had to catch up with them.
The crest has emerged.
The ear hole is just about covered up now.
Amadeus shared a cage as a baby with other baby birds at the American Bird company. Mainly baby Amazons and McCaws.
Sibling: this is a younger brother who came along about 6 weeks later. He was housed in an incubator cage, his eyes are still closed.
Sibling picture: the feathers are beginning to emerge.
Sibling: still in the incubator.
Amadeus Week 8. The feathering is really coming out now.
Amadeus Week 9: at the American Bird Company July 9, 2006
Week 11: This was early August at the store. He is quite adventurous.
We have to hold on to him to keep him from running around on the counter top.
But he tires quickly. You can see the blue eye ring that is distinctive of the Triton clearly here.
A big stretch probably for the last time with a complete set of unclipped flight feathers. Pat Boros, the proprietor, clipped his wings shortly after this. Enough feathers are left so he can glide but not gain altitude.
Week 13: Amadeus comes home. This picture was taken just after he arrived at home with us, older step brother Kaipo looks on from his cage above. The two cockatoos are housed in a double height cage in our kitchen where they can watch everything that goes on.
Week 21: Amadeus first hike on Oct 1. This is the main peak of Sugarloaf Mtn, Md. The weather was warm, and he was agreeable for a short adventure.
Kaipo (L) and Amadeus (R) play on their stands. Kaipo does not want Amadeus to take over his play gym perch. Even at this point Amadeus is larger than the older Kaipo. Kaipo is a Triton cockatoo who joined our family in October of 2005. He came from the Featherheads store in Sterling Va.
Oct 4: Another hike to the main peak of Sugarloaf Mountain.
Week 23: Amadeus on the Northern Peaks trail to the White Rocks area of Sugarloaf Mountain Oct 16. This was a blow-down area from the wind storms and hurricane a few years ago. The park salvaged the lumber from the blown over trees.
Amadeus with his crest erected up on Sugarloaf Mountain.
Amadeus on the Northern Peaks trail to the White Rocks area of Sugarloaf Mountain. This is the stone cairn marker on the tallest of the northern peaks.
Week 23: Amadeus on the trail at Sugarloaf for his another fall hike on Oct 22.
Amadeus: every falling leaf a challenge! The boy finds everything exciting and every leaf stimulates a display. Oct 31 at Sugarloaf Mountain.
Week 26: Another hike up to Sugarloaf on Nov 10. He doesn't always remain perched on me yet, he is liable to jump off to chase a butterfly or other flying insect. But he is learning that its better to remain on my arm than on the forest floor. The risk level is low as his flight feathers are clipped.
Amadeus is still stimulated by the remaining falling leaves. His crest is magnificant and despite all the bravado he displays, he is still a cuddly love sponge.
Week 31: On the trail near the northern Lambert overlook on Sugarloaf Mountain on Dec 16 on a warm winter day.
Amadeus in the light of the setting sun on Sugarloaf Mountain. It was a warm December 2006 and early January 2007 which allowed us to take some more short 'Training hikes' . But the days are short, so we don't go very far.
Week 34: Amadeus in the late afternoon winter light on the trail to White Rocks on Sugarloaf Mountain on Jan 6, 2007.
