All this is absolutely true. We had a lot of white cockatoos years ago, including a Moluccan, a medium sulphur-crested, an umbrella and (this species is now critically endangered) a Philippine red-vented. The Moluccan was one in a million: he housebroke himself, put himself to bed at night, didn't squawk, didn't bite, didn't destroy things. He sat with my sister on the couch and watched TV. We never closed the cage door. He was caught wild as an adult, tamed within weeks and of course eventually died of PBFD a couple years later. PBFD also killed the other red-vented we had, but this one (even though he'd eat pretty much anyone) he never bit me ever. He went to the zoo, where I hope he is repopulating the species.

But the sulphur-crested and the umbrella were more typical. The sulphur-crested was trouble from the beginning and he bit everyone at least once. He had an obnoxious habit of eating peppers and then asking for a kiss because he enjoyed the reaction. We found a home for him. As for the umbrella, he was a gorgeous and delightful bird as a baby and unmanageable as an adult. I still remember the day I had to catch him because he escaped onto the porch. The towel didn't stop him from severely gnawing my hand. He, too, found a new home.

And I'd consider us fairly experienced as a family with parrots; my folks still have a charming little caique. We also had macaws and an Amazon and even a red fan parrot, a beautiful and absolutely intractable wretched thing who only obeyed my father and yet nailed everyone including him. But I loved the cockatoos most, even though everything in this article is dead on. I think it was Robert Blake remarking on his trademark cockatoo in Baretta that if you work with parrots, expect to get bitten.

If you're new to aviculture, try a cockatiel or a budgie first. They're easy to care for, are much less likely to be difficult to handle, can be extremely good pets and may be all the bird you need. Bigger birds really require devotion to the cause.