Simple reason unique Aussie bird can't be sold for any price
The rare bird hasn't yet realised he looks different to the rest of his species. Although other cockatoos aren't quite sure about him.
A rare cockatoo discovered starving on the side of an Aussie road has been nurtured back to health. While it’s believed “Tweety’s” parents abandoned him because of his odd appearance, his truly unique colouring has excited bird collectors around the country.
Bonorong sanctuary, where the striking leucistic yellow-tailed black cockatoo is being cared for, has received multiple purchase offers in the tens of thousands of dollars after news spread of the bird. But in order to dampen the hopes of other buyers, it’s put together a leaflet explaining why money can’t buy him.
“It is illegal in Tasmania to buy or sell native, protected species,” it says.
And although the sanctuary's director understands why people might want to buy the bird, it’s clear he’s going to live his best life receiving dedicated care with his own species. “Some people collect stamps, and others collect birds. He’s pretty unique,” Gregory Irons told Yahoo News. “But we don’t want to see them ever taken from the wild and that’s what happens when you put a monetary value on them.”
Why is the cockatoo yellow?
While most of us associate a leucistic mutation with white colouring, Tweety’s yellow features are the result of a recessive lutino gene.
“He’s meant to be black with yellow on the underside of his feathers, not all over,” Irons said.
“His mutation is not a positive one to have if you’re out in the wild.”
While white coloured magpies and kookaburras have been known to survive in suburbs of NSW and Perth, in the wild’s of Tasmania he would have stood out and been vulnerable to predators like wedge-tailed eagles.
Why was Tweety taken into care?
When Tweety came into care several months ago, he was so listless his rescuers thought he may have been hit by a car. His breast bone, known as a keel, was sharp because of a lack of breast muscles, and he was given a body score of just 1.5 out of 5.
“He was still lively and vocal, but he was very skinny and emaciated to the point where we worried his organs might have began shutting down,” Irons said.
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Although Tweety is rare, the Bonorong team believe the mutation is more likely to occur within his flock than elsewhere. For this reason they’re not revealing the location of where he was found.
The team also plans to sterilise him to prevent the breeding of more birds that can't survive in the wild.
Does Tweety know he's yellow?
Aged just under one year and still learning about how to be a cockatoo, Tweety has been housed in a large aviary at the sanctuary. He’s watched by video cameras around the clock and there are always staff on site to attend to his needs. Despite his strange appearance, his behaviour appears to be “completely normal” so far.
“He doesn’t have access to a mirror, so I don’t reckon he knows he’s different,” Irons said.
“I suspect the other birds know that he's different for sure. But the other black cockatoo we have is still interacting with him and they’re becoming friends.”
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Although Tweety’s strange appearance is garnering a lot of public interest, there are thousands of other animals that Bonorong has coordinated the rescue of. Last year it received over 17,000 calls asking for help with sick, injured or displaced wildlife.
If you are travelling through Tasmania and need advice or assistance you can call the sanctuary on 0447 264 625.
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