Alpha Male

Sugar is now the alpha male of our blended flock/pack. Most of our pets are female, but two of the parrots are male. Of course, Sugar thinks he has ruled the roost for years, and he is relieved that we finally recognize his dominance. He is quite the character!

Sugar is a Goffin’s Cockatoo, which is on the small side of the large parrots. His beak is sharp and so is his attitude; cats give him a wide berth. We estimate his age to be close to 40 so I can see why he thinks he should be in charge of all the pets.

Sugar spends the most time on my shoulder but will also perch on my husband’s and some of our children’s shoulders. He used to spend all his time with me but has loosened up the past few years,  which is a bit of a relief. During mating season, if Sugar’s on my shoulder, my husband has to be careful to approach from the other side if he kisses me. It’s clear that Sugar has staked me out as his territory, and he may not be willing to share.

He’s a bit of a Romeo, also treating Hannah like his mate. She has other ideas, though, and gives him the talon to push him away. Nonetheless, they seem to enjoy flocking together during certain times of the day.

The dogs seem to worship Sugar, as he loves to swipe food from my plate and then drop it to the dogs. River is totally entranced by Sugar, seeing him as both a flying toy and a food-provider. Sugar needs to watch himself, or he’ll find himself in River’s mouth if he’s not careful. She loves to try to catch Sugar when he flies over her. Sugar likes to tease the dogs, happy for the playmates. It’s not to smart if you ask me, but things always seem to work out for him.