By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
When you walk into John and Debbie Halbrook’s lake house, you’ll immediately feel welcome when you hear someone say “hello” or “I love you.”
A warm greeting for sure, but it comes from Angel the cockatoo who is waiting for you to become his new friend. The Halbrooks are a family of birds with Angel and a lilac-crowned amazon named Molly as pets.
For dog and cat families, one wonders what a bird brings as a pet, but the Halbrooks enjoy each of their unique personalities. Angel likes to cuddle, and even though Molly doesn’t want to be touched, she can whistle or sing a little song. Angel will turn her back if she doesn’t like what’s going on and Molly can do a little dance on her perch.
The Halbrooks have lived in Bowie since 2019 after moving from Carrolton. They married in 2000 with their two children and were joined by their two children plus seven grandchildren.
The Halbrooks considered another bird after losing their beloved black and white Cocker Spaniel Oreo after 14 years. It was a tough loss and Debbie is quick to say, “I don’t know if I could do it again.”
John had never had a bird as a pet, and Debbie had a small cockatoo when her children were small, but it flew away. He remembers that his grandmother had a parakeet that talked to her.
The Molly Amazon parrot was inherited by John after he lost his mother 18 years ago to a battle with Alzheimer’s disease. They do not know if it is a man or a woman and its age is unknown.
Debbie explains that this green bird, which is about half the size of her friend, Angel first entered John’s mother’s yard in the early 1990s because she had him for 10 years before the couple started dating the 1999
“It was 110 degrees outside and he saw the bird in the driveway where it was so hot. He grabbed a bowl of water and put it down. The bird stepped on the edge of the bowl and his mother came into the house. It soon became a household pet,” said Debbie.
The purple-crested Amazon is common in southern Texas or southern California, but is native to Mexico, where its numbers have declined rapidly due to the demands of the pet trade, poachers, and the destruction of its habitat
Spruce Pets calls this relatively friendly species with calm manners, full of personality and a loyal companion, but their temperament can be defiant as they want their wall all the time. Considered small for Amazon parrots, they reach about 13 inches and have a lifespan of up to 60 years.
After Molly came into their home, the couple thought she might need a friend because birds need a lot of stimulation and social attention. They were meeting some of their children for dinner and popped into a pet store while they waited. That’s where they met Ángel, a six-month-old cockatoo. She was a charmer and joined the family.
The cockatoo is any of 21 species of parrots in the family Cacatuidae and are recognized by their prominent crests and curved beaks. Their plumage is generally less colorful than other parrots, mainly white, gray or black and often with colored features on the crest, cheeks or tail.
Cockatoos are medium to large, stoutly built parrots that grow 12 to 24 inches long. They have a leg up.
They share many features with other parrots, including the distinctive curved beak shape and a “zygodactyl” foot with two middle toes pointing forward and two pointing backward. Their claws are strong as is the beak they often use to climb tree branches.
The cockatoo’s most distinctive feature is the erect plumes of feathers on its head, which form a very striking crest. The Angel has light blue feathers around his eyes that make them stand out even more.
They are also long-lived and some reach 70 years. Debbie says she’s met a 90-year-old cockatoo, so she knows they live a long life.
Read the full feature in your weekend Bowie News.
