I have an incredibly soft spot for all members of the cockatoo family because of their loyalty and affection. I am visiting our cabin in Donner and went to a pet store in Reno. I heard a cockatoo shriek and went to investigate. It was an Umbrella cockatoo hen, with the worst feather condition I have ever seen. She had 2 loose dishes for food and water. She had no pellets or vegetables. Just small seeds. Her perches were good, and the cage surprisingly wasn't soiled, but she had one small toy she couldn't even shred. She looked awful. She was itchy and she hurt herself because her nails were so long. And her beak was coated in powder, which I tried to wipe off with my finger. This poor girl needed a bath. BAD. I swiped a few peanuts from a display when the manger wasn't looking and I also gave her a banana chip. She devoured them. I sat on the floor next to her cage for 45 minutes and talked to her and calmed her down when people scared her. She responded well and I named her Baby Girl. She would talk to me and ask me how I was doing. She meant well and was so sweet. A little boy came up to her cage and said, "Her yellow tail is pretty but the rest of her is ugly." Ugly. I know he's a little boy, but I told him she can't help it. What can I do for Baby Girl? I cried after the little boy left...

She was for sale for $1200. She looked about $500 in the condition she was in. She coward in the corner when the manager walked by. I was very suspicious. I was hoping if I could negotiate the price down I could heal her and foster until she gets a good home, but my parents said no. And I know Baby Girl isn't a small bird, but she isn't non-avian either, so I put her here.

Are there any bird rescues in your area? If so, you could talk to them and see what they recommend. If there are any conditions that violate local law you could report the store to the police, but animal welfare cases tend to have a low priority.

Was plucking the reason for the poor feather condition? The large cockatoos are very prone to plucking for psychological reasons.

No, the store is ok, it's just an older store. And the manager is a very nice old man, so I would feel terrible reporting him. He runs the entire thing himself, so I mean it's pretty good for someone that age running the whole store on their own, but while he's a nice guy, he just seems naive on the subject of parrot care. I think the whole parrot care hasn't improved much to him since America stopped importing parrots in 1992. It's much more advanced now and I just don't think he is on board with the modern bird care.

But that is a good idea about the parrot rescues. I'll look around Tahoe/Reno and see if they have one in Nevada.

And no, she wasn't plucking. Just ragged.

If he's a nice guy, then maybe talk to him about parrot care. If he improves the bird's living conditions it will look better, and he'll have a better chance of selling it.

Its so sad when you come across birds kept like this.. a rescue centre seems the answer if there is one near you. What a shame birds are treated like this, guess its education we all need.