Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary has welcomed a unique new resident, an albino yellow-tailed black cockatoo named Tweety.
Tweety was found beside a road as a juvenile and was significantly underweight, indicating she had been alone for some time.
Sanctuary staff believe Tweety may have been rejected by her flock due to her albinism and was too young to fend for herself.
“As a social species of bird, Tweety should have still been with her parents and their flock at her age,” the sanctuary said.
“Too young to fend for herself, Tweety had clearly been struggling to survive and was very lucky that someone had found her when they did.”
Staff have raised Tweety over the last few months, stepping into the role of her parents and helping her grow into a healthy young cockatoo.
As a result of this care, Tweety has “become humanised” and bonded to her carers.
“It is unlikely she would ever be accepted by her kind if she were to return to the wild, a sad fate for a social species,” the sanctuary said.
“For these reasons, Tweety will remain at Bonorong as a resident, where her safety is ensured.”
In the coming weeks, Tweety will begin to spend time on display as staff introduce her to existing resident birds, who they hope will provide the social interaction she needs.
