Cockatoo's Sweet Search for Squirrel Friend Results in the Cutest Squeaks
I have pets living under my roof who belong to three different species — one dog, two cats, and a tortoise — so I've had my fair share of seeing animals react to other animals of another species... both in my own house and in my backyard. It's all based on their personalities, as far as I can tell; my very friendly, outgoing dog usually thinks that a bunny who hops into the yard is going to be her new best friend, and my sassy cat is always ready to scare a bird off her property from her comfy chair on the other side of the window.
I do have to admire the way this Cockatoo reacted to a squirrel in his backyard, though. Instead of getting scared, he simply stayed calm in the hopes of making a new pal. This is too sweet!
On Monday, October 7, @furbythebirb shared this footage taken when her Cockatoo, Furby, discovered that there was a squirrel out there that he was very interested in... but don't worry, not in an evil way. In fact, I'm willing to bet that there is not a single evil bone in Furby's body!
While Furby was perched on his mom's finger, they realized that they could no longer see the squirrel that caught his eye, but they could hear him, so Furby did his best to call the squirrel back in the form of the cutest little squeaks. OMG! This is too adorable — you have to hear it for yourself.
Once he could finally see the squirrel again, Furby did the sweetest head tilt. This is a very curious bird!
Unfortunately, we didn't get to see them form a friendship, but the squirrel did feel safe enough to stick around, watching Furby (and his dog) from a distance. It speaks volumes of this bird that the squirrel didn't instantly run away.
Do Birds & Squirrels Get Along?
Of course, the true answer to this question is going to depend on the lives and personalities and quirks of each individual squirrel and bird out there. But more generally speaking, in the wild, the answer is probably something along the lines of coexisting.
In fact, Medical News Today reported about a study that showed that squirrels actually respond to and seem to understand birds' calls with the intent to act as an alarm — the kind that would warn other birds about impending danger like a predator.
It's kind of a cool relationship, even if the birds don't realize they're helping their secret squirrel friends out.
I have a feeling Furby would help out any animal he met, though. He's just that kind of guy!
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