Dear friends of Kokie,

We'd like to thank you all for your help and donations over the past 6 months. We got the new aviary installed and Kokie loves it! He has room to stretch his (sadly flightless) wings, wander around and choose to be out of the wind/rain/sun or out in the mesh area watching the world go by on the street.

The new, solid aviary actually saved his life recently when two large, stray dogs ran right up to the aviary and were throwing themselves against it trying to attack him. Luckily Fr Jerzy was home and was able to run out and scare them away. If Kokie had still been in the old cage it would have collapsed under their assault. The Council was called about this dog attack and they attended the site very promptly and actually located these dogs roaming the neighbourhood.

We ordered and got the cage setup before summertime with its hot weather and storms, and as such haven't quite met our fundraising target, but it was worth it to see Kokie happy in his new home.

Thanks again! Keep reading below for a recap on Kokie himself and the project.

[the new aviary!]

[One of the natural perches we've put in the new aviary]

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This delightful character is at least 60 years old and as a valued senior citizen deserves a bit of extra comfort! Legend has it that Kokie was found injured many years ago (possibly the '74 floods) and was rescued by a kind priest. He's lived at the parish for decades and is a sociable and much-loved bird.

Kokie adores all his human friends. He loves his walks on the grass, getting scratches and having chats and listening to songs. But Kokie can't fly and he's solo, so in his [old] cage it can be hard to warm up and get out of the cold.

In the wild, sulphur-crested cockatoos roost in their social groups, often huddled together for warmth. They'll choose the best aspect of trees to be protected from weather, or retreat into hollows or old termite nests that they modify.

Kokie is a pet, and his current aviary is his happy home, but it has seen better days! It has rust holes which are easy access points for potential vermin and predators. The roof leaks, and sometimes the wind (and rain) blows right through the east facing wire.

[Kokie's old cage which stood firm for decades but eventually got rusty and leaky]

As his friends let's make his life more comfortable and more fun, so that he can spend many more healthy decades in his home environment.

The Plan

1. New concrete

2. The new aviary, which is:

A large steel/colourbond aviary with cockatoo grade wire

More areas of solid wall for weather protection

Larger floor space

More room for different perches, toys etc

A larger door and higher roof to enable easier access to clean, give food, rearrange perches etc

Cockatoo-grade new aviaries of approx L 2.3m x W1.5 x H 1.8m cost around $2700

[The floor of the old cage]

Any extra funds raised will help with aviary freight costs, help with installing the new aviary, buying materials for perches, toys, food etc.

It will be life changing for Kokie to have a clean, big and safe aviary.

Thank you for caring, and for any amount you can donate to help him.

.... And here's a good article on Sulphur Crested cockatoos if you'd like to learn more about them....