Cockatoo Saying 'Please' Before Mom Gives Him a Treat Is the Most Well-Mannered Gentleman

Yahoo

09-03-2025

Cockatoos are some pretty incredible birds. They are intelligent and have impressive mimicry skills that make them highly entertaining, magnetic creatures to interact with.
But some of these birds, such as Toad the cockatoo, are also exceptionally well-mannered. Just check out this adorable video where Toad kindly says 'please' before his mom gives him a tasty treat, and you'll see that this incredibly beautiful bird is also a true gentleman.
Wow, Toad is such a polite little gentleman!
Notice how he doesn't grab at the Cheerio. He patiently waits for his mom to hand it to him. He also manages to say 'please' without fail each time in a variety of settings.
Clearly, Toad is a very sweet guy. He's also a handsome little fella, and with his manners, he is definitely a real charmer! Boy, we wish that we could hang out with Toad and feed him Cheerios.Many people in the comments section just loved how sweet and polite Toad was. Several people commented that he is actually more polite than most human beings. Somehow, this doesn't surprise us, unfortunately.
Other people in the comments section shared how their own cockatoos also say things like 'please' or 'thank you' when they give them treats. If that isn't sweet enough to give you some feels, we don't know what will.
Cockatoos have long been renowned for their capacity to mimic human speech. As part of the parrot family, cockatoos have the ability to mimic human speech at a very high level.
They have been known to learn extensive vocabulary, sometimes memorizing more than 100 words. Additionally, these charismatic avians can also mimic other human sounds, like laughter or coughing. They truly are masters of vocal imitation.
Cockatoos have this unique ability because of a specialized vocal organ called the syrinx. The syrinx, which is located at the base of the trachea, allows cockatoos to create a wide range of sounds.
Even though these birds have the ability to mimic highly articulated sounds of human speech, this is not an innate skill for them. Cockatoos have to learn how to imitate humans through training and interacting with them.
While not all cockatoos can mimic human speech as well as Toad in the video, teaching them to talk like humans requires a lot of patience. At first, it is best to start with simple words and phrases before attempting to teach a cockatoo complex vocabulary.
Something simple, like 'please,' and rewarding a cockatoo with a treat, like this woman does in the video, is a good place to start. It is also important to keep in mind that while some cockatoos exhibit a real affinity for mimicry, others can show very little interest in it or struggle to mimic sounds.
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