There’s nothing like coming home from a long day and being warmly greeted by your family. You feel loved, appreciated, and welcome. It’s even better when you dish out the same feeling.

For some people, their family includes pets. Cats, dogs, rabbits, or birds that are smart enough to recognize you for who you are. That movie The Secret Life of Pets had a few nuggets of truth in it, and you’ll get to see some of that in this video of Onni the Cockatoo.

Perching freely on the window sill, the pretty bird is going wild about his dad’s arrival. He just pulled up in the driveway but is taking his time coming into the house. Onni has a lot to say. A whole lot. He’s going bananas like it’s New Year’s Eve at Times Square.

Pacing back and forth, Onni is watching the man check the mail. His joy is all over the place like, “Come on, what are you doing? Where are you going? He’s here! Come on!” He knows Onni is there too, because he walks up to the window to acknowledge the excited squeals.
 

The real fun begins when Papa walks through the door. Making a beeline from the window to the sofa, the cockatoo seems to know the exact moment when his dad would step in. Smart bird! This is hilarious. Crest feathers on his head fluffed up, Onni greets the man of the hour. The loud shrieks settle down but not Onni’s perky disposition. Watch how his dad babies him.
 
Onni is an Umbrella Cockatoo, and the breed is known for its intelligence, perception, and communication skills. As pets, they are quirky, funny, loud, and as you see in the video, super affectionate. They can also be clingy with their owners and love lots of attention.
 
To say these birds have personality is an understatement. Bird-centric websites like Cockatoo-info.com explain that cockatoos like Onni love to express their happiness through loud sounds or feather cresting. Particularly with the umbrella variety, they are prone to lots of screaming but are also professional cuddlers. They can also live into their 70s, which means a long life filled with hugs!
 
Onni’s voice and conversational tone changes as soon he’s resting on his owner’s hand, as if everything was now right with the world. Apparently, he behaves like this every single day as soon as he sees the car pull into the driveway. Wonder what his secret life is like when neither of his parents are home. . .
 
As many proud pet parents do, Onni’s mom set him up with his own social media accounts on Twitter and Instagram where you can follow his exploits. There’s even a picture of him posing in a tux. You can tell he’s very much loved and his affection is more than reciprocated.

Are you familiar with cockatoos like Onni? What do you think of this charming bird? Have you been showered with affection by a bird or any other pet when you walk in the door? Tell us in the comments!