Cockatiels are not as good at mimicking human speech as some parrots are, but what they lack in speech ability, they make up in great in their operatic singing skills.
Coco, a young rescue cockatiel from Sydney, Australia, is able to chirp a beautiful rendition of the Queen of the Night aria from Mozart's opera The Magic Flute. Yeah, seriously.
Advertisement
Birds evolved the ability to vocalize through sexual selection. Many still use it for courtship and mating, some use it to proclaim their territory, and a few use it to warn others of a nearby threat. This one, however, does it because it has a damn fine taste in music.
Take it away, Coco.
4