ABOUT US
Cockatoo Downs came into existence almost thirty years ago when Chris Shank was living in Northern California with over thirty cockatoos. She started Cockatoo Downs as a small breeding operation offering hand-raised cockatoos for the companion parrot community. After many years of raising cockatoos, Chris ended the breeding program and centered her attention on offering training advice to parrot caretakers. She has also spent considerable time successfully training many of her resident cockatoos to fly freely outdoors. She has recently moved Cockatoo Downs and her fifteen cockatoos to her lovely rural residence in Dallas, Oregon.
Chris Shank is a recognized lecturer on parrot care and training. She is a graduate of Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and the Exotic Animal Training and Management program in Moorpark, California. She has cared for and trained animals as diverse as dolphins, wolves, lions, horses and, of course, parrots in Europe as well as the United States. She spent two years managing the Maui Animal Rescue Sanctuary in Hawaii with its large collection of parrots and animals. Chris has also lectured across the country on the subjects of clicker training parrots, on her free flying cockatoos, and on cockatoo care and behavior. Chris has written articles for Parrots magazine, World Parrot Trust's PsittaScene, Good Bird magazine, and Companion Parrot Quarterly.
