Cockatoo chases family around while laughing maniacally in a fun game it plays
Imagine the terror of unsuspecting guests.

Cockatoo chases around family while laughing maniacally.
Animals have their own personalities no matter what kind of animal they are, but rescue animals can sometimes take a while to let their personality shine. When they do, their humans better be prepared for whatever might come. A rescue cockatoo named Molly was very subdued and a bit skittish when she was first brought into her human family. But her entire attitude changed once she met her new human brother, and now visitors might be in for a slightly terrifying surprise.
Molly has a habit of chasing her humans around the house laughing like an evil supervillain as they playfully run from room to room. She may not be in cahoots with fellow feathered friends to try to take over the world...yet…but her laugh is hilariously maniacal. The family is all on board for Molly's games, too. They not only play hide and seek with the bird but they quite literally take her everywhere they possibly can.
Molly rides in the car for coffee runs and even goes hiking through the woods with her humans. There seems to be few things the family doesn't do without their laughing bird. While Molly doesn't startle strangers with her sinister laugh, she does randomly scream loudly when she's in public, which is probably more startling.
But it's the time she spends with her favorite brother that warms hearts.
"Molly wasn't always such a fun, vibrant bird. When we got her she didn't trust us," Betty tells The Dodo. "But she was really in love with my older son from the minute she met him. He could pick her up, comfort her, she was not afraid of him at all."
The cockatoo even hunts for her brother when she knows he's in the house, going from room to room knocking on doors with her beak, saying, "Hello," and waiting for an answer. It's such an adorable bond they share and the maniacal laughter is something you have to hear for yourself.
This article originally appeared two years ago.
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."