COCKATOOSSpecies: There are 17 species of cockatoos, most of which are in the genus Cacatua.Most are colored mainly in white, but others come in grays and pinks, blacks, and in the Palm's case, deep blue.
Origin: Australia and the surrounding islands.
Size: Ranging from the Goffin's, at about 12"-13", to the huge Goliath Palm cockatoo, at 27" long.
Life Span: 40-60 years and up. There have been some reported cases of cockatoos living to be over 100, but most of these are unsubstantiated.
Buying: Buying from a breeder is preferable to buying from a pet shop, for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the price; pet shops generally charge about double what breeders do. A good breeder will spend a lot of time on socialization of your baby bird, cuddling it, loving it, as well as providing many toys and other enrichment. A good breeder teaches a baby cockatoo how to play on it's own, as well as how to get attention in ways other than screaming - a common problem in cockatoos. When looking for that "perfect" cockatoo, shop around - check out different breeders, different pet shops, compare the housing of the birds, the birds themselves, and the breeder him- or herself. Find a breeder you're comfortable with and a baby you love. Don't buy unweaned! Unless you're experianced at hand-feeding, it's easy to mess it up, and possibly kill the baby. Even if nothing major goes wrong, cockatoos are notorious for being very difficult to wean, and weaned wrong they could develop behavior problems. Leave it to the experts! And buy a fully weaned baby.
Cockatoos are probably some of the top birds that are re-sold as adults, when their owners get tired of their demands or find themselves in a situation where they can no longer cope with them. These birds *usually*, but not always, have some sort of behavior problem that is the reason for giving the bird up. Often, this is screaming. If you're considering one of these second-time-around birds, find out everything possible about the bird, and be ready to deal with some unforeseen behavior problems.
Diet: Cockatoos are not usually picky eaters, although there are more than enough exceptions. A varied diet based on pellets is best. The larger sized pellets are usually prefered; even Goffin's often will eat macaw-sized chunks. Fruits, veggies, and pretty much everything else should be added to the diet daily. Most cockatoos love sharing mealtimes with their "flock", and certain owners will provide their bird with his own plate! Try to include the bird in mealtime even if you'd rather he didn't sit at the table with you; provide him with his own serving of whatever you're eating, within limits. About the only things not to feed are avacado, chocolate, caffiene, and alcohol, which can be toxic to birds. Junk foods high in fat, salt, or sugar should be severely limited. Dairy foods should be watched, but low-lactose dairy foods like skim milk, yogurt, and most cheeses are usually great. Even meat can be fed, although beef and pork should only be fed in very small amounts; chicken and turkey is better.
Cages/Supplies: The larger the cage, the better, of course! Cockatoos are big birds! Goffin's, Galahs, and Lesser Sulphur Cresteds usually do fine in something about 2' x 2' x 3', but most larger cockatoos should really be in something at least 2' x 3' x 3' or larger. Plenty of toys are practically a necessity; cockatoos are BIG chewers and expect to replace these pretty routinely! A playstand is also a wonderful thing, and allows your bird someplace to be when he's not on the cage and you don't want him right on you (although that's probably where he'd prefer to be!).
Grooming: Most cockatoos LOVE baths... Spray-baths being the usual preferred method. The spray bottle should be set so it sprays a fine mist; start out by spraying *over* the bird, so the mist falls down like rain, but many 'toos will want you to spray directly on them after a while. Cockatoo bathing usually involves much positioning and posing so that the water falls on every area of the body. Most will want you to spray and spray until they're absolutely soaking wet, and this is fine (well, your hand my not be fine after all that spraying, but otherwise!).
Wings and nails should always be kept trimmed. Ideally you would have someone demonstrate both these procedures before trying them yourself, although a hand-fed cockatoo that's used to handling is usually not difficult to trim, as they don't mind their wings extended or their toes played with. Get the bird used to this while he's young.
Personality: Cockatoos are well-known for their personalities, which can pretty much be summed up in one word - "Cuddly"! They love to be held and loved and touched all over. They'll sit for hours cuddling next to you while you just scratch away. They're very loving, affectionate birds. They're also very playful, and destructive. A well-raised cockatoo is an absolute doll; a hog for attention, a socialite (cockatoos are not usually one-person birds), and just a pleasure to have around. On the other hand, a badly-raised in the wrong hands is a nightmare! Make sure you know what you're getting into before you bring that utra-cuddly, perfectly sweet bird home!
Noise Leval: Cockatoos are LOUD. In fact, they are arguably the loudest of the parrots. Cockatoos WILL scream - don't think you can train them out of it. Cockatoos love screaming and will scream for the sheer joy of screaming, usually in periods once or twice a day (usually morning and evening). The smaller cockatoos are quieter simply due to reduced size, but even a Goffin's is loud. And a Mollucan?!?! Watch out!
Talking Ability: Cockatoos aren't top talkers. Most individuals say a few words, but many do not. A few become very good. Their voices don't have the tone and quality of an African grey's or Amazon's, but they're usually understandable enough.
In General: Cockatoos absolutely adore attention, and while all of this is usually appealing to prospective owners, it isn't as good as it sounds; cockatoos whose owners havn't set limits or guidelines, still love attention, and when they don't get it, they'll scream. And scream, and scream, and scream. And possibly pluck their feathers out. With training and guidelines, this can be prevented, but it's much harder to cure. Cockatoos are not for owners with no bird experiance, and not for owners who can't establish guidelines and teach a bird how to play by itself, and really, not for owners who work long work hours. That's not to say there has to be someone home with the bird all the time, but at the same time, if the only time you have for the bird is a few hours in the evenings, than maybe a more independent species would fit into the house hold better.
Cockatoos are also very destructive. They love chewing and will do so, whether it's on that new $30 toy you just bought, or a paper towel roll, or that family heirloom antique dresser. Cockatoos are very "me" birds; your world revolves around them, plain and simple, or else! They're usually good family birds, not generally being one-person birds, and also usually very gentle. They're wonderful birds, but they are most definately
NOT for everyone.
This post has been edited by prophet007: Aug 5 2006, 10:00 PM Attached thumbnail(s)
Jul 26 2006, 02:43 PM
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I am not sure for love birds, but for budgies, I provide a home-made wooden box, since they cant make their own nest. I think the bird break the eggs because maybe they lack experience or maybe the egg is not fertilised or spoilt already. Tree should never be near a bird cage because you never noe what is inside. 
He is now in peace, at least he had a good owner like you.
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