Demon Birds
There are many words used to describe one of nature’s most unusual parrots, the Cockatoo. It's unusual in that it's one of the few lap birds, and acts more like a dog than a bird sometimes. As babies, Cockatoos so easily touch your heart, it's hard to walk away from them without taking one home. Their liquid eyes look like black pools of inquisitiveness as they carefully study your facial expressions. Cockatoos possess a sweetness that few parrots can match, for a while. As all good things must come to an end however, so goes the sweetness as these babies mature. This is not to say that there will be a complete change, but the odds are great that the Cockatoo you'll end up with years later is not the sweet and nice as when you first brought them home. Do all birds change? No, most birds change as they mature. It's these changes that sometimes drive owners to abandon their feathered companions. Many Cockatoos get disowned each day because their owners were not aware of the extreme requirements to own a cockatoo.
The Cockatoo or Cacatua Moluccensis, is one of the most recognizable members of the cockatoo family, both in appearance and intelligence. The name of the bird dates from the 17th century. It comes from a deviation of the word “Kakatuwah’, meaning vice or grip in Indonesian. They originated from Australia and many wild birds remain there today. The most distinctive features of the Cockatoo, when compared to the other members of the same genus, are its large size and bright salmon-pink coloration of the head-crest feathers.
The Cockatoo is one of the largest birds kept as pets, with the female larger than the male on average. At 19-20 inches (47.5-50), this is the largest of the white cockatoos, with the female generally being larger than the males. They weigh between 640-1025g - the average being 850 grams. It has white-pink feathers with a definite peachy glow, a slight yellow on the under wing and underside of the tail feathers and a large retractable recumbent crest which it raises when threatened, revealing concealed bright red orange plumes to frighten potential attackers, May also be raised in excitement or other emotional displays. It has heavy, white powder-down on the feathers and is sexually dimorphic by iris coloration. As they get older the iris of the females' eyes will develop a brownish color, the males' eyes will remain black. It also has one of the louder calls in the parrot world and in captivity is a capable mimic.
The Cockatoo is widely considered to be one of the most demanding parrots to keep as a pet due to their high intelligence, large size, potential noise level, and need to chew. Cockatoos require a very large and very sturdy cage or aviary. They are highly social and as pets can be extremely cuddly, affectionate, and gentle birds. This can lead to problems if a young cockatoo is spoiled with a great deal of attention and cuddling when young and does not get the opportunity to learn to play with toys, forage, or otherwise entertain itself.
Cockatoo require a great deal of attention and activity to remain healthy and well-adjusted. Attention and training from human caregivers is important in keeping them occupied, as are chewable toys and foraging toys that require them to work for their food. As with most large cockatoos, the Cockatoo may develop health and behavioral problems such as feather-plucking and aggression if not provided with the appropriate environment, attention, and enrichment opportunities. In addition, they tend to form close bonds with one person and may attack others in the household if they are not properly trained. They can develop severe emotional problems when separated from their mate human or otherwise.
As a pet, this intelligent and complex parrot is emotionally very needy and not a bird for the faint hearted. The Cockatoo is a very intelligent bird and their learning abilities can go beyond talking. They have been known to pick their cage locks, destroy property and manipulate their owners. On the other hand, they can develop an extensive vocabulary, mimic noises around them and sing a variety of songs.
If you are considering buying a Cockatoo there is a lot of things to think about. First, Cockatoos aren’t cheap. You might pay a very high price for a cockatoo. Possibly two-thousand dollars or more. They must also have a very large cage. That will cost you around $800.00 or more. Do you really have enough room in your house a huge cage? You should never try to stick a cockatoo in to a small cage. A Cockatoo’s curiosity and energy level make it difficult for them to remain in one place for long and need large cages to keep them mentally and physically healthy. Birds sometimes have night terrors. They will flap there wings in a panic. If the cage isn’t big enough for them to expand their wings they could suffer a number of injuries. They require many different toys to keep them entertained when you aren’t there to interact with them. A bored and frustrated cockatoo can lead to unhealthy behavioral problems and feather plucking. Along with all of this you also must cook for them. Green beans, corn, carrots, broccoli, zucchini, brown beans and rice, the list go on and on. Then there are the avian pellets or chows, fruits and nuts and so forth. Their diet cannot consist of only seeds. It’s not healthy for any bird to be on an all seed diet. Seeds contain too much fat and will decrease the birds’ lifespan and overall health. Cockatoos are prone to liver disease and the fat in seeds will increase this risk.
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Cockatoos are the loudest birds on earth. They produce screams as loud as 135db. Which is almost as loud as a jumbo jet plane, which is 140db. Do not be fooled by them when they are younger than 2 years old. They are still quiet and cuddly. They don't find their voice straight away but they are prone to screaming and calling. They do this in the wild to call their flock and regroup. They also do this to warn others of danger so why should they be any different in your home environment. The biggest lesson us as the owner need to realize this is their natural behavior. It should not be a constant thing is usually happens for 30 to 60 minutes in the morning and again around the afternoon and then before dusk.
The upkeep of a Cockatoo is no small matter either. They must also have a very large cage. Also Cockatoo produce a large amount of dust. Do you or anyone in your family have allergies? If so this is the wrong bird to get. And preening Cockatoos have very long feathers on their heads that they really can’t reach. If you only have one Cockatoo, plan on preening his head every few days. This will do two things. It will help his irritation and it is one of the best bonding practice between you and your bird.
In the wild, all cockatoo species live together in flocks. Some species may flock in groups of only 8-10 birds while others species will flock in the thousands. This high socialization need has a profound effect on cockatoo behavior. If they don't get the necessary attention and interaction they can quickly become bored. A bored cockatoo will often develop bad habits like screaming and feather plucking, and these habits are extremely difficult to break. Intelligent and highly inquisitive, coupled with a great need for companionship, shapes the cockatoo behavior. Cockatoos are constantly active and always up for playing and interacting with a friend. Keeping a single cockatoo will take serious commitment of time and attention from you for your pet to thrive. Each day you will need to spend a good deal of time playing with your cockatoo and sharing affections.
Exercise and play are important bird activities for the physical well-being and psychological health of all cockatoos. They are extraordinarily playful. Cockatoos will play all day long with only short breaks for rest. Getting out of the cage onto a playpen with lots of climbing branches is very important for the emotional well-being of your pet. These activities help deter distress and prevent the problems of screeching and feather picking. Provide your parrot with lots of activities in the form of large link chains, bird ladders, parrot swings, ropes, fresh branches for gnawing and chewing, and rotate new bird toys on a regular basis. They require at least five hours a day outside there cage.
Then there are your children, if you have any or plan on having any. Cockatoos normally don't like small children. Never leave cockatoos unattended with babies or small children. Cockatoos can get very jealous of babies and small children. The child could get attacked by the cockatoo's beak or sharp claws so you should always be on your guard. Cockatoos and older children will often do fine, but even here it's a "wait and see" situation. You won't know for sure how they will get along until the relationship unfolds over time. There have been stories of otherwise "normal" cockatoos attacking small children for no reason. Even if your cockatoo or any parrot is nice to your kids, never ever allow them near your kids’ faces without complete supervision, and even then you are taking a chance. Plastic surgery is not something you want to put your child through.
Overall, these birds are not for inexperienced owners. They are amongst the noisiest parrots out there. They also create a lot of dust/dander, and are messy eaters, plus they are big chewers so can be very destructive on toys and household objects. They require a great deal of attention and affection. You have to take them out every day, several times a day usually and play with them just like a child. Please keep in mind that these are large Cockatoos. Other Parrots are quite different. Do the research on several types and ask people who own them, not sell them.
Lanterman Werner. (2010). Cockatoos Complete Owner's Manual. Barron's Educational Series; 2nd edition.
Donae. M. Bonnie. (1995). My Parrot, My Friend: An Owner's Guide to Parrot Behavior. Howell Book House; 1 edition.
Lanterman Werner. (1989). Cockatoos: Acclimation, Care, Feeding, Sickness, and Breeding. Barrons Educational Series Inc.
Cameron Matt. (2008). Cockatoos: Australian Natural History. CSIRO Publishing.
