Cockatoos come from Australia and the surrounding
islands. These lovable imps would like nothing more than to
be surgically attached to their owners. They may look extremely
innocent, as though they would never get into any trouble.
But out of all my birds, my Cockatoo is the most dedicated
to mischief. She will act innocent, even when caught in the
act. They are among the greatest manipulators (people and
objects alike) of all time. They are great tool users and
unfortunately, their owners are the tools! They are the most
tactile of all the parrots and can spend hours cuddling with
you. Intelligence combined with curiosity and excellent observation
skills, make a dangerous combination.
Umbrella Cockatoos are the most prone to problems
such as feather picking. They also are very hard to wean.
In their opinion, even if they are 100 years old, they are
not too old to still be handfed.
Though Cockatoos can learn to talk, their talking
is normally not as clear as in the Amazons or Greys. I have
also found that they make take longer to talk than other parrots.
My Cockatoo mumbled for years before she was able to say things
clearly. Certain species of cockatoos, especially the Moluccans
or the Goffins can be prize winning screamers.
These birds are extremely intelligent and can
figure out how to escape from any cage. I suggest you use
a padlock versus a combination lock. These birds are so intelligent
that they will figure out how to get that combination lock
open. They have also been known to dismantle their cages when
not kept in a cage that was proper for cockatoos.
For the most part, Cockatoos raised in a family
situation will love everyone in the family. These birds will
also love anyone who will spend time cuddling with them. There
are exceptions of course.
There are 18 species of Cockatoos, and various
subspecies. The most common pet varieties of Cockatoos are
Goffins, Mollucan, & Umbrella.
Click on one of the species
below for more information
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