Read also the first part of this article:
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With cockatoos, I feel that intermittent interaction with its owner is better than a set daily schedule. The reason why I never recommend playing with the bird at the same time each day is that this establishes a pattern that can be difficult to break. Also, the human schedule is prone to change. Having a bird that expects to be released at 6 PM every night can create a monster: if the bird is not let out, it may become frantic, calling or throwing things around its cage in the hopes of attracting the attention of its owner. Cockatoos many soon find can be incredible time keepers!
Rushing to the bird when it calls should be avoided, as this creates a trend that can be difficult to break. With all cockatoos, the objective should be to rear a bird that is independent, does not feel it is part of its owner´s physiognomy and that can adapt to change.
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(c) greyloch. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en).
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Cockatoos are highly sociable creatures. The social structure of the flock dictates behavior and teaches tolerable parameters. In a flock the members can prevent inordinate aggression, rogue behavior and much more. A single pet bird cannot benefit from the rules established by a flock—foraging periods, play sessions, preening bouts and roosting. In a cage the bird may feed throughout the day, or may preen intermittently. The behavior of flying to and from foraging grounds is thwarted. As they come into breeding condition, there is no bird available for a mate, or a bird to challenge and threaten during a hormonal rage. This is where problems arise. The birds become aggressive, even vicious to their owners.
The individual will look for a dark area that they construe as a nesting site, which they can defend. Calling bouts will become longer in the hopes of attracting a mate. The bird is intent on breeding. Such aggression usually follows a period of agitation. For cockatoos that are mature, keeping any ostensible nesting sites out of reach—this means eliminating all dark areas and preventing the bird from going under the couch, behind a nightstand, inside a cardboard box and much more—and avoiding contact when the bird is visibly agitated are keys to avoid getting bit. Hormonal injections can be given by veterinarians to reduce this aggression.
I have several individuals that came to me because of their aggressive nature. I can handle all of them. I simply avoid giving them access to anything that they could perceived as a nesting site, avoid all contact when they are agitated (and this means keeping them caged during these periods), spraying with a fine mist when the birds are in a hormonal rage to distract their attention and insuring that they have plenty of enrichment to keep them occupied. When the owner is observant, even the most aggressive male can be managed and kept as a pet.
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Two Umbrella Cockatoo chicks in Tropical Birdland, Leicestershire, England. They are being hand reared for the pet trade. (c) Snowmanradio with permission from Tropical Birdland, Leicestershire, England. his file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en). Attribution: I, Snowmanradio
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Aggression in cockatoos is seen primarily in males. Typically the aggression is directed at the female, which can be maimed or killed, even in long-term proven pairs. Usually the beak is the site of trauma.
Because of the aggression, pairs of cockatoos must be seen as problematic and their management should include all of the elements to deter mate killing. These parameters include offering a long flight cage, clipping one wing on the male to prevent him from chasing the hen, offering separate feeding and watering sites, providing a nest with a double entrance so the hen can escape should he enter the nest with an intent to injure her, providing visual barriers behind which the female can hide, and, in the extreme, bisecting the lower mandible.
If aggression can be controlled, this cockatoo can breed very prolifically. They can produce many clutches during a year.
Umbrella Cockatoos produce two egg clutches. Incubation lasts approximately 28 days. The chicks are covered in yellow down and grow quickly. Cockatoos do not acquire a secondary down like neo-tropical parrots and feather out simultaneously; in many parrots the feather growth is asynchronous. Chicks spend about 8 weeks in the nest and can take as long as three months before they become independent. Sexual maturity is reached as early as three years but averages 4-5 years in most individuals.
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Cockatoos should be fed a broad variety of items, though high fat foods should be avoided, as they tend to suffer from fatty liver disease. The same applies to hand-rearing.
Cockatoos chicks are very easily hand-reared. This means that most chicks are taken from the nest and eventually sold as pets. When being hand-reared, it is best to keep more than one chick together and to encourage playing from an early age. I have always placed fresh branches, colorful palm seeds and toys in tubs containing cockatoos that are just starting to feather out. This is to teach the bird to play and to desensitize it to foreign objects (which can make a cockatoo jump out of its skin). The intention is to prepare the bird for its future home. Imprinting should be avoided especially if the bird is to become a future breeder. Future pets should also not be overly handled.
Cockatoo chicks are simply cuddly, but they mature, produce powder downs that can create an allergic reaction in many people, can be noisy and difficult to manage. Only persons who understand the responsibility of bird ownership should acquire them. The act should be seen as the same as adopting a child—but in this case the child will never mature. The responsibility is truly great and unfortunately underestimated by many. This is why cockatoos are such a common species in rescues. Acquire one only if you truly understand the commitment.
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Read also the first part of this article:
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Title photo: A White Cockatoo (also known as the Umbrella Cockatoo) at St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park, St Augustine, Florida, USA. (c) AdA Durden. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
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