Cockatoo

Let's know about Cockatoo

Cockatoos belong to the Parrot family. The scientific name of the cockatoo is Cacatuidae. There are 21 different types of cockatoo species. The six famous cockatoos are the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Galah Cockatoo, Moluccan Cockatoo, Umbrella Cockatoo, Citrine Cockatoo, Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo. Cockatoo comes from Australia, New Guinea, Indonesia, the Philippines, and the Solomon Islands. Cockatoos become famous for their bodies with white feathers and red feathers on their head. Cockatoo birds can talk. Cockatoos are known for their playful personalities and ability to learn tricks and behaviours through positive reinforcement training. So here we will discuss a few parameters that will give you an idea about the characteristics of Cockatoo:

  • Size: Cockatoo’s size depends on their size. They are medium to large size. On average size is 12-25 inches (30-63cm.)in length from beak to tail. Palm cockatoo is a big-size cockatoo and Tanimbar corellas is a small-size cockatoo. 
  • Color: Cockatoo’s color depends on their species. Most of the common color of cockatoo is white. Other colors include pink, grey, black, and various shades of red, yellow, and blue, and it depends on the species type. Such as An umbrella Cockatoo has a white body with a white crest, wings, a tail, and a grey beak, A Galah Cockatoo has a pink body, grey wings, and tail, and a pale pink crest, A Palm cockatoo has a black or dark grey plumage, with a black crest on its head and red cheeks, Moluccan Cockatoo has a pink body, salmon-pink crest, and white under tail feathers.
  • Father: Father colors and feather size depend on the species of cockatoo. They have soft and colorful feathers head to tail in different sizes. Their head feather patterns are different. Some cockatoo changes their feather color on their mood.
  • Vocalization: Cockatoos are famous for their loud voice. They create high-level noise. Moluccan cockatoo is the noisiest cockatoo. They can produce a range of sounds, including squawks, whistles, screeches, and mimicry of human speech or other sounds. 
  • Nature & behaviour: Cockatoos are intelligent, loyal, loving, playful birds. They have a strong bond with their owners. They can be sensitive and aggressive sometimes. Cockatoo needs lots of attention. Cockatoos are emotional birds that can experience emotions, joy, excitement, fear, and sadness.

How to take care of Cockatoo:

Cockatoos are a popular pet bird. They have a lovable personality. Like every pet bird, Cockatoos also need a proper guide and care. Maintain proper housing, diet, cleanliness, and safety for better health and well-being of Cockatoos. So here we will discuss how to care for your Cockatoos;

Housing: Cockatoos are medium to large size birds so they need lots of places for free movement. The cage size of a cockatoo is 3 feet wide, 4 feet long, and 5 feet tall. The cage size depends on the Bird’s height. The cage is made of stainless steel or powder-coated metal.

Diet: A nutritious diet is important for better health and well-being. Give them high-quality pellets, fresh fruits such as apples, bananas, oranges, grapes, melons, and berries, and fresh vegetables like leafy greens (kale, spinach, lettuce) Provide nuts and seeds as occasional treats and avoid salted or flavored nuts/seeds, calcium-rich vegetables (kale, broccoli), Freshwater all time. 

Cleanliness: Maintain the proper cleanliness of the cage, food dishes, and water pot. Cleanliness is important for cockatoos’ health. Clean the cage and remove wasted foods, dropping foods, and dirt. If it is possible then bathe your cockatoo and clean their feathers.

Healthcare: Daily check your cockatoos. If any symptoms are noticed then go for a veterinarian. Maintain proper hygiene not only for cockatoos but also for their cage, dishes, and drinking water. Sometimes grooming is also important. Social interaction also helps your cockatoos grow and healthy.

Cockatoo's feeding:

It’s essential to monitor your Cockatoo’s food and feeding time and how much food they feed. Keep your Cockatoo feed two times a day. The best food for cockatoos is High-quality pellets which provide nutrients for their health, a variety of fresh fruits such as apples, bananas, oranges, grapes, and berries which provide essential vitamins, fresh vegetables like leafy greens (kale, spinach, lettuce), carrots, broccoli, squash, and peas which provide fibre, and minerals, give them nuts and seeds as occasional treats. Avoid salted varieties of foods and don’t overfeed them. Give them clean water every day twice. 

Cockatoos' lifespan:

Cockatoos live long. Cockatoo’s lifespan depends on their species. The longest-living cockatoo is the Pink Cockatoo (90years). The average lifespan of a cockatoo is 40-70 years. Proper care can help your pet Cockatoo live long.