The cockatoo parrot belongs to the parrot order, which, by the way, is one of the most popular among bird lovers. As for the habitat, this is primarily Indonesia, Australia, New Guinea, as well as many different islands. Parrots of this species are especially loved for their unusually bright appearance, as well as for their acting skills.
Cockatoo parrots are medium in size. The length of the body can reach 70 cm, such a bird weighs about a kilogram. These parrots have one distinctive feature - a crest, which clearly stands out against the background of the general plumage. Their tail is very ordinary, it is straight and has a somewhat rounded shape. The beak is quite powerful and large; the parrot is able to bite various hard objects, such as, for example, wire or nut shells. Hence the name of the bird itself, which means “nippers”.
Many bird lovers wonder: how long does a cockatoo parrot live? The fact is that the lifespan of these birds is truly impressive, in some cases it reaches 80 years. Currently, 21 species of these beautiful birds are known to exist, but only a few of them are popular.
Moluccan cockatoo
The parrot of this species differs from its relatives in the pale pink color of its feathers; the undertail has an orange tint. Its crest is small, about 20 cm long, its outer feathers are usually white, and its inner feathers are orange. The coloring of male and female Moluccan specimens is no different, but the color of the eye shell is different: males are black, females are brown.
Scientists dealing with parrots claim that one of the most talented is the Moluccan cockatoo (parrot). Reviews from owners confirm this opinion and note the extraordinary talent of these birds. Such a bird is capable of remembering and pronouncing about 15 different words, and also has the unique ability to imitate the voices of all kinds of animals. Moluccan parrots live about 55-60 years.
Reproduction in nature
Females of most cockatoos differ from males only in their more modest body size. Only some species have sexual differences in the form of spots, stripes, and different colors of the iris. In nature, birds form pairs during the breeding season. Nests are built in hollows, as high as possible from the ground. There are 2 or 3 eggs in a clutch of large species, and up to 5 of small ones. Hatching lasts 28-32 days. The chicks are born unfeathered, with large beaks. Most often, the couple feeds the cubs together. Sometimes parents do not leave their children even after they have left the nest. After the end of the mating season, the couples reunite into a flock.
Yellow-crested cockatoo
Already from the name of the species it becomes clear that the distinctive feature of the bird is its bright yellow crest. The parrot's body has white plumage, the inner side of the flight feathers, as well as the tail feathers, has a slight yellowish tint. The yellow-crested cockatoo's iris is standard: black in males and brownish in females. A distinctive feature of this type of parrot is its ability to imitate human speech. They are often used in circus performances, because parrots, in particular yellow-crested parrots, are very obedient birds. Their life expectancy is on average 50-70 years.
How easy is it to care for a cockatoo?
The cockatoo parrot is a very affectionate pet. He quickly gets used to a person, he can even follow on his heels, demanding attention to his person. Attention and love are simply vital for him, the feathered bird needs to be raised, it needs to be communicated with.
Frequent travel or long vacations will not pass without a trace for a tame parrot. He will definitely feel sad and may even begin to pull out his feathers. In especially severe cases, even death can occur.
By the habits of a parrot and its behavior, you can understand the mood of the pet.
Often parrots make noise and scream, showing dissatisfaction. You just need to watch your pet, and very soon you will be able to determine for yourself whether your cockatoo is healthy, cheerful, or perhaps sad or angry.
In any case, the feathered beauty will have to be given attention every day. In addition to the usual manipulations, including cleaning and feeding, the cockatoo parrot will definitely want communication and contact.
Pink cockatoo
This type of bird is also called gala. These are very peaceful creatures that easily adapt to living together with humans and to home conditions. Gala is not the most talking cockatoo parrot; its capabilities regarding the reproduction of human speech are very limited. This bird lives for more than 50 years, it is calm, very friendly and obedient, and is equally strongly attached to each member of the family. Pink galas have a beautiful color, their cheeks and belly are bright red, and their feathers are gray and smoky. The tuft is pink at the base and the tip is white. The iris of males is brown, while females of this species have a light orange eye tint.
Appearance, dimensions
Latin name: Cacatua goffiniana. The size of the largest bird of this species does not exceed 30 cm, and the weight ranges from 300 to 400 grams. The plumage is white, only the lores stand out with a pink tint. However, during a normal examination of the bird, this shade may not be noticed. The ear openings are covered with pale yellowish feathers. The feathers located on the underside of the wings and tail feathers have the same shade. The head of Goffin's cockatoo is crowned with a wide, rounded crest. The female is practically no different from the male, only the reddish-brown iris indicates her “weaker” sex. Young birds are exact copies of their adult counterparts. Only the iris of a darker color indicates their young age.
As for documented life expectancy, the International Zoo Yearbook provides information on living individuals of 18.3 and 26 years. There are no other confirmed data. It is worth noting that this species is considered to be long-lived, i.e. According to expert estimates, they can live for several decades.
White-crested cockatoo
Birds of this species are distinguished by their showiness, the reason for this is their impressive crest, which is often compared to a crown. The parrot has white plumage and a crest of the same color. Males and females visually differ from each other only in the color of the iris; in males it has a rich dark brown color, and in females of the same species it is red-brown. Among white-crested parrots there are often talking parrots with extraordinary artistic abilities. This is truly an amazing cockatoo parrot. You can see his photo below.
Character traits
Destroying an apartment is not all that a cockatoo parrot can do.
Reviews from owners give an idea of how demanding the bird is for attention and emotional in expressing its feelings. Having become attached to the owner, cockatoos become, figuratively speaking, his shadow, constantly demanding signs of attention. When offended, a pet may refuse to eat, pluck its feathers, or even tear its skin. Often such problems arise when the owner needs to go somewhere, for example, to go on vacation. The cockatoo will have a hard time tolerating separation. The second feature of his character is vindictiveness and aggression. If the cockatoo does not like the owner’s treatment of it, it can peck very painfully, tear out a piece of flesh and even bite the phalanges of the fingers. Interestingly, a bird can injure its owner not only when it is angry, but also simply when playing.
Inca Cockatoo
It is also called Major Mitchell's cockatoo. These birds are recognized as one of the most beautiful and even graceful creatures. Their plumage can be either light pink or bright, rich crimson. These parrots have a long crest, the male and female have the same color. It is difficult to find such a bird at home today, because catching and selling them is strictly prohibited. Even in the homeland of these parrots, in Australia, only a person with special permission from the authorities can keep an Inca cockatoo. The lifespan of a bird varies from 50 to 80 years.
How to buy supplies for Goffin's cockatoos cheaply?
- The Kakadushka online store offers a huge range of products - cages, food, toys and other accessories. Select the product group you are interested in from the menu.
- Indicate the size of your pet - click on the “for cockatoo” button. It is worth noting that there are other filters on the site that help you make a choice (for example, filtering by new products).
- Now only those products that are suitable for your feathered friend will be visible on the screen. They are sorted by price - from cheap to more expensive models. All you have to do is choose the products you like and place your order.
White cockatoo
The white cockatoo is extremely popular in our country. The parrot has excellent abilities, it is easy to train, some individuals even know how to dance and perform various acrobatic tricks. The bird is also capable of reproducing human speech, as well as imitating other sounds; moreover, the white cockatoo can be taught to whistle a popular melody.
Reproduction in captivity
In captivity, parrot cockatoos are not the easiest species to breed. Difficulties begin with the selection of partners. The male can kill the female if he does not like her. Therefore, it is advisable to raise the couple together from infancy or provide the male with several candidates to choose from. You need to constantly watch the birds even after laying eggs, and make two entrances in the nest so that the female can escape from her chosen one in time.
The second difficulty is feeding. To make birds “want” to have heirs, you need to change their diet, increasing the content of sprouted grains and animal proteins. But you can’t overdo it here, otherwise the male will develop aggression instead of a desire to mate.
The third problem arises after the birth of the first chick. Often the female feeds only him, and the owners have to take care of the rest.
Rules for keeping at home
If you are eager to purchase one of these creatures as a pet, remember that for normal life, the bird must be provided with optimal conditions. First of all, keep in mind that cockatoos are large birds, so they will feel cramped in a small cage. In such conditions, the parrot can damage its wings, become withdrawn and begin to show aggression. For a comfortable stay, he will need a spacious, large cage. In no case should we forget about some kind of entertainment for the bird. The cage should be equipped with a sufficient number of all kinds of perches and toys. It is best if all the accessories are wooden or made of durable plastic, since it will be convenient for the cockatoo to sharpen its claws.
Experts in caring for these birds advise constantly monitoring their behavior, because they, just like people, show their dissatisfaction with any environmental conditions. If a parrot starts plucking feathers, something is clearly bothering him. This should be combated with the help of a special headband that is placed around the cockatoo’s neck. In this case, feathers must be sprayed with a specialized spray. If the bird makes noise and makes loud noises, this is also a sign of anxiety and irritation. Monitoring how a bird behaves is very important. Constant observations will help you learn more about the pet’s character, its habits and preferences, and will contribute to your rapprochement and relationship.
Walking around the apartment
All cockatoo owners should remember that leaving their pets unattended outside the cage for a long time is extremely risky.
Firstly, inquisitive birds may become interested in electrical wiring, damage it, and kill themselves. Secondly, they do not remain indifferent to furniture, paintings, figurines, flowers, vases on the table, books. They happily break all this, tear it apart, and render it unusable in every possible way. The danger lies in the varnishes and paints that cover furniture and surfaces. A parrot, having swallowed dangerous pieces, can get sick and even die.
Thirdly, cockatoo feathers contain a white powder formed from the crushed ends of the feathers. The birds shake themselves regularly, and this powder scatters throughout the apartment.
Feeding
As for feeding rules, the main thing here is not to overdo it. Once in captivity, the parrot begins to literally absorb everything it sees, but this does not mean that it is really hungry. Be careful about your bird's diet, because overeating often leads to the development of all sorts of diseases and even the death of the parrot. Cockatoos love a variety of fresh vegetables. Cockatoo parrots living in natural conditions pose a real problem for farmers due to the birds' special addiction to corn: they can destroy an entire crop. Birds love carrots, eggplants, cucumbers and celery. Dandelion roots, beans, pea pods and red beets can also be used as food. Fruits are an important element of a bird’s diet, because they contain a huge amount of essential vitamins and beneficial microelements. Cockatoo parrots especially like to eat pomegranates, pears, and they also like all kinds of berries, such as raspberries, strawberries or rose hips.
It is unlikely that the bird will taste the food the first time; it must be accustomed to the correct diet gradually. Some of the products, on the contrary, are completely contraindicated for cockatoos. Under no circumstances should you feed your bird avocados, chocolates or coffee beans. Cabbage and parsley are also harmful to parrots, as are dairy products. Cockatoos should not eat anything fried; salt and sugar are harmful to them.
How to raise a chick from the cradle
If the female is busy feeding the hatched chick and abandons the remaining eggs, they need to be placed in an incubator. There they maintain a special temperature and humidity, install ventilation, and turn the eggs several times a day. After the chicks are born, the temperature in the incubator is reduced to 27-28 degrees. Babies begin to feed at the 12th hour of their life. The role of an artificial “nurse” is played by a small syringe, and later by a spoon. The easiest way to prepare food is from baby formula, adding feed lime and vitamins. The little cockatoo parrot asks to eat every 2 hours day and night. Whether he has eaten or not is checked by the fullness of his crop. Overfeeding your baby is highly discouraged. When finishing each meal, you need to imitate natural feeding. For a grown-up chick, millet and fruits can be added to their food. Adult birds happily eat carrots, cucumbers, seeds, nuts, peas, beets, celery, and corn.
Orange crest
Apparently, the inhabitants of some Indonesian islands are rather strange people and generally deeply despise beauty. Otherwise, how can one explain the fact that on these islands it was not some vulgar crow that was considered a pest and a weed bird, but the magnificent Moluccan cockatoo? Although, to be honest, the cockatoos of the Moluccas have always loved to steal some of their harvest from the peasants. But not the whole harvest! Blinded by the thirst for saving their garden, the peasants did not want to appreciate either the charmingly delicate white and pink plumage, or the funny orange or even almost red crest, or the black beak, or the round curious eyes. But when the Europeans came to their native islands, oh yes, they appreciated the beauty of the cockatoo and began to take this bird away as a souvenir. And as a result, we got this: in the wild, Moluccan cockatoos have become a rarity listed in the Red Book, but in homes and zoos around the world there are countless numbers of them living. And all because the Moluccan cockatoo is extremely handsome, besides, his character is quite sweet, and his maintenance does not require any special tricks from a person. In a word, of all the varieties of cockatoos, the Moluccan cockatoo is one of the most convenient in everyday life.
The Moluccan cockatoo looks absolutely magnificent: big - about half a meter, with a real crown on its head, it is very decorative and at the same time very touching. It is especially touching if it raises its crest (and the height of this crest can be up to 17 cm), opens its beak and coquettishly bulges its round eyes. He looks so amazingly stupid that you immediately want to do something good for the bird. For example, buy it as soon as possible (on average for $4 thousand). But you need to approach the purchase of a cockatoo responsibly - if only because the Moluccan cockatoo lives for 60-70 years, and holding it for a couple of years and then passing it on to a friend would be wrong and inhumane: these birds usually do not like such global changes. And if changes in their lives do occur, then stress can happen to the cockatoos. And these birds react to stress in a rather strange way: they quickly pluck out all their feathers, after which they turn into a tragic bald and pimply creature. Therefore, it is better to buy a cockatoo not at Ptichka, but directly from the breeder. At the market, and even in the store, there is a risk of bumping into such an unfortunate refusenik who simply has not yet had time to pluck properly.
The Moluccan cockatoo is not a talkative cockatoo; a couple of phrases, a dozen words is the maximum he is capable of. But he is great at imitating animals and can whistle songs; and if anyone thinks that since a cockatoo doesn’t chat from morning to night, then he is somehow stupid, then this is not true. The Moluccan cockatoo is an intellectual. He may not be a polyglot, but what a great locksmith he is! How miraculously he unscrews all the nuts and bolts that come his way! All bolts, latches, locks and other means of closing the cage work for him for two seconds. Therefore, you have to lock the cockatoo with a suitcase lock - one that, firstly, has a key, and secondly, is made of good steel and is able to withstand the mighty beak of this rather large bird.
Yes, a cockatoo's beak is a serious thing. And if these birds had a harmful character, then we would all think very hard about whether we should keep such a dangerous creature at home. Luckily, cockatoos are considered the friendliest of all parrots. They are peaceful, non-aggressive and affectionate, and easy and pleasant to get along with - unless, of course, you have bought yourself a contraband cockatoo caught in the wild, in violation of all laws. Well, you will pay for this. A wild cockatoo will bite, constantly scream in a terribly nasty voice, will not talk at all, and you are unlikely to be able to pet it. And the cockatoo from the nursery is already tame, he already knows that there is no need to be afraid of people. At first, of course, he will be a little shy, but if you don’t run around his cage screaming madly, he will quickly calm down and get used to his new home. Therefore, you should not combine cockatoos and very small children in a small space: children will certainly yell and make all sorts of sudden movements, and a cockatoo that has recently arrived at your house is afraid of all this.
You need to communicate with the Moluccan cockatoo. If you just put him in a cage and don’t pay attention to him, he will become sad, wither and generally run wild. He needs to be let out to walk around the apartment, he needs to be sat on your hand, you need to talk to him, he needs to scratch his ears (against the “fur”, the cockatoo likes it). At first, the parrot will be a little cautious, but only a few weeks will pass and he will already begin to show signs of attention to his owners. For example, sitting on your shoulder, he will finger your hair and gently kiss your ear. The cockatoo gets along well with dogs, cats and other creatures living in the house. At first he tries to make friends with everyone, and if they don’t want to be friends with him, he will simply stop paying attention to them. Cockatoos and dogs often share a tender relationship. If the dog doesn't mind, the cockatoo can even eat from its bowl.
The main decoration of all cockatoos is their crest. A raised crest is, of course, very beautiful, but tame cockatoos show the world this splendor quite rarely. And all because a raised crest means excitement, excitement. Wild cockatoos almost always bristle their crowns in panic, while calm domestic cockatoos are so confident in the world around them that they do not consider it necessary to worry. So, they will raise their crest a little if the light is suddenly turned on, and then immediately lower it.
Cockatoos can also charmingly squat and bow, they have a charming clubfoot gait, and for this they are highly valued in circuses. And in general, it is very interesting to watch cockatoos; these birds are not the kind of brooding sleepyheads. They are enterprising and constantly busy with something, they play with unscrewed nuts, they gnaw on pieces of wood, hang on rings; Some especially talented Moluccan cockatoos can run after a ball and even bring it to their owner. And in general, they adore all sorts of toys, but these toys must be very durable - so that the mighty beak will not grind them into dust. That is, if the dust is wooden, it’s okay. But if a bird swallows plastic, this, of course, is not at all beneficial for it.
Cockatoos need exercise. Therefore, the Moluccan parrot's cage must be very large; but even from the largest cage it is necessary to let him out for a walk. Well, if a cockatoo is lucky enough to go out of town, then during the season of country walks it is better to clip its wings.
Moluccan cockatoos eat corn, wheat, oats, crackers, cottage cheese, eggs, nuts, and everything they can get their hands on. An unruly cockatoo can eat everything on the table. And no one would mind if all this was good for the bird. But fatty, salty, sweet and much other human food is very harmful for cockatoos, so you have to keep an eye on it. And if the cockatoo somehow especially categorically insists on eating smoked sausage or doing something else that is prohibited, you can lightly flick him on the beak - this brings him to his senses. However, not so much that the cockatoo stopped begging. And they beg with talent. Such an orphan sits on his master’s shoulder, his tuft is raised, he looks pitifully into his eyes, his heart just breaks.
And most cockatoos love to bathe - either in a warm shower or under the spray of a spray bottle. You just need to make sure that the wet Moluccan cockatoo does not fall into a draft. These Australian cockatoos tolerate cold well, but the Moluccan cockatoo, a resident of warm Indonesia, does not tolerate drafts and cold. And you shouldn’t place his cage next to heating devices. Well, the Moluccan cockatoo doesn’t care about anything else.
In a word, if you are fascinated by the prospect of spending the next 70 years of your life next to a cheerful, curious, friendly and beautiful bird, then take a look at the website www.elitparrots.ru.
