I Need Help Talking a Friend out of Getting a Cockatoo

stephend

New member
Jun 7, 2011
432
0
Denver
Parrots
Acorn - a Yellow Sided Green Cheek Conure;
Bob - a Cockatiel;
Cricket - an American Budgie
I have a friend who is a good pet owner, and would likely be a good bird owner. She fell in love with Bob (a tiel) when she met him and would like a full sized cockatoo, I believe that this would be a poor choice of bird for her as they have a reputation for being awful screamers and I have seen her get a migraine from her cat complaining about being in a carrier. The primary feature that attracts her to them is their crest. Any suggestions on convincing her of a different bird?

Assuming Bob makes a normal amount of noise a tiel would be good for her.
 
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wibitywab

New member
Jun 4, 2011
231
0
Southern California
Parrots
"Kiwi" My Hahn's Macaw and R.I.P. Buddy the GCC-2009 - 2011
tell her that a cockatoo can be as loud as a Boeing 747 at full thrust taking off, and its true!
 

suebee

New member
Jan 13, 2011
2,394
3
lol i think she needs to hear one at full scream and then tell her that could be a 24/7 thing with some birds

but sometimes ppl will do as they want
 

Amber

New member
Jun 1, 2011
408
3
Youtube up a video of one screaming, turn your speakers right up and let her hear for herself. :p We have sulphur cresteds that hang around my parents house (native to tgw area, we live right next to a river so they are everywhere) who you can hear coming a mile away. The flocks also destroy corrugated iron roofs by pulling them apart. We had to get tiled when we built our new place to stop them! Even then they still make pests of themselves.
 

mellykyitus

New member
Oct 22, 2010
668
Media
6
1
south wales UK
Parrots
Angel the blue and gold macaw, mimsy the lesser sulphur too, rocky the galah & willow the blue crowned conure.
cockatoo's are loud and kind of crazy! mimsy will only come to me if i'm wearing soft pastel colours. if i wear red or black etc its like she doesn't know me! also a cockatoo bite is very painful!
 

HRH Di

New member
Jan 9, 2010
1,537
Media
3
9
McKinney, TX
Parrots
Max - Alexandrine, Jade - Red-Front Macaw, Ruby - CAG
My husband had always kind of liked cockatoos because of the TV show Baretta. We fostered on for a few weeks before Popcorn went to live with his parents. I have to agree with Melly, 'toos are kinda crazy. Popcorn bonded to me pretty quickly and got down right aggressive to other family members and sometimes toward me when he was trying to "protect" me. He bit my back one time to get to away from my family and left significant bruises...and he wasn't really trying that hard.

And the noise he can make is deafening. He makes flock calls daily and I think the 'toos near Amber's parents can hear him.

He is beautiful and very affectionate. But 'toos take a very special owner.
 

merlinsmom13

Active member
Jul 27, 2010
1,445
1
Beckley, WV
Parrots
Merlin a Red Crowned Amazon
Show here pictures of 'too's who were unsatisfied w/their situation & plucked theirselves bald. A big problem w/ 'toos. Show here how many are in rescues. But like suebee said, people going to do what they are going to do. Give here the info & let her make a informed decision.
 

mtdoramike

Supporting Member
Jan 18, 2011
3,987
Media
4
4
Mt. Dora Fl./central Fl.
Parrots
11 month old Senegal Parrot - 3 year old SI Eclectus
Do her a favor and go onto You Tube and type in screaming cockatoo's. If that don't convince her then nothing will. In my opinion if a meowing cat gives her a migraine then she doesn't need a bird. I have a Senegal, which is touted as being the perfect apartment bird because they are quiet (reah right). My Senegal can raise the roof with her squawking, which is quite often especially if she isn't getting attention.
 

nofearengineer

New member
Sep 8, 2010
575
1
Parrots
Gandalf - CAG (1997-2010) R.I.P. my baby boy.
Bitty - CAG (2 yrs old? and working on spoiling her rotten)
Have her watch this...

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWvbfFJZ248]YouTube - ‪So you want to own a Parrot?‬‏[/ame]

That should do the trick.
 

kitt

New member
Mar 27, 2011
426
0
Michigan
Parrots
Ava(peach faced lovebird) and my very first bird
Leroy (black headed caique) my little moody bird
Dusty (hahns macaw) my clown
Perfect video.....omg, the loud cockatoo made me jump and then laugh.....
 

IcyWolf

New member
Jul 5, 2011
1,542
3
Etters, Pa
Parrots
~Alexandrine Parakeet~2 Red Lored Amazons~Blue Fronted Amazon~Black capped conure~4 Green Cheeks~4 Parrotlets~2 lineolated parakeets~9 American budgies~9 English budgies~ And lots of babies :)
Do you have any bird stores near you? For some reason around here they are always called birdfarms, but they are some of the loudest places I have ever been, I would take her to a place like that, if she is that sensitive to noise, it should change her mind in the first few minutes, not too mention, have her look around at the prices of anything bird related, I've seen that change peoples minds pretty quickly too.(no pun intended :) ) You could also show her, from a safe distance, some birds that aren't friendly. Also, if she likes their crests so much, why doesn't she get a tiel? They have crests too, are much quieter than a too and much easier to work with as a first bird, although I did have a rescue tiel that would bite me harder than some too's have. Drew blood and bruised me everytime... ouch.
 

kerry

New member
Jul 3, 2011
269
0
In a suburb of Minneapolis, MN
Parrots
Yellow Naped Amazon -female, Umbrella Cockatoo - female.
Don't be making gross generalizations regarding parrot behavior.
All Umbrella cockatoos are not screamers.
I just fostered a female 21 year old Umbrella cockatoo at my house for the past 3 weeks that needed re-homing & she was not a screamer. In fact my Yellow Naped Amazon was louder than she was.
Just as you can't make generalizations regarding certain groups or ethnicities of people, you also can't or shouldn't generalize about parrot behavior either. There are some Umbrella & Moluccan cockatoos that are loud & there are also some that are not. But I agree with you that watching lots of You Tube videos of the kind(s) of parrots or birds that you are considering getting as a pet is a good way to narrow down & refine your search.
 

kitt

New member
Mar 27, 2011
426
0
Michigan
Parrots
Ava(peach faced lovebird) and my very first bird
Leroy (black headed caique) my little moody bird
Dusty (hahns macaw) my clown
I really don't think it was a matter of making a "gross generalization"
Most birds can be quite loud....that is more the rule then the exception....
When I brought home my hahns macaw he never made any noise for like two or three weeks and I thought wow, he is such a quiet bird but then the honeymoon phase ended. LOL....but I wouldn't have him any other way.......
As with most things put on forums and put on the web, you take what you need from it and leave the rest behind....... :)
 

CAGLulu

New member
Jun 8, 2011
201
0
Parrots
Congo African Grey (Lulu)
I've had Lulu now for about three month, she will be six month old on July 18th, and I still haven't heard her scream.. I know that all birds do scream, but I'm waiting patiently to hear her attention-scream LOL :D.
 

nofearengineer

New member
Sep 8, 2010
575
1
Parrots
Gandalf - CAG (1997-2010) R.I.P. my baby boy.
Bitty - CAG (2 yrs old? and working on spoiling her rotten)
CAG's don't really have a "scream" per se. What they do have is a locator call that will drive you nuts, if they get separation anxiety every time you get up to go to the kitchen.

It's more like a high-pitched whine.

Bitty "cries" when I go to work every morning. It kills me LOL.
 

xreinx

New member
May 24, 2011
342
0
Alaska
Parrots
-no parrots yet-
I do have two cats -Riply & Nano bites-
four snakes- china, dip & stick, and Grand Chahee-
A 747 Jumbo Jet produces as much as 140 decibels of noise. Peacocks have been registered at 115 db.
Moluccan Cockatoos hold the record as the loudest bird on earth at 135db (average = 120db)"..... San Diego Zoo

By the way, this isnt what I made up, this is a recorded fact. I found it just a few months ago when I thought I wanted a 'Too.
 

kitt

New member
Mar 27, 2011
426
0
Michigan
Parrots
Ava(peach faced lovebird) and my very first bird
Leroy (black headed caique) my little moody bird
Dusty (hahns macaw) my clown
Wow, now thats loud......my in laws use to have a M2 and man, it was hard to be in the room with him when he got going....you needed ear plugs. LOL
 

xreinx

New member
May 24, 2011
342
0
Alaska
Parrots
-no parrots yet-
I do have two cats -Riply & Nano bites-
four snakes- china, dip & stick, and Grand Chahee-
If a cats Mew gives her headaches, then think of what a excited Too will do to her.

Ive done my homework I love the Toos, the last one I was lucky to have contact with was wonderful, but I had to leave the room every time he started screaming, the pain from 10 feet away to my ears was accually Physical, besides the fact that I live in a Condo, I dont think Ill be getting a Too. All the luck in trying to get her to change her mind.
 

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