My Cockatoos relation Problem

Mohamad65

New member
Feb 10, 2016
1
0
Iran, Tehran
Parrots
Cacatua alba(Umbrella)
Hi All

i own a male alba cockatoo (Umbrella) since he was 4 month, He's very spooney, Now he is at age of 4.5 years old.
he is still young but for him to not to get too attached to me, I bought a docile female (which is older, but dont know how much).
the first time i put them together, the girl started to Caress him. but its seems that my bird didn't know how to react and each time i put them together after a few second he came back to me and feel afraid of her and he didn't trust her(which maybe because of never being around any other bird).
after a while the girl tried to bite him which scared the hell out of him and he flew away any time she tried to get close, after that things changed and she try to attack him, even when he is in his cage, she tries to get in to his cage or bite him from outside. so i am afraid of bringing them out at the same time. is it because of envy, or my reaction toward them, or she is just mad at him for not react or they don't like each other or ...?!
Now i don't know how should i make this right, you know its very hard to find a female cockatoo and i found this one after a very long search. but are they going to get along or i should sell the girl, i cannot decide, for the record the girl has been with us for 2 days :D
 

MonicaMc

Well-known member
Sep 12, 2012
7,960
Media
2
43
Parrots
Mitred Conure - Charlie 1994;
Cockatiel - Casey 2001;
Wild Caught ARN - Sylphie 2013
Why did you get a female cockatoo?


Why did you introduce the two so soon? When getting a second bird, it is highly recommended to quarantine the new bird.
 

Anansi

Moderator
Staff member
Super Moderator
Dec 18, 2013
22,301
4,211
Somerset,NJ
Parrots
Maya (Female Solomon Island eclectus parrot), Jolly (Male Solomon Island eclectus parrot), Bixby (Male, red-sided eclectus. RIP), Suzie (Male cockatiel. RIP)
Monica is absolutely right. You should definitely have instituted a quarantine before introducing the 2 'toos.

But that said, I don't think you should sell the girl. I say this for two reasons. First, it's only been 2 days. She isn't even fully settled into your home yet, much less comfortable enough to start forming bonds with a young male 'too who wouldn't know a "come hither" look from a bite in the rump! (She was likely attempting to illustrate the difference for him, since he reacted similarly to both. Lol!) Many birds require months to get comfortable with each other. 2 days is nowhere near enough.

And second, there's no guarantee that ANY bird you get will like any other. The next bird you get might not get along with him either. You'd be setting yourself up for one rehome after another.

You've taken in this second bird. I think you owe it to her to at least try to make your home her forever home. Don't be so eager to add this lady to the statistical average of frequent cockatoo rehomes.
 

Scott

Supporting Member
Aug 21, 2010
32,673
9,792
San Diego, California USA, Earth, Milky Way Galaxy
Parrots
Goffins: Gabby, Abby, Squeaky, Peanut, Popcorn / Citron: Alice / Eclectus: Angel /Timneh Grey: ET / Blue Fronted Amazon: Gonzo /

RIP Gandalf and Big Bird, you are missed.
The quarantining of a new bird is important for the health of your existing bird. Since they have been exposed, we can only hope for the best that your new female does not have an illness. Parrots survival depends on hiding sickness, so a bird that seems perfectly fine may not be.

Your female may be docile to you, but put her with a potential mate and all sorts of hormonal activity may result! Any or all of your observations of the reaction may be true. The best course at this point is to keep them separated, but within sight, and observe the reaction. If the female is stressing badly, you might have to keep them in different rooms for a while until her hormonal activity reduces, then reattempt an introduction in their cages.

Do you have plans for breeding, or did you think a male/female pairing to be best for their happiness?
 

Most Reactions

Latest posts

Top