Help!

The cockatoos I just brought home are a pair. It is my understanding that parrots, in general mate in the spring. The bird that I was told was a male was presenting herself in a very loving manner to her friend. She was pushing her rear end toward the other bird and arching her back and neck and making very unusual sounds. The other bird appeared uninterested.

Three questions, first, will they mate without a nesting box, because there isn't one; second, would a female present herself like that to another female? And lastly, should I separate them? I guess a final question is whether or not this type of behavior can be expected outside of the spring?

Many, many questions.

In general, sexually mature adult parrots do mate once a year, generally in or around spring, depending on species and part of the world they're in. In nature, they don't mate without a suitable nest first. Just because WE can't tell the difference visually between a boy and a girl doesn't mean they can't. However, in a domestic home setting, all bets are off on all 3 of these things.

You also have to consider their ages, which if I remember correctly is 4-ish. These birds are hitting puberty and that can mean several years of year round hormonal behavior before becoming fully mature adults who settle into a once a year hormone cycle. I am not sure at what age large cockatoos become capable of producing eggs, but you need to find out quickly. You also need to confirm their genders through DNA testing and if you have a ale and female, unless you want baby cockatoos (and you don't want that hassle) you will need to separate and only allowed supervised interactions. You can get cages with dividers or put their cages right next to each other so they aren't ever out of sight of each other or lonely, but if you stick them in a cage together nature will likely take its course at some point.

So you didn't take them to the Avian Vet yet? Never believe anyone regarding the sex unless they provide you a certificate and even than a mix-up can occur! Get new DNA test completed! And, if you haven't, a New Parrot Avian Vet visit!

Remember that in their natural region, its Spring Time! It is also the change of Seasons here in the North! That can bring on a Hormonal response as can not maintaining longer sleep periods and a number of other drivers.

Is it possible that she is presenting to another female, its possible.

Get the DNA testing done!

In answer to both of you: I was going to take them to the vet yesterday for DNA testing, but our 17 year old dog, who has been having seizures, finally had to be put down. it was a bad day, and today had too many issues. I will get that done ASAP. I have had them less than a week and had no intention of relying on the representations of the seller.

I do live in Houston, Texas, so there is no real winter, regardless of what the calendar says. And yes, they may have a biological clock that tells them it is time to mate.

They are allegedly 4 years old, but see above about me believing that. In the wild, it is my understanding that they become sexually mature at 4 or 5, but if they are hand fed (and I can't imagine these cuddly birds weren't) they don't mature till about 8. In either case, it is time to separate them, because the one (male? female?) who was ignoring the advances of his more precocious partner may not do that much longer.

Indoor birds don't care what season it is outdoors. They're likely to mate any time. I would provide separate cages if possible. It's also possible the reason the female (or the one you were told is female) is shrieking so much is hormones. Our Rocky has periods like that, where nothing stops the screaming, but that's also when he's hormonal. Mind you, U2s scream a little (or a lot) every day no matter what, but it's noticeably worse during mating hormones.