Which one do you prefer? Cockatoo or Macaw

I think cockatoo looks cute, but I heard that they need more care. Which one of those do you prefer, and tell me why.

They are two vastly different birds. If you still haven't narrowed it down between the two you have t spent enough time interacting with either.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Cockatoos are far too needy and much less predictable. Plus their dander is insane, much more than a macaw.

I've never owned a large Bird, but I've seen plenty of videos online.
Noise, activity, affection, all depends on the bird as an individual. Cockatoos are messier since they produce dander (as mentioned above), and cockatoos are more active than macaws and need lots more attention, but that really depends on the bird as an individual.

I'd prefer a macaw (my dream bird), but I also like cockatoos. They aren't the kind of birds for me, so they'll just remain a dream.

Sent from my Galaxy s8

I have both.At my house .Bonded Macaws I think are easy they are like your best friend (I have four) My smaller Toos are able to keep themselves busy but need your consistent attention to do well .Now my bigger Too is like what you read about .Very sensitive species. Most important to them is your affection.Both these species there is no room for error on your part (serious stuff).If you don't give them your all then you are going to have a very unhappy bird.Both species are loud ,destructive and demanding. So own your own home ,have everyone in your house be happy with them,Don't be a way from them to much ,its hard to really take vacations.Not great for a newborn baby where the house needs to be quiet. Be ready for the expense of the right diet ,new toys and a emergency vet for birds ready.Please don't get these birds and get rid of them because your life has changed.Make it work these birds are for life.At my house I'm more them Macaw person I just seem to be able to understand them more.Dave is the Too guy here.What I do when I wonder about a species is watch utube videos on them .Then you can hear them and see their mannerisms.Good Luck

I have Max my beloved and truly devoted blue and gold best friend... we also have a bare eye too...

Both are wonderful in their own way but dramatically different... let's compare to kids, you know one that's super cool, intelligent, always fun to hang out with, does stupid stuff and checks if you saw and are laughing, hang out and watch a movie.... Max is that kid...

Then you have the show off kid who squeezes into the middle of everything demanding to be seen.... still funny, but in an all eyes on me kinda way... and if you're not all eyes on, they throw a temper tantrum and want to slice your head off... or they go all dramatic and rip their feathers out screaming at you that 'you did this to me'.... then they want to snuggle and cuddle for hours.... what you have to go to bed, go back to screaming, slicing and feather pullling.... yeah that's alot of cockatoos.

Love both Max and Ivory, but Ivory is always at threat of becoming too stir fry �������� kidding.... well mostly....

Find a rescue and spend time with all different species, the right bird will let you know who they are...

Sorry to all offended, sure there is bound to be one at least ����

If the OP is just looking for cuteness then really looking at the wrong pet. Go away and do some serious research https://www.mytoos.com/
http://www.parrotforums.com/macaws/56384-big-beak-o-phobes-guide-understanding-macaw-beaks.html

Agree with all the previous posts completely. (Offence? Where?)

You could of course have one of each LOL. (still take hols, no mess, no costs, no noise!)
https://fetch.co.uk/fluff-tuff-jimmy-parrot-343342011?gclid=COfi6_DVxNQCFdQ_GwodUn8N5w
https://www.buysend.com/Product/350...oo-soft-toy/?gclid=CKSjwozWxNQCFQoYGwodq0ILcg

Cockatoo or (large) macaw? Personally, I prefer neither. I grew up with a cockatoo and he gave me lots of reasons I would never own one, the biggest being noise. All parrots are loud, but my dads cockatoo is over the top loud, especially since he is one of the smaller cockatoo species. I don't tolerate excessively loud, repetitive noise well myself. A large macaw? Too big. Big beak, big mess, big voice, big cage, big cost... Do both cockatoos and macaws have absolutely gorgeous, impressive looking birds I can find videos online of with dedicated owners acting like little angels? Sure. Does that mean either one is the right bird for me, my lifestyle, my living situation etc...? NO.

When it comes to choosing a parrot, appearance (cute, pretty, colorful etc...) is dead last in factors to consider. These are effectively wild animals (even if born in captivity), the largest species will live 60+ years (even the small/medium species like 20-30+) and have a lot of 'downsides' prospective owners may not realize or consider going in. Loud, messy, destructive, bite (all parrots bite, it is part of owning them to be bit on occasion), need fresh fruit and vegetables to eat every day, experience hormonal behavior every year after sexually mature etc... The larger the bird, the larger these problems are too. Consider your options carefully. You started a thread the other night about sun conures and senegals. I even found a clean looking store in the city you said you were from saying they sold both and posted their link. Any particular reason you are no longer interested in either of those still very beautiful but more manageable for the first time bird owner species and have moved on to the biggest and most difficult species?

plumsmum2005 said:

https://fetch.co.uk/fluff-tuff-jimmy-parrot-343342011?gclid=COfi6_DVxNQCFdQ_GwodUn8N5w

https://www.buysend.com/Product/350...oo-soft-toy/?gclid=CKSjwozWxNQCFQoYGwodq0ILcg

Click to expand...

Hard choice!

I assume you ask because you are thinking of getting a large parrot. There is an order to the decision process...first, you must be sure that you want the bird, then be sure you are ready for the bird, and only then pick the bird. Getting a big bird is like having a baby. Actually it's like having a two year old child for fifty years. You can't let them out of your sight unsupervised, they will eat anything they find, chew extension cords, chew the furniture and woodwork, have tantrums, require special diets, require a LOT of attention, freak out when you leave them with someone else, not be able to tell you when they hurt or are sick, and require regular checkups and expensive medical care when sick. One difference between a child and a parrot is the parrot has a much more painful bite!

So the first step is to be sure you have the time to devote to this intelligent animal, the money to afford proper cage, toys an medical care, the living environment to tolerate loud noise and mess, and the life stability to make a long term commitment. Parrots live a long time, and they are intelligent. It's cruel to isolate a parrot or keep it in a cage without something to do. They can't be trained to accept human rules the way a dog or cat can be trained. They are traumatized when they have to go to a new home with new people.

Once you are very 110% sure you are ready, then read about the different species. If you read the individual forums here you will get a good sense of how they act and what kind of problems people ask about. You want to be sure of a good fit, because you will have the bird for a long time.

I encourage you, once you have done the above, to consider adopting a bird in need of a home. Good birds wind up in rescues or in need of new homes because their human got married, had a baby, moved to a different country, lost a job, developed an allergy...these birds may have emotional issues or treatable health problems, but in time will come to love you even more than their original owner because you saved them and somehow they know it. Most birds go through a very difficult puberty stage, and if you get an older bird it will have already been through that. You will get a good idea of the personality, know if it talks, etc.. Which are all unknowns in a young bird.

I hope you will stay around the forum a while to read about parrots and ask any questions. Don't be put off by my tone, please. If I seem discouraging it's because I have seen too many cases where birds suffered because they became inconvenient for an unprepared human, and because I know how intelligent and aware they are. You wouldn't get married or have kids on a whim and getting a parrot is the same type of commitment.

Pinkbirdy said:

What I do when I wonder about a species is watch utube videos on them .Then you can hear them and see their mannerisms.Good Luck

Click to expand...

When you talk about videos about mannerisms, this one comes to mind right away for things I need to know about large macaws And this guy is just playing

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ozZFsGAEJs"]Hyacinth Macaw destroys cage - YouTube[/ame]

Wow, that's intimidating. The owner says he does it regularly too. I love to look at videos of cockatoos and macaws, but I would never have one. It's definitely a different lifestyle choice, and I'm not able to make that commitment.

Katu said:

Wow, that's intimidating. The owner says he does it regularly too. I love to look at videos of cockatoos and macaws, but I would never have one. It's definitely a different lifestyle choice, and I'm not able to make that commitment.

Click to expand...

Hyacinth macaws (the big guy snapping welds and bending 6mm thick wrought iron bars in the video) are actually known for being amongst the most cuddly and friendly of all parrots (also the worlds largest and most expensive parrots!). I've been handling and interacting with med-large parrots (amazons and small cockatoo) since before I could walk. I've been bitten countless times. The time I got to hold a hyacinth macaw though was intimidating, even though it was a gentle and friendly bird who showed 0 aggression and I was by no means inexperienced with handling parrots. All I could see was a beak capable of snapping my rather skinny arm bone in half if it did so feel inclined. I admire their beauty and ability to be wonderful companions for certain people, but XL birds (the Big Macs and cockatoos) have just never really appealed to me. My big male amazon is more than enough bird for me, especially when in a bad mood!

To the OP: Have you ever considered mini macaws instead of the XL species? Some very cute mini macaw species out there, but unsure if widely available in your country. May be worth looking into though! Some, like hahn's macaws and yellow collared macaws are comparable size wise to larger conures and apparently can be quite cuddly little guys. Another consideration if you love cockatoos is the smallest species of cockatoo and perhaps most beloved and best reputation of all cockatoos- the cockatiel!

Silly Big Mac! An Amazon would just disassemble the cage!

SailBoat said:

Silly Big Mac! An Amazon would just disassemble the cage!

Click to expand...

And the African Greys would hire others to dismantle it while they noshed on birdie bread.:-D