Hello all! New(ish) cockatoo being weird

[DuckDuckGoose]

Hi guys. This is my first post

About 6 months ago I took in a 17 year old sulphur crested cockatoo, and she’s started this behavior I can’t make heads or tails of.

She is smacking the crap out of me with her beak! My cockatiel does do the typical “bonk bonk bonk” with his beak, but Goose will do one big BONK, usually on my hand or forehead. Or just now, on my phone. What’s the deal with this? It just started this morning too.

 

[Cottonoid]

Welcome to the forums!

I haven't lived with a cockatoo, but it does sound like she's trying to tell you something specific.

I volunteer at a rescue/sanctuary that focuses on cockatoos, and the biggest thing I've learned about them is that they understand WAY more about me and what I'm saying and doing than I do about them. I've only been there for about six months, so we're still getting to know each other. In general they all respond negatively to even the slightest inflection of patronizing them, and respond positively to treating them like adults I'm meeting at a work function.

They each have really specific ways of getting their points across, and it's not always the same with different people.

That's all not super helpful in helping you figure this out tho What have you been doing before she bonks you? Maybe there's a pattern.

 

[saxguy64]

No experience with toos, but my ekkie does that. If he's in the cage, it's banging the bottom of a food bowl, and if he's out with me, it's one or more good bonks to my face, most commonly my lips. So, in his case, it's entirely about demanding my attention. "Hey, I'm right here! Don't you look away from me!" Kind of a "Helloooo, McFly!" thump on the head, you know?