The truth about owning a Cockatoo, please

[Pedro]

To answer your question Neravas, any kind of touch - even on the head could trigger breeding behavior. Even changing different tones in your voice can trigger breeding behavior (depends on what season it is and the individual bird). Usually though as long as you only pet their heads your okay, try not to pet them down their backs.

beckybird: I'm sorry that happened to you. My M2 is the opposite, super loving and I have to peel her off of any visitor that comes over (she thinks that they are here to see her). Most M2 males are really aggressive and tend to be one person only birds. If you look at breeding pairs in captivity usually the female M2 ends up either getting her beak, foot, leg, or wing torn off by the males and the males are notorious for killing the females (this is something not seen in the wild but common in captivity). The male M2s don't tend to handle captivity as well and are usually more aggressive of all the Toos.

Major Mitchells are also known for their aggression, as a pair or companion parrot.

My Sulphur Crested Too is very much the same as your M2, Molcan2. I can pat him & stroke him, give him cuddles & kisses without him getting stimulated but i also know the limitations as well. He also thinks that visitors come just to see him. I often get asked to sell him but he is priceless.

I also agree with others it takes a special kind person to own a Too of any species. Cockatoo's are not for everyone.

I also have a pair of Red Tail Black Too's & pair of Majors. I must say that the RTB would have be the most gentle parrot i have ever owned. My 5 are not to noisy at all. But as i said mine are the exception.

I think it's really hard for anyone to actually know what they are getting themselves into when buying a parrot. Usually i buy a parrot of my choice & then worry about behaviors when & if they present themselves.

No Too should be left unsupervised, you only need to take your mind off them for a few minutes & the kitchen cupboards can be reduced to match sticks.

 

[Mamanda]

What I guess I'm asking really is, are there any quiet cockatoos?

NO. NO. NO. NO. And ... you guessed it ... NO.

 

[lene1949]

I have a galah and a corella outside... They're less than 6 metres from my neighbour... He has never complained about noise from the birds, but he has complained about my previous dog barking.... He does it in a very nice way, so I can take action.

If the birds were bothering him, he would let me know..

 

[Harrybasford]

Wow, thanks to EVERYONE for their help and input, looks like I'll wait till I live on a bigger plot of land. Still adding 1 to the flock though, I really am warming to Senegal/Cape. My last question..... Do you think a Senegal or a Cape Parrot, could and would get along with my Lovebird and Cockatiel?

I found a dehydrated and starving hedgehog on a walk last night, fed him soggy dog biscuits and he is ALOT more active today, he was nesting when I left but today I will release him back, cute little thing ^^

 

[melinda]

Just keep in mind most love birds will bully other birds. It doesn't matter how much bigger the other bird is. You will just have to keep a eye on them when out of the cages. Love birds are well know for flying to cages and taking toes off other birds but they risk legs or beaks with larger birds.

 

[wenz2712]

My Galah Cockatoo isnt noisy at all. She talks alot, but when she does squawk, which isnt very often, it isnt an ear deafening noise!
Hope this helps.

 

[Pedro]

The thing about Cockatoos or any companion parrot it is important to start positively reinforcing any behaviors that you deem desireable & ignore anything you don't like. The most common reason for parrots bad behavior is lack of control by the owner. They set no behavioral guidelines for baby parrots, allowing the baby to do as it pleases. Then these same people get rid of their beloved parrots as they mature because they class their bird as not being a good pet.

 

[Kim444]

The cockatoos, by Johanne Vaillancourt

Really great article.

 

[EsmereldaLeCrankypants]

Does any of this apply to galahs?

 

[ann]

i have heard that galahs tend to be less prone to the behavior problems as the other cockatoos are, but any bird can be just as bad or good depending on how you raise/train it. but if you do decide on a cockatoo, then i would say galah. btw, have you already picked a senegal, because thats what your parrot info says
oh and thank you for taking in that hedgehog, do they live in spain? that must be so cool to find hedgehogs, they're so cute. im lucky if i see a possum lol

 

[PortaPerch]

Apparently, Grey owners are attracted to Galahs. At least that's what they noticed at Fran's Exotic Birds where wifey fell in love with Chewbaca. She has no bad manners, except chewing everything manmade and expensive. I suspended the tv remote from the ceiling on a long spring, after she ate all the buttons off the first one.

We never cage these two, so they have free run of the house, but they never venture beyond our bedroom and bath on one end, and their night perch in the spare bathroom at the other end of their territory we call Middle Mess.

After they settle down wing to wing on the night perch, I cover their open cage with a blanket. Last night, Greybeard turned his head and beak-kissed Chewbaca just as I was covering them.

 

[god61021]

I tried my hand at rescuing a smaller cockatoo. a goffins. when lucy wanted to make noise my neighbors couldnt sleep. in a house in a small town, not an apartment and we both have larger then normal yards. ended up having to find a more experienced bird person to take him.

 

[Featheredsamurai]

Galahs are quieter, but do have their moments. My Galah is extremely quite, but since having her she has opened up some more and her peeps are a bit louder


[ame="http://youtu.be/Hcn-Qe-4Tn0"]Loud Galah Screaming - YouTube[/ame]

 

[lene1949]

Because cockatoos love to cuddle and be petted, people do it to excess.. If you teach them independence, teach them to enjoy their large cage with lots of foraging opportunities, you CAN have a nice and relatively quiet companion... I'm talking here about the too's I have, a shortbilled corella and a galah...

 

[terry52449]

I have been a cockatoo admirer for 35 years and got my first umbrella cockatoo then. Trixie was a huge challenge since she was a tamed bird from the wild but still so much a joy to have. I learned then that these animals belonged in their own habitat and not in a cage. Trixie was shown love and respect and she became a great friend of our whole family. She became my daughters bird eventually and moved with her when she got married.
35 years later I read of the exotic birds we have in captivity today. The mistreatment and abandonment issues. So I looked into adopting a cockatoo and found Cameo. The sweetest little umbrella cockatoo. She is so much different than my first in personality. Cameo loves to be active in the families doings. Whether it be time to eat, clean the house, watch TV or entertaining guests especially poker night.
Cockatoos are not just a pet they are a member of the family and should be recognized as such. Like any 2-3 year old child your too has to have boundaries and knowledge of your toos essential because they also have to have their needs met to be happy. They depend completely on you for everything just like your infant child. So be prepared to parrothood.
I now have a second too, Tasha, another rescue. She is another wonderful loving and gentle bird. And has now taken to my wife rather well after Tasha bit her. Mostly out of fear I think.
My point is this. This is not a pet to keep caged and feed daily like a gerble or fish. Birds are social animals and are very smart. They must be able to live as such and you are they`re flock.

 

[PortaPerch]

"My point is this. This is not a pet to keep caged and fed daily like a gerbil or fish. Birds are social animals and are very smart. They must be able to live as such and you are their flock."

Well said.