Cockatoo (parrot): features of keeping a feathered pet. Reviews of cockatoo parrot owners

The cockatoo parrot is a cute, funny bird that is easy to train. In addition, she can talk, whistle melodies, somersault and even dance. Many people dream of becoming the owner of a cockatoo. But few people know how radically the life of all family members will change with the appearance of a crested handsome man in the house.

Life on the outside

Currently, the cockatoo parrot is widely distributed throughout Europe. They were imported to us from Australia, New Guinea and the Philippine Islands. There are about twenty species of cockatoos. The smallest of them are the size of a jackdaw or a crow, and the largest are the size of a grouse. There are no green and blue colors in the plumage of cockatoos. Most of the species of these birds are white. There are also black and gray. Pink cockatoos live in Australia, yellow cockatoos live in the Philippines, and yellow-cheeked and red-cheeked on some islands. The cockatoo parrot differs from other species by a characteristic very beautiful crest on the head and the shape of the beak. In the wild, they keep flocks, fly well, walk well on the ground, climb trees excellently, and some even know how to dive. They feed on grains, fruits, tubers, larvae, insects. They love corn very much. Often flocks of these cute birds swoop on crops, for which the peasants apply the harshest measures to them. Now many species of cockatoos are listed in the Red Book.

Reproduction in nature

Females of most cockatoos differ from males only in more modest body sizes. Only some species have sexual differences in the form of specks, stripes, different colors of the iris of the eyes. In nature, birds form pairs for the breeding season. Nests are built in hollows, as high as possible from the ground. Eggs in a clutch of large species can be 2 or 3, and small ones - up to 5. Hatching lasts 28-32 days. Chicks are born fledgling, with large beaks. Most often, the couple feeds the cubs together. Sometimes parents do not leave their children even after they have left the nest. After the end of the mating period, the couples are reunited in a flock.

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Captive breeding

In captivity, the cockatoo parrot is not the easiest species to breed. Difficulties begin with the selection of partners. A male can kill a female if he doesn't like her. Therefore, it is advisable to grow a couple together from infancy or provide the male with several candidates to choose from. It is necessary to constantly observe the birds after laying eggs, and arrange two entrances in the nest so that the female can escape from her chosen one in time.

The second difficulty is feeding. In order for the birds to "want" to get heirs, it is necessary to change their diet by increasing the content of sprouted grains and animal proteins. But you can't overdo it here, otherwise the male will have aggression instead of the desire to mate.

The third problem arises after the birth of the first chick. Often the female feeds only him, and the owners have to take care of the rest.

How to raise a baby bird "from the cradle"

If the female has engaged in feeding the hatched chick and refused the remaining eggs, they must be placed in an incubator. There they maintain a special temperature and humidity, install ventilation, and turn the eggs several times a day. After the chicks are born, the temperature in the incubator is reduced to 27-28 degrees. Feeding babies begins at the 12th hour of their life. The role of an artificial "wet nurse" is performed by a small syringe, and later by a spoon. The easiest way to cook food is from infant formula, adding feed lime and vitamins to them. A small cockatoo parrot asks to eat day and night every 2 hours. Whether he has eaten or not, they check the fullness of his goiter. Overfeeding the baby is highly not recommended. Finishing each meal, you need to simulate natural feeding. The grown-up chick can be added to the food millet and fruit. Adult birds enjoy eating carrots, cucumbers, seeds, nuts, peas, beets, celery, corn.

Pet house

Talking parrot cockatoo, cute, funny, playful – the pride of its owner. These birds can learn several phrases and many different sounds. They also easily learn various tricks, movements, and are able to fulfill some requests. This is what enthusiastic viewers see. Behind the scenes there are problems and difficulties known only to the owners.

Cockatoos are freedom-loving birds. If they are constantly kept in a locked cage, they start to get nervous, get sick. This is expressed in plucking their feathers, in aggression towards the owner. Therefore, these birds must be given the opportunity to fly around the apartment for at least half an hour a day.

A cage for them needs to be bought especially strong, preferably metal. Close the door with a good lock, which cannot be opened with anything but a key. These precautions are necessary, because the wooden rods of a cockatoo are turned into splinters in a matter of hours, and simple locks are opened no worse than a seasoned bear-catcher.

Walking around the apartment

All cockatoo owners should remember that it is extremely risky to leave pets unattended outside the cage for a long time. Firstly, inquisitive birds may become interested in electrical wiring, damage it, and kill themselves.

Secondly, they do not remain indifferent to furniture, paintings, figurines, flowers, vases on the table, books. All this they are happy to break, tear, in every possible way put into disrepair. The danger is caused by varnishes and paints that cover furniture and surfaces. A parrot, having swallowed dangerous pieces, can get sick and even die.

Thirdly, there is a white powder on the feathers of the cockatoo, formed from the crushed ends of the feathers. The birds are regularly shaken, and this powder is scattered throughout the apartment.

Character Features

Smashing an apartment is not all that a cockatoo parrot can do. The owners' reviews give an idea of how demanding the bird is to attention and emotional in expressing its feelings. Having become attached to the owner, cockatoos become, figuratively speaking, his shadow, constantly demanding signs of attention. Offended, the pet can refuse to eat, pluck its feathers, even tear its skin. Often such problems arise when the owner needs to go somewhere, for example, to go on vacation. It will be hard for a cockatoo to bear separation.

The second feature of his character is vindictiveness and aggression. If the cockatoo does not like the owner's treatment of him, he can bite very painfully, tear out a piece of flesh and even bite the phalanges of his fingers. Curiously, the bird can injure the owner not only when it is angry, but also just by playing.

Noisy and loud

Cockatoos are very noisy birds in nature. They calm down only for the period of incubation of chicks. They always shout when they are scared and when they are happy with everything. This is how birds clear their lungs. It is clear that this habit remains at home. Their cry is very loud, sometimes heartbreaking. Sometimes it takes you a while to realize that it's not a person yelling, and not a piglet being cut, but a cockatoo parrot expressing pleasure in life. The price for them is quite high. In addition to buying the bird itself, the future owner needs to include a large, very strong and convenient cage for the bird, good food and a lot of toys. They are simply necessary for a parrot living without a pair. Toys are not so expensive, but the parrot will often break them and smash them with its beak, so you will have to buy them often.

How much does a cockatoo parrot cost

According to some sources, the cost of a cockatoo with documents is from 90 thousand rubles and above. It is influenced by many nuances.

As a rule, the price is low if the bird does not have all the necessary documents or it is sick. Unfortunately, cockatoos are often smuggled to us. Such, if I may say so, businessmen only care about revenue. They catch and carry the unfortunate parrots, violating the laws. In order not to be caught, the birds are euthanized and hidden in unsuitable places for living creatures. Few of them remain healthy after this. In addition, a parrot caught in the wild may be a carrier of viruses. Merchants are trying to sell the goods as quickly as possible, so they do not set high prices.

If you buy cockatoos in special nurseries, many problems will be avoided, although the price will be higher. It depends on the type, size, age, skills of the bird and the degree of its domestication. A parrot fed by a human is worth more than the one that was fed by the parents.

It happens that cockatoos are sold by the owners themselves. Here the price varies quite a wide range. Sometimes a parrot can be given away for free, as long as the new owner is a good person. And yet, buying a cockatoo without proper documents, there is a risk of acquiring a problematic bird.

The most popular species

Many people are interested in how long cockatoo parrots live. The duration of their life depends on the conditions of detention, size and type. The most popular are yellow-crested, white-crested, yellow-cheeked, pink, Moluccas and Goffin cockatoos.

Yellow-crested cockatoos are large and small. The big one has a body size of up to 55 cm, lives up to 50 years. He is more difficult to breed in captivity, learns words worse, but performs various tricks perfectly. Small yellow - crested ones grow up to 35 cm . Their life expectancy is 40 years. They hardly learn to talk, but they are very smart and funny.

The white-crested cockatoo parrot (photo) is considered a long-lived. In captivity, its age can reach 70 years. These birds are very popular due to their extraordinary artistry. They learn words and sounds well.

Yellow-cheeked cockatoos are considered excellent talkers. They are unusually strongly attached to their home and owner. In the summer, they are even allowed to fly in the wild without fear that they will not return.

Pink ones live up to 50 years. They are calm, peaceful birds, medium in size. Words are poorly trained, but they are very attached to the owner.

The Moluccan cockatoo is very beautiful. He is extremely quick-witted, imitates animal voices well, but remembers few human words. He lives up to 80 years, delivering a lot of pleasant moments to his owners.

Goffin's cockatoos are considered one of the smallest and loudest. Nevertheless, they are kept in captivity with great pleasure. These cute birds hardly speak, but they do an excellent job with the most complex locks.