Cockatoos are members of the parrot family and love to be entertained. Here's everything you need to know about the cockatoo bird as a pet.
Cockatoos love attention
The cockatoo bird is an attention hog. They're members of the parrot family, which means that they're intelligent, chatty and very very social. They're smaller than cockatiels and have much larger plumage on their head. The cockatoo bird can act like a cat or dog if you let it. They will sit with you for hours if you talk to them and scratch them, much like how a cat will snuggle up on your lap if you douse him in attention.
While it's great that the cockatoo bird likes to hang out, being a social bird means that the cockatoo bird is loud. They don't just sit quietly and hang back when you're petting them. They screech, scream, coo and talk. Females are louder than males, but both genders can really belt it out.
In fact, if your cockatoo bird is not getting enough of your attention, he will act out by screaming at you. This is a terribly unpleasant sound and is a personality trait that should really be considered by any up and coming bird owner. If you can't stand noise or live in an apartment, you might want to choose a quieter bird.
The cockatoo bird is loud, but they're not very good talkers. Sometimes they can learn some English, but the words are usually garbled, unlike other members of the parrot family who are known for clearly mimicking humans.
Cockatoo care
A cockatoo bird needs a lot of room in its cage. Cockatoos like cages that are fully of entertainment. Placing a variety of toys in the cage including mirrors and toys that make noises, will keep your bird entertained and occupied.
A cockatoo bird also needs constant access to good food and clean water. Cockatoos are not necessarily picky eaters. They eat pellets, fruit, veggies and seeds. While this food is good for them, it's important that you frequently check any packaged food for mold. Bird owners don’t always realize that the seed, grain and pellets that are being fed to the bird are moldy. Mold is harmful to birds and all moldy food should be thrown out.
One interesting fact about a cockatoo bird is that they like taking baths. Now, we don’t recommend that you put the bird in the shower, but it is a good idea to spray water over your cockatoo bird. The cockatoo bird loves water and will bathe itself as long as you squirt it with clean water.
