Considering Cockatoos? Part I

Cockatoos, the familiar, mostly white, crested group of parrots from Australia and Indonesia, are often one of the first parrots a family is drawn to when choosing a bird. However, you need only talk to a couple of parrot rescue organizations or look in the “for sale” ads to see that cockatoos aren’t for everyone. Not that they make bad pets.

It’s more like they don’t make good pets unless the owners really know what they’re doing. I don’t have actual statistics on this, but my experience leads me to believe that cockatoos are one of the most commonly re-homed parrots, passed around from place to place because they got to be too much. That passing around could possibly have been prevented had the bird landed in the right place to begin with. But that’s not the bird’s fault.

Each month I talk to several people who are either thinking of selling their problem ‘too, or they’ve just acquired someone else’s “mistake” and want to bring the bird around. It sure would be better if I talked to several people who were in the mulling-it-over stage and needed some help with their cockatoo purchase decision. I’m afraid that for many people, my suggestion would be “Don’t get one”. Not everyone realizes the huge potential down side of these downy-soft birds. But the large number of older cockatoos being placed up for adoption, the frantic pleas for help on parrot website message boards, and the discouraged clients I help tell another story. A cockatoo is an “extreme” parrot.

So put some extreme thought into your decision before you bring one home. Don’t be ruled by your heart when you hold that adorable big-eyed baby as it wraps its foot around your fingers and offers you a charming smile. Use your head, and learn the reality of the pet cockatoo.

You could call cockatoos a study in contrast. Cute, cuddly and affectionate. Loud, demanding and belligerent. These are all words used to describe pet cockatoos. And they would all be accurate for the most part. With their large, dark, button eyes, baby-doll speaking voices and almost insatiable need for physical closeness, they are indeed one of the most lovable of all birds. But along with that sweet nature comes a tendency to be overly needy and possibly violently bossy. Not to mention, they like to take tear things up, rule over everyone and everything in sight, and make lots of noise.

And when they are loud, they are very, very loud. There’s a website out there that features an “up close and personal” recording of a Moluccan cockatoo in full-blown tantrum mode, giving folks an idea of what they’d be facing on possibly a daily basis. Even the more diminutive Goffins and bare-eyed cockatoos pack a pretty hefty wallop in the scream-and-screech department. Anyone with a need for quiet, like apartment dwellers, probably should pass on a cockatoo for that reason alone.

It’s not that a cockatoo will inevitably become a problem pet, but the odds of it happening increase if the bird is brought into a home of unprepared people. Since it’s not likely one just appears on your doorstep or follows your children home from school, you’re going to acquire this bird because somehow you choose to.

And hopefully it was after lots of careful consideration. If not, you may be playing catch-up on how not to end up with a pushy, overly-dependent parrot that you’ve accidentally spoiled rotten, and not in a good way. It’s important to address the specific concerns about raising a well-mannered cockatoo, so some prevention-oriented cockatoo care is coming up.

So Many Choices!

Sometimes the parrot you get finds you. Whether you adopt the bird of an ill family member, marry someone with a bird, or buy a parrot on impulse at the pet store, the type of parrot in question isn’t up for debate. It’s what was available based on the circumstances.

Heck, a bird could land on your head when you’re in your backyard. This happened to my mother when she was little, and she had that budgie for 16 years. While there are plenty of “I wasn’t intending on getting this particular type of bird, but…” stories that end well, there are many that don’t. It’s generally better if you make a carefully planned, well-researched decision about what kind of parrot to get. This doesn’t guarantee total domestic bliss, but it helps.

There are literally hundreds of species of parrots. Many of them aren’t common in the pet trade, but there are still lots of choices. You’ll have to narrow your picks down to “the short list”. That’s not too hard because there are whole categories you can rule out based on what you’re looking for. Take size, for instance. Big bird or small? And what is small?

Compared to a macaw, an Amazon is small. But if your idea of a pet bird is more on the budgie end of the spectrum, then an Amazon is pretty large. Maybe the thought of a beak that can completely surround your finger doesn’t sit well with you, or you’d rather not have a parrot whose cage is bigger than your first apartment. Maybe it’s not even the size of the bird that’s the deciding factor; it’s the size of your wallet. If you have less than a thousand to spend, you’re probably out of the Amazon-or-bigger range. Remember, you’re not just buying a parrot, but also a cage, toys, food and other parrot paraphernalia.

Probably the next consideration is noise. Not “Can you tolerate noise?” but “How much noise can you tolerate?” Parrots are not quiet pets. Even those with less-noisy reputations let you know they’re there, and an active parrot is going to bang around on and holler at his toys.

If a tranquil home is important to you, you might steer clear of Amazons, cockatoos, macaws, lories and large conures. Not only are these parrots very vocal, they are very loud. Their voices carry easily across thin apartment walls or closely-spaced houses. Consider instead one of the African parrots, such as a grey or a Senegal. A pionus, eclectus or cockatiel might also be a good choice. An ear drum-friendly species will keep you in better standing with the neighbors.

What about mess? It’s a given, just like noise. Larger birds will disperse larger amounts of feathers, uneaten food, and “used” food. Powdery parrots like African greys and cockatoos can challenge your allergies and your dusting skills. Active conures and Amazons may not be as big as most macaws, but they can go head to head in the mess arena.

Thinking about a lory? You will want washable walls. And don’t forget those destructive abilities that will forfeit your damage deposit quicker than you can say “new wall trim”. No large macaws or cockatoos for the house proud, unless you can keep your bird under 24-hour surveillance or develop amazingly long arms to stop split second beak assaults. If small holes in your belongings aren’t a problem for you, your choices are broader. Even an African grey or the biggest Amazon can’t take down a whole table leg in one bite. Is that cockatiel looking even better, or perhaps one of the smaller conures?

There are also parrot personality aspects such as talking ability, playfulness and cuddliness to consider. Taking these things into account should get your list even more focused. Once you do get your picks narrowed down really tight, choosing from two or three species can have even the most well-tempered and agreeable families battling in heated arguments.

Dad wants a macaw, mom wants a cockatoo. Or dad wants to focus on playfulness and mom wants to focus on talking ability. What’s a well-meaning family to do? You may end up with more than one parrot. A budgie could land on your head, you know!