Q&A for How to Take Care of Cockatoos

Spend lots of time with it. Also, offer them plenty of enrichment and stimulation with toys and other products.

Yes, they can be. Cockatoos are very demanding birds that crave attention. This can lead to bad behaviors like escaping, screaming, and destruction if they don't get enough interaction.

Yes. The reason is he is an unhappy or unhealthy bird. Either the cockatoo is bored and needs more attention, or it may be sick. Talk to your vet or avian about this. Spend more time with your cockatoo and don't let it do this. The cockatoo might start plucking from its chest and go to its wings and back. When they start plucking, it is almost impossible for them to break the habit.

Never in full sun, but daylight is good and necessary for them to remain healthy and correctly process their food.

Yes. They are quite active, and are very social creatures who require a lot of interaction with you.

You can tell the sex of many cockatoo species based off of eye color. Male cockatoos generally have black eyes, while female cockatoos have brown eyes.

Two pet cockatoos can be ideal if you are not able to devote so much time and attention as the birds demand. Bored cockatoos are notorious for developing bad habits such as screeching and feather plucking. Having two will help to prevent bad habits from developing by a bored bird.

If your cockatoo's feet are dry, try rubbing organic all natural coconut oil on them.

Try a little, but don't overdo it. Try a couple of grapes for snacks, and have some segments of fruit for a meal.

All birds are pretty hard to take care of. If you want a first bird, you might consider a budgerigar (budgie) or a cockatiel as small birds. Obviously, bird birds are a big responsibility.

I find room temperature is about right, maybe a little cooler but not much warmer, unless a bird is sick then they should be put under a heat lamp and watched carefully!

Yes, put coconut oil on its feet and beak. Don't put too much, just a simple rub would do. Put the oil on after you have given the cockatoo a shower.

Most of their diet should consist of seeds or pellets, supplemented with fruits and vegetables. However, cockatoos are technically omnivores -- they can happily eat chicken, fish, and other lean meats in small quantities.

Consult an avian vet, he will be able to suggest and supply treatment. Untreated, this can be serious.

Males usually have black eyes and the females usually have brown eyes.

Make sure that the bird has lots of toys and activities in the cage. Give it some vegetables and fresh water before you go to keep the busy. Also, some shelled nuts are fun for birds to work with while you are gone. Birds will break a lot of toys and it is necessary for them to do so, especially if they spend a lot of time in the cage. A bird without toys and activities will start harming itself by plucking of feathers from its body, a sign of depression.

No.

Abused, depressed, or sick cockatoos can be restored to health if a patient, knowledgeable, loving owner takes up the commitment of looking after them. The longer the bird has been neglected or abused, the slower the healing process will be. But it is indeed possible to restore a broken cockatoo.

The best you can do is resign yourself to the fact that cockatoos are very loud. They shout even when they are happy and healthy, and they have a penchant for making lots of noise throwing things around and banging objects when they play. If you need a quieter bird, it might be a good idea to check out other species. Neglected cockatoos are extremely loud. They are emotionally complex social creatures, and without proper care they will literally become neurotic and develop terrible screeching and screaming habits. To avoid that, you need to make sure that your cockatoo is healthy, happy, mentally stimulated and enjoying continuous companionship and love.

Ordinarily your bird will need to spend time outside. Even a highly versatile and well-socialized bird can be startled by some unfamiliar sounds or sights, so supervision is imperative to protect it from predators. If startled or frightened, it is quite likely to fly for safety.

Yes, although you may want to have a vet do this if you're unfamiliar with the process. If you need to do it yourself, make sure you do plenty of research beforehand so you don't hurt your bird.

It's never a good option to have two different species in the same cage, so, no.

On average, a cockatoo will live about 15 to 20 years. If you take good care of one, it can even live 25 years or longer.

Your bird may just be getting old. The lifespan of a Cockatoo generally ranges from 15-20 years.

Not often unless they feel threatened. If your cockatoo is biting you often, try moving your hand a little slower and flat and speak in a quiet, soothing tone. While the article is for cockatiels instead of cockatoos, the principles in the wikiHow article Stop Your Cockatiel from Biting may prove helpful to you.

This is too long to leave a cockatoo alone; you will either need to have someone come by daily to care for your bird, or bring it to be boarded.

No, that is not safe. Your cockatoo needs fresh, clean water.

You can tell the sex of many cockatoo species by eye color. Male cockatoos generally have black eyes, while female cockatoos have brown eyes.

You'll find some helpful tips in the wikiHow article Bond with a Cockatoo .

Cockatoos will commonly throw tantrums if they feel angry or frustrated, but not all cockatoos will necessarily engage in this behavior.