Cockatoos Are Not What They Seem

Alfie, my moluccan cockatoo, mushes into your chest with you rub his head. A literal puddle of feathers. This is why he’s everyone’s favorite in person cause he’s so affectionate.

Affectionate is a cockatoo trait generally. They’re highly emotional birds that enjoy a lot of attention. This intrigues them to become popular companions. People see images and videos that show cockatoos big personalities and affectionate side and think that is life with one of these birds.

Think again.

Cockatoos are the hardest parrots to keep in captive care. I even struggle with giving Alfie enough attention, exercise, mental stimulation, and bathing to keep him and my lungs healthy. He has a 5ft square by 6ft high aviary and he needs more room. When he isn’t getting attention, he is likely to scream, which Moluccan cockatoos are as loud as jet engines in your house and can scream for hours on end. Of course, there are ways to decrease screaming, but with a cockatoo, you’ll never have perfection.

Not to mention their destructive natures. Rukkas’s (red lored amazon) previous owners had an umbrella cockatoo who they didn’t like caging. They left for the afternoon and came back to a hole through their drywall, insulation, and out the other side and their bird escaped literally. It hung out for about a year, could never be captured, and then to never be seen again. I wish I could say that was a false story but if you’ve worked with cockatoos, you’d believe it without a doubt!

Think twice before getting any cockatoo. If you need advise if a cockatoo is right for you, contact us! I’ve worked with thousands in my career, not just with my own birds, which is important when getting true information about how cockatoos are. Some are golden children, which get glowing reviews, but I know the reality of cockatoos