Cockatoo is a kind of ornamental bird with beautiful further and beautiful voice. This species is smart and cause it uses on zoo’s event. Cockatoos are usually live in high primer forest and Monsoon forest (South East Nusa), the shrub forest, and shrubs that are sparse trees and cultivated tress whose tress are rare. They are not striking, but they are really striking when fly. They are usually lived as couple. People usually maintain it since kids to teach them talking.
Cockatoo has crooked beak. This bird belongs to the psittacidae family according to its beak shape. Not only that, Cockatoo has crossed toes. Two fingers point in front then who fingers point towards the back. That way the toes of the cockatoo can climb and hold firmly. The most unique thing is that the Cockatoo has crests and tongues that are different from other birds. The behavior of this type make them so special.
As we know that Cockatoo is smart animal which can talking. The Cockatoo is familiar with human, so they can socialize with people. That characteristic interests people to maintain them. Not only smart, they are also active, loyal, highly interest with new environment, and also like to show off their self.
There is much kind of Cockatoo in the world, like White Cockatoo, River Cockatoo, Maluku Cockatoo, Pink Cockatoo, and Yellow Cockatoo. One of them is Yellow-crested Cockatoo whom usually live as couple or small group. They are very striking when flying, with fast and strong flapping wings interspersed with drifting movements and shouting each other. When they are make a sound from the perch, the topknot is upheld and the lowered. Yellow-crested Cockatoo is pressured by booming population around last 10-15 years. It cause over hunting to cage-bird trading. This kind is now rare because trading activity. This species live in the 0-1520 meters above sea level. They are usually live until 60 years or even more.
How to take care of your cockatoo?
If you want to pet them, here is a view thing you may have to know:
- Bathing them 3 times per week.
To keep their further clean and smooth, you have to bathing them three times per week. It will make their further shiny and also maintained. This activity is as form attention of their owner. You can make fake rain to bath them, but also using shower or soak. Don’t using cold water, you better using warm water.
The right time to bathing them is in the morning before 9 AM. That’s because bathing them in the morning helps them feel so fresh and expedite their voice louder than before moreover drying it over the sun. Don’t forget to give them food. Hone their beak and claws regularly, this is important thing to make their beak and claws to minimalize damage when they climb or bite. It is crucial thing for all bird, so better hone them twice a day.
- Feed them right and regularly
The main needs of all living thing is food. Not only human but also for animal. That’s why food became important thing here. As the owner, you have to know which one is the right food for your animal. Some foods give to the Cockatoo are young corn cobs and papaya fruit. But if you want to be easy, you can buy sprouted seeds which many sold in pet shops. There are some additional food like carrot, sunflower’s seed, melted cheese, piece of boiled egg, and walnuts. Especially for walnuts, you better give it to king Cockatoo because he can open up walnut’s skin. This food better placed in stainless. This food can’t be allowed in the cage. If we give it in the morning and it is rest, you better replace it in the evening.
To supporting their growth and health, you better give them special vitamin which much sold in market. You can give it 2 weeks once to build their immune. There is also vitamin for resolve their hair loss where it will fall their hair first, and growing the new one, vary food everyday. Same as people, the Cockatoo can feels bored too when eating same food for a long time. Cause that, it is really important to vary their food every day. It minimizes the Cockatoo from stress.
- Avoiding give them avocado
Did you know that avocado can poison Cockatoo? Avocado has persin, the chemistry which became poison for Cockatoo. It causes narrowing of blood vessels until sudden death. The min sign are shortness of breath, unable to perch, even kidney failure and liver problem. You also may don’t give apple seeds, chocolate, onion, and salt toward the Cockatoo.
Beside avocado, the food that shouldn’t give to your Cockatoo is food and meat which cause overweight.
- Place the cage in the area that is often passed by you and family members.
The place is also considering over Cockatoo. As we know that the Cockatoo is socializes bird, it become important when they are have to meet people or other animal from their kind. With placing the cage in the area which often passed by you or your family, their social skill will fulfilled. Make their cage as high as your height, and it would make you easier to interact with them.
- Adjust the size of cage to the size of Cockatoo
Make sure the cage and the size is compatible. Don’t make the Cockatoo feel narrowness with their cage. The narrow cage can make them stress because their move is limited. The cage also following the growth of the Cockatoo. The more it bigger, the cage also upgraded. For small Cockatoo, the cage’s size is 70x70x100 centimeters. And for big Cockatoo, the cage is 100x100x200 centimeters.
The Cockatoo doesn’t like dirty place, so you have to clean it regularly to avoiding the Cockatoo from disease.
- Bring the cage together with the partner
If you have a couple of Cockatoo, you better bring the cage together with their partner. It can make them singing diligently and it already proved. That’s because Cockatoo like socializing moreover with their kind.
- Give them attention and love
Cockatoo need of love and attention from the owner to grow it well. If they are alone, they will boring and do bad behavior like singing out loud and pull out their fur.
If you too busy to caring the Cockatoo, you can give a friend to accompany them. Because they will do bad behavior when they feel boring, you can give them friend like doll.
Basically, all pet are need for caring of their owner, especially for unique animal like Cockatoo. There is extra caring for unique animal which like socialize. Treat them like you treat human is better because we and them little bit similar on socializing. The more important thing is, we have to stop over hunting them for black trading.