Rescue bare-eyed cockatoor behavior and questions

[Cris Waller]

This is going to be a long post!- be forewarned

I have posted it in a couple different parrot forums looking for advice.

Corey the bare-eyed cockatoo was a rescue from a hoarder situation where over 240 birds were being kept in tiny, filthy cages in a pole barn. I have had him a month now, and some behavioral quirks and issues are beginning to emerge, about which I have some questions.

A bit of background- he's my first too, but not my first parrot (although I currently don't have any other parrots.) I have a background in ABA and clicker training. Our household is me and my husband, a dog, and three senior cats (the dog and cats ignore him completely.) He's eating Harrison's Organic and TOPs pellets with a tiny bit of seed in his foraging feeders, plus fresh fruits and veggies and birdie muffins twice daily. He's getting 12 hours of sleep a night and 4-6 hours of full-spectrum lighting. I work away from home about 8 hours 4-5 days a week but my husband works from home. He's currently getting 4 hours or so a day out of the cage, including some clicker training.

He’s had a thorough vet check. He has an air sac swelling on his head and is currently being treated with meloxicam. It doesn't seem to bother him at all. His age is unknown.

He was definitely a pet at some point. He has a huge vocabulary- his name was once Peaches, and he lived with a dog named Poochie, we are pretty sure

OK, now for the issues and questions!

One of my main questions is if some of his behaviors are stereotypies from his former barren existence, or hormonal behavior. Related to this is whether some of his shredding behaviors should be encouraged.

Another is how to establish outside-the-cage playtime that is safe and reinforcing.

Here is a description of the behaviors I am concerned about.

Corey spends a great deal of time shredding wood, corn husks, rice cakes, etc. He will gather the shredded pieces in a food bowl, tap them repeatedly, talk to them and rearrange them. This is sometimes accompanied by tail fanning, but not often. This is the main behavior that I am not sure if it is stereotypical (all he had in his cage in the barn to play with was a food bowl) or hormonal nesting behavior.

He shows other signs of hormonal behavior. When he is out of his cage, he seeks out anything that vaguely resembles a hole or shadow, then tail-fans, displays, and talks to it. It’s very difficult to lure him away from such areas (he does not have a reliable step-up; we are working on that.) He attacks and threatens my husband every chance he gets. We are working on that by having my husband give him small treats in his cage (with tweezers), spray baths (which he loves), etc., plus I withdraw my attention when he displays aggressive behavior. The aggression has become more consistent to where I am not letting him out of the cage if my husband is likely to be nearby. As I mentioned above, he’s already on a light schedule, kept away from nesting spots, etc. He doesn’t yet solicit petting, so over-petting isn’t an issue.

So, should he be allowed to shred wood and play with it in his bowls? If not, what could replace this activity? He doesn’t play with any other toys (except his foraging toys) at this point.

As for out-of-cage time…

Corey is flighted but doesn’t yet know how to fly- and I’m worried about teaching him. I think he would use this ability to fly to seek out holes and attack my husband (the closest he has come to flying was to jump off our kitchen counter onto a bowl my husband was carrying.) At first, when I let him out to play on our kitchen counter or his play gym, he would play nicely. Now, he often spends a great deal of time pacing the counter’s edge or the top of the gym, for example, crouching as if thinking about taking off. He has come off his play gym a few times to wander the floor. So, how to keep out-of-cage time safe and less frustrating for him? When he’s performing this behavior, toys and treats often don’t distract him, although I’ve had some success targeting him to a different area- but he’s back to the pacing a few seconds later.

Corey has a history from the rescue of being a biter. He has not bitten me badly but has snapped a few times, always for predictable and avoidable reasons (he bit my husband badly when he carelessly got fingers too near, and drew blood from the vet as well.) I am being very careful not to trigger any further biting behavior, which is one reason we are going very slowly on step up. If he does get on my hand, he immediately tries, by whatever means possible, to get on my shoulder, where he will display hormonal behavior (tail fanning, cooing, etc.) and will refuse to come off. I am sure that if I tried to get him off at this point, he’d bite. The couple of times he has managed to get on my shoulder, I’ve laid down on the floor until he climbed to another spot on my body. So I’m also concerned that, if he could fly, he’d use this ability to get on my shoulder.

So, given these issues-
- Should he be trimmed until I’m sure he can be trusted?
- How could I create safe and stimulating out-of-cage time for him?

Any and all ideas and questions welcomed!

 

[sunnysmom]

Welcome to the forum! I'll let some of our too people answer your questions. Thank you for helping this bird.

@JLcribber ? @cassiesdad ? @aooratrix ?

 

[JLcribber]

I'm just seeing this but I don't have time to respond at the moment.

You should give this a read to start so you understand more about his hormones.

Site Name - Articles - Behavioral - Sex And The Psittacine

 

[JLcribber]

And thank you for giving this bird a home. You have a good grasp of the situation. A few tweaks and you'll do fine.

 

[JLcribber]

Corey spends a great deal of time shredding wood, corn husks, rice cakes, etc. He will gather the shredded pieces in a food bowl, tap them repeatedly, talk to them and rearrange them. This is sometimes accompanied by tail fanning, but not often. This is the main behavior that I am not sure if it is stereotypical (all he had in his cage in the barn to play with was a food bowl) or hormonal nesting behavior.

This is just a TOO being a TOO. None of it is abnormal to me.

Hormonal behaviour. Here's what you need to realize about this situation as a whole. He has a new world. He has a much better diet (I'm sure). There is new blood and potential mate material around. Life is just generally a lot better and after 1 month the "honeymoon" is wearing off.

His reproductive drive had been repressed for a long time. Nature never passes an opportunity. Those hormones are going to kick in and probably be pretty intense the first few seasons until you and him figure things out.

This is a formidable creature. Zookeepers do not handle dangerous animals with their hands. It's just dumb. You need a tool like a big T stick. This allows you to handle the bird with confidence, no fear and control. It allows you to avoid any bites because your flesh is not being "willingly offered" as a "target".

 

[JLcribber]

- How could I create safe and stimulating out-of-cage time for him?

You're in this for the long haul (the rest of your life). You will come to realize in time (I'm saving you that time) that this bird is going to need his own secure area (not a cage). That's going to mean adapting your home to provide that. It may mean sacrificing personal space. He's going to need a room sized enclosure with his cage inside it. Whether that is a bird proofed room or indoor aviary/enclosure. He needs as much space as a child. This is for your sake as much as his.

 

[Cris Waller]

Thanks, all. Some good suggestions.

I'm planning on working on an aviary when the weather warms up; looking at various ideas (JLcribber, I like the gazebo one you have posted!)

 

[jmfleish]

I agree with John, I don't think that anything you've listed is abnormal behavior at all. I don't even know if I would call it hormonal. I would spend time just getting to know him and giving him lots of toys to play with and destroy. That's what most birds do with toys, destroy them! Clipping is a personal decision and with a Cockatoo, it may not help a whole lot. I'd say that as long as he's not flying to do damage at this point, it's probably not an issue. If he decides to start making you or your husband the target of biting flights, then it might be time to trim those feathers. Your safety and your husband's safety should come first and foremost.

Spend lots of time learning to read his body language...very, very important and it will help you to avoid bites and to learn when it's ok to interact with him. John's T-stick idea is great if you can train him to use it. Clicker training, if you are good at it, can work wonders in birds. I've heard it working wonders in nervous birds especially. Just take things slowly, I think you are definitely on the right track!

 

[cassiesdad]

First of all, thanks for taking Corey in.

You're definitely on the right track with him. It sounds like you've got a lot of hormonal behaviors going on now. Getting Corey used to a T-stick will help and will give you a chance to work with him without giving him your skin to attack. I'm not a big believer in clipping, but you might consider a "light clip" until he gets used to the T-stick.

Birds are going to chew and shred things, so I wouldn't discourage that...why not just remove the shredded materials as Corey chews them?

 

[aooratrix]

Everybody else has given you good advice, except for addressing possible stereotypic behavior and clipping. As for the former, true stereotypic behavior is very regimented, i.e. the bear at the zoo that paces exactly 12 steps one way and then paces back 23 steps along the front of its moat...repeatedly. And yes, I observed this and counted. Unless he's always tapping the the shreds the same number of times and is acting like he's on an assembly line, I think it's safe to say he's playing. You might also give him balsa wood or yucca slices with his toys: my slenderbilled 'too didn't enjoy chewing wood much, even soft pine. She adored the materials I suggested.

As for clipping, I think you have to make that call. If he were here, I probably wouldn't consider it seriously unless he really started dive bombing/attacking you or your husband. I have 4 flighted birds, 3 macaws and an Amazon. At times, they vex me, and my house is utter pandemonium from wrangling the winged monkeys, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Birds have wings for a reason and are happier and more confident when flighted, IMO. That said, none of my birds are dangerous or aggressive...currently.

And I think a flighted bird that does fly is getting more exercise. A tired bird is a happy owner, IME. I would definitely ramp up his foraging opportunities and make him "work" for food. I was going to suggest using a long ladder attached to his play stand or cage, so he could go back up if he jumped off, but he might use that liberty to go after your hubby. You might wrap small food items in corn husks or unbleached coffee filters and place them in different parts of his cage, including hanging a bundle from a perch, so he can figure out how to get to it. You could also get one of those plastic "cages" for baby utensils to go in the dishwasher, fill it with shreddables and goodies, and attach it to the side of the cage.

I think it's BRILLIANT how you handle him getting on your shoulder. Very good thinking! Thanks for saving him, keep us posted, and best of luck in continuing to forge a benevolent, positive relationship with him. You are definitely on the right track.

 

[aooratrix]

@melissasparrots

 

[aooratrix]

@macawpower58

 

[Cris Waller]

Thanks again, all. I'm reassured to know we are on the right track! I want to do right by this amazing little bird.

I forgot that if you want to see Corey, you can do so here- Corey - Google Photos (and yes, that ceiling fan you'll see in one video is turned off now !)

To address a couple of things that were brought up-

I do remove the shredded materials several times a day (in part because he fills his food bowls with them!) I know I read some research on hormonal levels in cockatoos that showed it was the act of shredding and excavating itself, rather than the accumulation of materials, that raised hormone levels, which was one of the reasons I brought up shredding. But he does love it and it keeps him quiet and occupied for hours He does have a shred box that I stuff with all the things he likes to chew- especially useful when I need some quiet time for a bit, he loves seeing that box coming!

I bought bags and bags of balsa just after I got him and he adores chewing it. He also loves pieces of kindling that I cut up, drill holes in, and string on a chain. I'm already wrapping food in coffee filters, corn husks, coin wrappers, etc. He gets all of his pellets in a foraging wheel (he has advanced to where the pellets are mixed with inedible wood pellets, so he has to sort through those) and he has, at this point, about eight other foraging toys that I'm rotating through (some he's mastered, some he's still learning) that I sometimes stock with really high-value treats like almond slivers to motivate him, but mostly have Nutri-Berries (higher value than his plain pellets!) I haven't found any fruits and veggies that he will work for yet, but I do use bird kabobs and shreddable foods (he loves to shred carrots!) and stuff his chop into pasta shells (best way I've found yet to get him to eat some of it!)

We are working on clicker training whenever he's motivated to work He targets to a chopstick VERY well (they had worked on this at the rescue) and I've taught him to get on a scale for weighing. I'm going to work next on targeting him to a laser pointer dot to better lead him to places like his cage (I worked a bit on targeting him to a little plastic cone as a station, but he picks that up and flings it after the click- can't fling a laser pointer dot!)

I'll keep you updated

 

[Tiel Feathers]

So glad you were able to take Corey in and give him a nice home!

 

[JLcribber]

I know I read some research on hormonal levels in cockatoos that showed it was the act of shredding and excavating itself, rather than the accumulation of materials, that raised hormone levels, which was one of the reasons I brought up shredding.

Well it's not and it is. It's something they just do. "If" the bird is hormonal it may be taken to a problem level but not necessarily.

Hormones are not the result of some actions the bird is making. They are "triggered" by photo period/season. (In your case it was lean season for a long time. It's now plentiful season).

Hormones are a biological function that come like clockwork every season (at least once). They can't be prevented and they can't be stopped once the "cycle" has started and allowed to run its course. All you can do is minimize it's effect.

The type of play is not a problem until/if it becomes a problem.

 

[jmfleish]

I have a breeding pair of Galahs who have produced many babies in the past. I've had them for three years now and they share the same cage and are incredibly bonded but we do not give them a nest box. I have seen the male mount the female from time to time but I have never even gotten an egg from a female. I have set up their cage so there are no dark places for the female to lay but I give them plenty of wood to chew. They are very used to chewing on wood because they have worked nest boxes in the past. They chew wood like you wouldn't believe and I offer the wood to them now to keep them happy and healthy. This doesn't cause any problems with them at all and doesn't increase their need to mate. It just keeps them very happy.

I wouldn't worry at all about Corey putting the material in his bowl. Cockatoos are known for playing this way. My D2 likes to stuff things into small areas too. I had a small acrylic toy for him with a very tiny hole in it that he would stuff paper into and then leave in his water dish. Corey may even be trying to make a small nest but as long as he can't actually nest in it, I don't think there's any harm in his behavior. The behaviors you have to watch out for is if he is seeking out dark places and not wanting to come out. This is hormonal behavior and generally seen in females although not always a female behavior. You say he flares his tail a lot, is he doing this while hunching his whole body down low? If he's not getting low to the surface he's standing on while doing this, I wouldn't worry about it being a hormonal behavior. That too is more of a female mating behavior than a male one. Finally, you say you aren't at the phase where you are handling him much but once you get there, males like to "dance" on your hand or other body parts...that's hormonal behavior that you don't want to encourage!

Other hormonal behavior specific to Cockatoos is definitely a Dr. Jeckel/Mr. Hyde, I'm going to be nice one moment and then charge you the next...more seen in the males than the females but it is a two way street! My two male pet Galahs right now are really crazy and will come at me in their cage one moment and be complete mushes the next and there is no rhyme or reason to it. I like to think it's a mini hormone surge dictating their crazy behavior. I saw this in my D2 from the age of 4 until the age of about 12. He's going to be 16 in March and has completely mellowed and no longer does this. Those are the kind of behaviors that put me over the edge and I would call hormonal behaviors.

 

[iamwhoiam]

My Bare-eyed does very little shredding except for her cage paper. She doesn't have any crevices where she can hide and nest. However she did lay a few clutches of egg but the last time was over a year ago. She is not brave (she's a big "chicken") so it takes her awhile to get used to new objects and people. Problem solving type toys are good for bare-eyeds. Toys that challenge them and can be safely taken apart or opened in order to retrieve a treat. Cody took apart the play top part of her cage a few years ago and it went crashing down and freaked her out. She has a Kong Toy that she likes and she will actually throw it so that I can catch it. She also likes ringing bells and has an Avian Stainless puzzle bell. If you get a bell for Corey make sure that the clapper is welded.

Using a t-stick is a good idea with Corey. It will be easier to move him from place to place as needed or to remove him from your shoulder. Does he have a play area with a play stand/play gym? Congrats on getting Corey and thank you for taking him into your home.

BTW, checked out the videos and Corey is VERY cute. Noticed, too, what looks like a problem solving toy in one of the videos.

 

[Tim]

I have to say that if everyone put as much thought and preparation into adopting a cockatoo the world would be a better place!

 

[Odin]

I am impressed by your knowledge of the too! Well done and good for you and him to have a new family.

 

[JLcribber]

He's in pretty good shape. Feathering is quite nice. Out going. Confident. You can't tell exact age just by looking at them but he does have a youthful look. I doubt he's 10 years old?

He's going to be a handful. And live a long time.