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Pictures Should I get a Cockatoo?

lexalayne

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A1CC296B-A31B-4D8E-BDA2-06FE6F8790FC.jpeg This girl picked me in a pet store when she was 12 years old. She jumped on my shoulder and became my first large bird. She took one look at my kids (this son was 6 at the time) and decided they needed their toys amputated- they’ve worked things out over the last 18 years but she’s always been best with me. Pick the one who picks you and it will be easier.

I bought her impulsively but never regretted it. She can be a screamer and she’s very dusty. She can’t be around my macaws because of her dust so she and two too roommates live in the sun room with separate heat and air. And she’s ALWAYS ready for a cuddle ! Definitely a Velcro girl.
 

macawpower58

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I can deal with noise, temper tantrums and biting and all the things that come with a bird who likes a lot of attention

:laugh: Says the person who never has owned a cockatoo! You never know how much you don't know, til too late.

There's a reason large Toos are the most rehomed birds out there. Careful what you ask for.
 

BirdField

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I would say that the absolute minimum for an Umbrella's cage would be 6' cube (1.8 meter cube). Umbrella's average wingspan is about 37 inches, and the minimum I go by for cages is 1.5x the wingspan. That's simply so that they can spread their wings with some extra room for toys. If you want space for flight, you'll have to go even bigger. 20" by 30" by 50" is way too small for such a large bird.
Have you ever met a U2 in person? I like to think I understand how loud, how strong, and how clingy they are but I have absolutely no clue. Your birds are louder for the smaller species but they have absolutely nothing on the sound of an Umbrella. They're deafeningly loud and their calls are very, very irritating to most. They will not talk more than they will make their own sounds. They also have an extremely strong, stitch-worthy bite if they're provoked to give it. I also have to say that their cuddliness is due to us wanting them to be that way. Their cuddliness is much due to us causing mental damage to them as babies because we want a more mammal-like pet that will be physically affectionate to us. I'm going to link a few articles that will explain it much better than I can:
Sex and the Psittacine
Early Beginnings for Parrots
I'm not trying to stop you from getting a 'too, I'm simply trying to provide you some resources and information to help you decide. It would be amazing if you adopted one of the many Umbrellas in rescues, but I hope you can fully understand just how intense cockatoos are to care for. They are some of the most "extreme" parrots to keep and many people think they can handle them only to relinquish them back to rescues. Thank you for seeking information and experience to help in your decision, I hope you can find the right bird for you.
 

FlyingMacaws

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I have a multiple too household. Toos are extremely Demanding and they hold terrible grudges.
Umbrellas though are known as “Velcro” birds, they are not always that way. Some U2s can be very very moody. Love you one moment and want blood the next. Toos in my opinion are also more territorial over what they and WHO they deem as “theirs”. My husband has a pierced ear where Zach flew across the room to attack him because my husband playfully pulled a string of my hair.
Toos are also very very destructive and they are remarkable escape artists. Don’t get upset when you come home and the molding on your floors is destroyed or if you have a hole in your wall.
 

Teagan Hall

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@BirdField thank you for the article. Thank you for your advice, I've never got any bird without the proper advice from books, online, individuals and forums like this. And I would never get a bird I wasn't 100% sure on because I'm not in the business of rehoming.
Thank you again!
 

lexalayne

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And it’s very true about them being escape artists - I came home one day to the air cleaner cord chomped in half - yes it was on- I was so worried she’d been electrocuted that I didn’t care about the splintered molding. Buy the best locks. And they learn combination locks quickly so those are out. And in all honesty I had the sun room built for my U2 because the screaming was so bad at first. And I put it off of the kitchen so she would be around us but at the same time the screaming was muted. Also she can swear like a sailor and she hates middle aged men. She slashed a few of their faces before I figured out never to let her around them. I have done a lot to keep her and to me she’s worth it. My friend owns a pet store and he said they no longer sell U2’s because 3/4 of them were being returned. That’s kind of scary. Maybe ask yourself how many problems you’re willing to solve or put up with. I wouldn’t change a thing but I think back on the last 20 years and can honestly say she’s needed more everything than all my other birds combined.
 

DoubleTake

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I have a multiple too household. Toos are extremely Demanding and they hold terrible grudges.
.
Oh man, we have a lesser sulphur crested too in the store. He is a store bird that is 36 years old. One of his best human friends gave him a shower and he held a grudge towards her for 6 months. Wouldn't let her pet him any more and occasionally chased her around the store.
 

Rain Bow

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@DoubleTake Umbrella's are in all honesty what I see commonly as companions. I'm happy to provide any extra information that anyone wants (I wasn't really sure what to provide and I didn't want to throw an over load of information).
Yep I am a complete novice with these birds and I'm not afraid to admit that as everyone was one once.
I'm UK based and most 'toos go for about £1,000-£800, which yes is something I can happily afford and add on with the upkeep.
For what I'm looking for in a bird is definitely one that talks, but that's not everything of course as the one I might get in the future never will. Also they have these vibrant personalities and are just initially stunning.
I can deal with noise, temper tantrums and biting and all the things that come with a bird who likes a lot of attention, which I know they need a bit more of, or so I've read.
I have two conures and two parrotlets. The pairs don't get on, not so much because of the size difference but because the conures are very territorial over their cage and so they are in different parts of the house.

The reasons for the difference threads is because I don't know which one appeals to me more. Africans and Cocktoos are ones i wanted since I was a kid, Indians and Amazons are a new discovering for me.

Any more information you need I'm happy to provide, I apologise for not being more informative.
Please consider more than just talking. Birds have a way of communication that isn't only speaking your own native language. They are also so much more than a shiny penny, to show off (I'm not trying to imply that you feel this way, just being blunt.). If my criteria matched your ideal, I'd have givin up on my Zon, & missed wonderful wonders.
 

Mockinbirdiva

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@DoubleTake Umbrella's are in all honesty what I see commonly as companions. I'm happy to provide any extra information that anyone wants (I wasn't really sure what to provide and I didn't want to throw an over load of information).
Yep I am a complete novice with these birds and I'm not afraid to admit that as everyone was one once.
I'm UK based and most 'toos go for about £1,000-£800, which yes is something I can happily afford and add on with the upkeep.
For what I'm looking for in a bird is definitely one that talks, but that's not everything of course as the one I might get in the future never will. Also they have these vibrant personalities and are just initially stunning.
I can deal with noise, temper tantrums and biting and all the things that come with a bird who likes a lot of attention, which I know they need a bit more of, or so I've read.
I have two conures and two parrotlets. The pairs don't get on, not so much because of the size difference but because the conures are very territorial over their cage and so they are in different parts of the house.

The reasons for the difference threads is because I don't know which one appeals to me more. Africans and Cocktoos are ones i wanted since I was a kid, Indians and Amazons are a new discovering for me.

Any more information you need I'm happy to provide, I apologise for not being more informative.
Are you sure you can handle the noise? Some too's can scream for a verrrry long time. It's loud and beyond minutes it can test the best of nerves. What you may not have considered are the smaller birds and their tolerance of full on screaming. It can be enough stress on them to cause them to pluck or have other issues from stress. If you live alone it will only cause you stress dealing with the volume and length of time a too can scream. Other household members may not wish to live with it. Bites from those big beaks can be devastating. Find a good video with an umbrella screaming and play it for an hour non stop at full volume. If you can deal with that then you may be ready to pull up your big girl panties and deal with it for the years to come. :) My main point... think about what it may do to the smaller birds you already have.
 

TikkiTembo

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@Mockinbirdiva Great advice... Our Littles have had to adjust a ton since they now take turns out of the cage. Also our Too reacts to the Conure's almost constant alarm calls. Thankfully, he seems to be learning how to tune them out, but the bigs and littles definitely can irritate each other with noise!
 

Bokkapooh

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Please visit a cockatoo rescue if at all possible. Only then will you know if a cockatoo is the right bird for you.

And be sure to keep them separated if you ever get a cockatoo. They shouldn't be housed near other smaller birds.
 

GoDucks

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I have a U2, and to be perfectly honest, if I had to do it all over again I probably wouldn't have gotten him. I was torn between him and a macaw and I wish I had gotten the macaw instead.

Don't get me wrong, I love my bird, but he is a challenge to say the least. He is constantly wanting attention, tearing things up, attacking anyone who comes close to me, breaking out of his cage, and did I mention the ATTENTION that he is constantly demanding?

I have heard since getting him that male U2's are difficult, the breeder I got him from said she wouldn't have a male U2 on a dare. So maybe a female U2 would work better for you, or another bird altogether.
 

sunnysmom

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@Mockinbirdiva Great advice... Our Littles have had to adjust a ton since they now take turns out of the cage. Also our Too reacts to the Conure's almost constant alarm calls. Thankfully, he seems to be learning how to tune them out, but the bigs and littles definitely can irritate each other with noise!
I'm lucky that Scooter the 'tiel is such a chill bird. He usually just stares at Elvis when Elvis is having a screaming fit like "what is your problem?". I amuse myself by saying "Elvis, stop. Look how upset Scooter is." And Scooter just give me this dead pan look. Every once in awhile Scooter will join in the screaming but for the most part he just looks at Elvis likes he's crazy. LOL.
 

lexalayne

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Please visit a cockatoo rescue if at all possible. Only then will you know if a cockatoo is the right bird for you.

And be sure to keep them separated if you ever get a cockatoo. They shouldn't be housed near other smaller birds.



And mine is very afraid of my large macaws
 

Mockinbirdiva

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@Mockinbirdiva Great advice... Our Littles have had to adjust a ton since they now take turns out of the cage. Also our Too reacts to the Conure's almost constant alarm calls. Thankfully, he seems to be learning how to tune them out, but the bigs and littles definitely can irritate each other with noise!
When I read the post I was reminded of the time years ago I put a parrotlet in a cage next to a cage with a female greencheek that was very sweet. Imagine my surprise and horror the very next day the parrotlet plucked every feather off except his head... nothing left but grey down on his little body. I was so upset this happened and I can only attribute the severe plucking due to the stress of being next to a species so different from him. I know she didn't scream to stress him... it was probably the size of her that caused him so much stress. It was just one evening... that's it. Some birds can adjust... some simply cannot. It's just something to take into consideration when mixing species in close proximity. Even if they are not in the same room, it can make a difference in the comfort level for some birds. All of John's birds do well together, but you can't always count on that.
 

lexalayne

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When I read the post I was reminded of the time years ago I put a parrotlet in a cage next to a cage with a female greencheek that was very sweet. Imagine my surprise and horror the very next day the parrotlet plucked every feather off except his head... nothing left but grey down on his little body. I was so upset this happened and I can only attribute the severe plucking due to the stress of being next to a species so different from him. I know she didn't scream to stress him... it was probably the size of her that caused him so much stress. It was just one evening... that's it. Some birds can adjust... some simply cannot. It's just something to take into consideration when mixing species in close proximity. Even if they are not in the same room, it can make a difference in the comfort level for some birds. All of John's birds do well together, but you can't always count on that.

Our sun conure lived on the other side of the house in her room with birds her size. She was an excellent flier and one day made all the turns through different doorways and flew straight into the cage of our B&G macaw and landed right next to him on his perch - shoulder to well chest they sat there. Both of their body language suggested happiness.

My daughter and I both bolted for the room at the same time. I distracted our macaw and she grabbed her sun conure.
Their size differences was enough to panic us even tho they appeared happy.

Sorry to digress -
 
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