The Major Mitchell Cockatoo...according to Just-passn-thru

[Just-passn-thru]

Photo : Courtesy of Isabelle and Bentley featured photo in August/ September issue of Bird Talk Magazine
The Major Mitchell Cockatoos'

Here ya go as promised @Fia Baby

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Fia Baby said...You have me more curious about the major mitchels now... I've read things that say they're nervous, high-strung and phobic, but you don't sound like yours are like that at all. Much of that may be coming from Sally Blanchard and those who subsequently quote her though... (I'm not a fan of hers at any rate.) But I'm interested in how yours were raised and how you keep them, and how they compare to other more common cockatoos.


(A post I did awhile back . I copied and paste for you here.)

The Majors are quite different in temperament than the " White Toos " folks tend to think they are " hands off " species .

But mostly they are skittish and somewhat shy , (any bird could become this way if not handled on a consistent basis.)

However, with gentle and consistent handling they can overcome this apprehension.

I think they are the best of both worlds , in that they are cuddly, but on the flipside, are perfectly happy being independent keeping themselves entertained with their toys.

Unlike the tendency of " White Toos " , If over handled will potentially become screamer's / Velcro birds,

I also have found , in my personal experience , keeping a Bonded pair in any species make for a content Flock Dynamic. And emotionally well adjusted bird's, IMO.

Whilst still having a Human / Avian Bond, that some feel they would lose. We as humans can never fulfill that .


I personally don't think they are any more difficult than other species of psittacine.

Birds are not a one size fits all temperament, a clear understanding of the inherent behavior of any species, is of the utmost importance in order for one to have a successful relationship with any companion bird.
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Below paragraph is taken from Wikipedia article Companion parrot

Different species (sometimes even different individuals within species) can vary greatly in temperament, noise, and talking ability. For example, Pionus parrots generally have a reserved stance, while at the other end, large cockatoos need at least several hours of attention daily. The upbringing and genetic inclination of an individual bird plays a major role in determining its disposition, regardless of species.

SIDE NOTE = Operant Conditioning : Learning through experience. " is what I have found to be successful"
Here is a great resource of terminology that is useful reference, for your review…

 

[Just-passn-thru]

@Fia Baby said... I've read things that say they're nervous, high-strung and phobic
Much of that may be coming from Sally Blanchard and those who subsequently quote her though... (I'm not a fan of hers at any rate.)




Well I say "Sally Blanchard and those who quote her" have me figured out. I'm the neurotic one...
I can't comment on others opinions/experience's. That has been not my personal experience, hands on living with them for 20 years
Thank you for taking an interest .
If there is any other aspect of the Major Mitchells ,Care, Feeding, Habitat, that you would like me to go into more detail about, it would be my pleasure to answer your questions as best I can.

 

[Shezbug]

Bentley and Isabelle are such beautiful birds, thank you for sharing more of them with us all

 

[Just-passn-thru]

Bentley and Isabelle are such beautiful birds, thank you for sharing more of them with us all

Your most welcome, my pleasure.

 

[Nancy B]

What an interesting read! As always I too love seeing pictures of Isabelle & Bentley! So beautiful!

 

[Nancy B]

I also have found , in my personal experience , keeping a Bonded pair in any species make for a content Flock Dynamic. And emotionally well adjusted bird's, IMO.

Whilst still having a Human / Avian Bond, that some feel they would lose.

I do have a question, and not sure if it just depends on the individual birds. I had a lovebird that absolutely would not leave me alone. I got nothing at all done, since he wanted to spend all the time I was home with me and on my shoulder. He was a little love. This drove my husband crazy so we got him a mate. Olivia (the mate) was not people friendly and had no problem destroying the bond I had with my little Rascal. He was going to come out to me and she clocked him in the head for being nice to me. He bit me to make her happy. Over time I was never really able to handle him again. The other two lovebirds I have are brothers and I am able to handle them both. I have thought about getting Fred a friend down the road but I don't want a situation like that with a large bird. Right now he's interactive and affectionate, I hate to ruin that. He's so social too. Your two seem to still be able to be handled just fine by you. I'm just awestruck when I see your pictures. How do you not lose that bond?

 

[Mockinbirdiva]

They are so incredibly unique and beautiful. It is such a pleasure to see your photos of them... thank you so much for sharing!

 

[jmfleish]

OMG! They are completely stunning! Is Isabelle the one in the back with less yellow in the crest? I've heard that you can sometimes tell the male from the female by the difference in the crest colors but can't remember which way it goes. I just love this species so much. I think they get a bad wrap because people buy them not knowing enough about them and expect them to be more like the white 'toos and they aren't like them. I have my fill of Galahs and have to say that they can be a phobic and skittish species as well. I think you just have to know what to expect when considering a parrot of any type. I also completely agree that if you can set up any bird with a buddy, not necessarily a male/female pair but a buddy of any kind that they can interact with, life is good! Thanks for sharing your thoughts and observations!

 

[webchirp]

Such stunning birds...these were my dream birds from childhood and up. I cannot remember where I first saw a picture of one.

 

[sunnysmom]

I will never get tired of seeing pictures of them. They are so beautiful. Post more.

 

[Fia Baby]

Thanks for you insight. It sounds like all of you have a wonderful relationship based on your own expectations and your respect for their needs. They're beauties!!

 

[Just-passn-thru]

What an interesting read! As always I too love seeing pictures of Isabelle & Bentley! So beautiful!

They are beautiful, I agree .

 

[Just-passn-thru]

Thanks for you insight. It sounds like all of you have a wonderful relationship based on your own expectations and your respect for their needs. They're beauties!!

That is core of our success...respect for their needs . I believe having respect for any animals needs is essentially the answer .

 

[Just-passn-thru]

Such stunning birds...these were my dream birds from childhood and up. I cannot remember where I first saw a picture of one.

Mine too.

 

[Just-passn-thru]

How do you not lose that bond?

Let me think on that, I'm not to quick on putting my thoughts on a post. I will say this ,the females do certainly rule the roost. In my scenario, Before Isabelle joined our flock. Bentley was the baby, I had Rose Breasted Cockatoo " Kiwi" for 30 years , she passed away 3 yrs ago this October. Bentley would cater to her needs , preening. He followed her around. Basically she was the elder in the flock dynamic. I have always put myself in the order of flock dynamic. I don't expect exclusive rights to their undivided attention, I personally dont want that.
When Kiwi passed, Bentley and I mourned deeply for her loss, she was his mentor and my feathered, life companion.
Bentley hid in a box and rocked, for 2 months, I couldn't take the despair of his loss any longer. I decided to find him a baby to nurture. Isabelle was fledged and weaned 6 months old. When I brought her into our flock. Her needs as a fledgling helped Bentley to overcome his deep sorrow and mine too.

I don't expect or need any bird to exclusively bond to me.

Just by keeping my human expectations of "control at bay" , keeps the overall atmosphere calm. Birds are masters of picking up on the ambient energy
( instinct survival within the flock dynamic)


The joy of watching them as nature intended, is a beautiful rewarding experience for me , nothing is more satisfying and and joy to behold, than that.

In my experience , introducing a younger bird to the flock, triggers an instinctive response in caring for the fledgling birds.

Again I will reiterate...not all species are a one size fits all approach to success. Key elements...research, environment, human expectations, combined with the overall dynamics in the household, play a significant role in the outcome for a rewarding human / avian relationship.

 

[Nancy B]

Ah, ok, and I bet since my Olivia was not a people person and did not like being touched, she probably saw me as a problem for Rascal too. Gee that's an interesting thing. Fred is an 8 yrs old rose breasted cockatoo. I don't need to be his exclusive companion but I do want to be able to hold and touch him. Olivia was a little control freak, she had to be in control. Once I realized that it worked out, but no one could ever touch her or Rascal. The secret may be to look for a fledgling. Isabelle & Bentley, those pictures of them sitting with you are just stunning.

My son wanted me to give up Olivia at one point and I said no because they had babies so they were bonded, and where she was a strong personality wouldn't be a great pet since you couldn't hold her. I kept her because I knew how to handle her. So she was ok with me.

Thanks so much for this. I have much to think about!

 

[jmfleish]

I do have a question, and not sure if it just depends on the individual birds. I had a lovebird that absolutely would not leave me alone. I got nothing at all done, since he wanted to spend all the time I was home with me and on my shoulder. He was a little love. This drove my husband crazy so we got him a mate. Olivia (the mate) was not people friendly and had no problem destroying the bond I had with my little Rascal. He was going to come out to me and she clocked him in the head for being nice to me. He bit me to make her happy. Over time I was never really able to handle him again. The other two lovebirds I have are brothers and I am able to handle them both. I have thought about getting Fred a friend down the road but I don't want a situation like that with a large bird. Right now he's interactive and affectionate, I hate to ruin that. He's so social too. Your two seem to still be able to be handled just fine by you. I'm just awestruck when I see your pictures. How do you not lose that bond?

I have found that as long as both birds are hand raised and have been handled by humans a lot, they don't tend to lose the bond they have with you. We have two pairs of bonded parrots who were not hand raised. One is my Galah pair, Leo and Letti. They came from a breeding situation and while they are not incredibly afraid of us, they do not like to be handled by us and we certainly can't give them scritches. They have spent their entire lives bonding to each other with the idea that they will produce babies and they have produced babies, but not while we have had them. We have a male/female bonded BFA pair too and while I can handle the female, she's very skittish and I wouldn't even try to handle the male because he's your typical male BFA...I'd have nasty scars all over my hands if I did. We bought them second hand from someone who got them from a breeder and I'm fairly certain they were not handled when they were young but I could be wrong.

Parrots can bond to another bird who is the same sex as well or even a sibling. We have two biological male Ekkies who were both hand reared. I know their breeder very well. They are best buddies and where one is, the other follows. Our pet male Galahs are also somewhat bonded and they came from the same clutch. Of course, they are a little on the obnoxious side of things but I don't think that has anything to do with the fact that they are bonded to each other. We also have a pair of greys who are bonded and are both the sweetest birds I have ever met. Both were definitely hand reared and are equally seeking out our attention. Then we also have two female Amazon pairs who live together. Amarillo, the DYHA and Iris the BFA...don't even try and separate them as Iris will follow Ams around wherever you take her but introduce my husband into the mix and Iris can't decide who she wants more, Jon or Ams! Amarillo isn't as dependent on Iris as Iris is on Amarillo though and Amarillo is another fantastic bird who we (Jon or myself) can do anything with. Of course there are always the exceptions, Nibbles LCA has been bonding with Abigail YCA and no longer cares for us to handle her where she once did. Abs hasn't changed at all and is a lot like Amarillo...will step up for anyone and enjoys human interaction.

So, in most cases, I would say that hand reared parrots who originally had a bond with a human will generally keep that bond.

 

[Just-passn-thru]

So, in most cases, I would say that hand reared parrots who originally had a bond with a human will generally keep that bond.

Well put . And maybe the word "Bond" is placing to many expatiations on the birds and us .

 

[Just-passn-thru]

Well put . And maybe the word "Bond" is placing to many expatiations on the birds and us .

nothing comes good out of force , we have to really listen to what they are trying to get across and love them for who they are not what we want. they have no choice

 

[Nancy B]

I have found that as long as both birds are hand raised and have been handled by humans a lot, they don't tend to lose the bond they have with you. We have two pairs of bonded parrots who were not hand raised. One is my Galah pair, Leo and Letti. They came from a breeding situation and while they are not incredibly afraid of us, they do not like to be handled by us and we certainly can't give them scritches. They have spent their entire lives bonding to each other with the idea that they will produce babies and they have produced babies, but not while we have had them. We have a male/female bonded BFA pair too and while I can handle the female, she's very skittish and I wouldn't even try to handle the male because he's your typical male BFA...I'd have nasty scars all over my hands if I did. We bought them second hand from someone who got them from a breeder and I'm fairly certain they were not handled when they were young but I could be wrong.

Parrots can bond to another bird who is the same sex as well or even a sibling. We have two biological male Ekkies who were both hand reared. I know their breeder very well. They are best buddies and where one is, the other follows. Our pet male Galahs are also somewhat bonded and they came from the same clutch. Of course, they are a little on the obnoxious side of things but I don't think that has anything to do with the fact that they are bonded to each other. We also have a pair of greys who are bonded and are both the sweetest birds I have ever met. Both were definitely hand reared and are equally seeking out our attention. Then we also have two female Amazon pairs who live together. Amarillo, the DYHA and Iris the BFA...don't even try and separate them as Iris will follow Ams around wherever you take her but introduce my husband into the mix and Iris can't decide who she wants more, Jon or Ams! Amarillo isn't as dependent on Iris as Iris is on Amarillo though and Amarillo is another fantastic bird who we (Jon or myself) can do anything with. Of course there are always the exceptions, Nibbles LCA has been bonding with Abigail YCA and no longer cares for us to handle her where she once did. Abs hasn't changed at all and is a lot like Amarillo...will step up for anyone and enjoys human interaction.

So, in most cases, I would say that hand reared parrots who originally had a bond with a human will generally keep that bond.

Thanks for this, it's strange the experience I had with my lovebirds. My female, Olivia was a Peachfaced, Rascal was a Fisher's. So the two brothers are mixed. One is green with a red orange face, the other is like a dark teal seafoam blue with a creamy peach face. The two parents were hand raised, the two brothers were parent raised. The only one actually unfriendly was the female. The vet tells me that's not uncommon in hens. But I have read different throughout the forum. I suppose I could try to figure it out, but a lot probably depends on the individual personalities of the birds too. There simply just may not be an answer. Interesting reading about the birds and all their unique personalities.
BTW how many birds do you have ?! Wow! I was trying to figure it out and lost count! Lol