There are few places on the planet where cockatoos live. Their habitat is limited to Australia, New Guinea, the eastern part of the Malay Archipelago, the Bismarck Islands, the Solomon Islands, Palawan (Philippines), Sulawesi, and Lombok (Indonesia).
Several species have been artificially introduced to New Zealand, Palau, Seram, and Kei (eastern islands of the Moluccan archipelago), as well as Singapore and Puerto Rico. Goffin’s cockatoo’s most compact home range is the Tanimbar Islands in the Arafura Sea (margin of the Indian Ocean).
Most of these charming creatures prefer shady forests, always near natural bodies of water, because they love swimming. These forests can be semi-submerged mangroves, eucalyptus groves, tropical rainforests with plenty of streams, rivers, and waterfalls, or mountain sparse forests. Exceptions are the Pink Cockatoo and Corella, inhabitants of grassy wastelands and savannahs.
What do cockatoos eat in the wild? Fruits, greens, nuts, root vegetables, seeds of cereal plants, and insect larvae. Birds live in noisy, large flocks, are polygamous, and do not mate permanently.
General description of cockatoos
A large parrot, from 30 cm (Corella) to 70 cm (Black Cockatoo) in size and 300 g to 1.5 kg in weight. The name from Malay, “kakatuwa,” translates as “big-billed” or “biter,” according to another version, the wordplay means something like “repeat.” The body is powerful, more often monotonously colored, depending on the species, in white, light gray, pink, yellowish, brownish, and black. With a massive, strong beak, the lower part encloses the upper part like a castle.
A luxuriant high crest, which is the “biter,” shows emotions or attracts attention to itself and picturesquely opens like a fan. The tail is small, with a straight or slightly rounded trim. Strong paws are equipped with curved, tenacious claws. Outwardly, it is challenging to distinguish between males and females. As a rule, females are slightly smaller and have lighter (reddish, reddish) irises, while males have black or dark brown irises.
A very mobile, active creature, capable of learning various tricks (fetching, beak tapping, somersaults on a pole and in a ring) and qualitatively imitating human speech.
How many years does a cockatoo live in the wild? Longevity is comparable to a human’s – crested cockatoos live 80 or more years in favorable conditions. Life expectancy is similar to a human’s – in favorable conditions, crested cockatoos live up to 80 or more years.
Habitats and seasonal movements of cockatoos
The cockatoo adapts well to different climatic conditions. This can be seen by following its habitats. The parrot is found in Australia, New Guinea, the Philippine Islands, and Indonesia.
Species characteristic of Australia choose to settle in open areas. Trees serve only as a temporary shelter during nesting and night resting.
The other species of exotic birds prefer to live in pairs or flocks in the crown of a tree.
The Indonesian cockatoo is characterized by inhabiting territories with tropical and subtropical climates. The birds live in forests or on the edges of swampy areas.
Certain species characterized by a nomadic lifestyle do not leave their geographic range. For parrots in Australia, only the White-tailed Mourning Cockatoo has seasonal movements. Its nesting period begins in the warmer parts of the mainland, and after the nesting period is over, it moves to more fabulous pine forests.
A little strange and inexplicable are the habits of the thin-billed cockatoo, whose breeding begins in the same place as the above-described species. However, the subsequent localization occurs  in an area with no less hot climate.
Species diversity
Photos show the diversity of forms and colors within the genera. Black – a large gloomy bird with a vast crest and red cheeks looks ominous, and the behavior is characterized by wildness and independence. Mourning cockatoos are not too popular among lovers of tropical birds because of the discreet gray plumage and implicitly expressed crest, so the most popular in homekeeping remain:
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White cockatoo White large parrot with a crest – the most friendly and talkative, restless screamer and trickster. Memorizes a few words but reproduces them cleanly and willingly. It is considered to be the most trainable.
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Helmeted Helmeted is a motley grayish-white beauty with a bright red head. Not too talkative but quite handsome.
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Whitetail. The white-tailed (mourning) is an aristocratic creature with inimitable artistry. Its snow-white plumage and long crest give it a respectable appearance.
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Yellow-crested Yellow-crested—This large (up to 1 kg) white merrymaker with a lemon crest is also excellent in training and imitating sounds.
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Pink (gala) Gala or pink is a delicate, small (35 cm), beautiful bird in a light gray “tuxedo.” The breast, belly, and cheeks are crimson.
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Inca The cockatoo Inca is a highly spectacular white parrot with a pastel pink head, neck, breast, and belly and a stunningly colored crest reminiscent of the headdress of ancient Indians. Unfortunately, this bird is not allowed to be exported outside Australia.
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Moluccas The Moluccan is medium-sized (800 g) and pale pink with orange ripples. It almost does not speak but looks very ornate.
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Corella The Corella is the most diminutive (300g) and affordable. Its plumage can be motley gray with waves and streaks, white or yellowish. An indispensable attribute is a lemon-yellow head and orange “blushes” on the cheeks. The Corella does not speak but is very affectionate to the owner. It communicates with a shrill whistle.
Features of keeping cockatoos at home
The decision to have a large parrot in artificial conditions will require the owner to be responsible and spend a lot of money. The ideal option would be a warm greenhouse in a private cottage with familiar flora and an artificial pond for bathing. If such a luxury is unavailable, you should remember that the aviary where your pet cockatoo lives should be at least 4x2x2 m in size, with steel bars with a thickness of 3 mm (with a thinner wire, it can be easily divided).
It should be installed away from drafts and direct sunlight. The latch must have a lock; otherwise, an intelligent bird will quickly learn to open it. Inside the house, 70x80x80 cm boarding poles at different heights, several feeders made of metal or impact-resistant plastic, a drinker, and a bath are necessary.
Where cockatoos live in nature – among thousands of trees and bushes – they feel at ease and comfortable, so you should try to recreate this atmosphere at home. The rods can be made of stumps of garden trees (apple, cherry, plum); the main thing is that the wood was hard enough. The more toys, swings, “rodents,” and crushers are in the cage, the more fun the resident will have.
The parrot should be given a little attention because a spoiled bird, not having received the usual share of communication, may pluck all the feathers on its chest and belly. But every day, giving your pet at least an hour is necessary.
What to feed a cockatoo
The cockatoo eats the same food as its relatives – a grain mixture of oats, millet, buckwheat, and corn. Be careful with nuts and sunflower seeds – your bird does not need extra fat in limited mobility conditions.
Treats can be fruits (apple, banana, orange, kiwi, pineapple), vegetables (carrots, turnips, zucchini, celery, cucumber, boiled potatoes), berries (strawberries, raspberries, rowanberries, hawthorn, pitted cherries), cereals and greens (dandelion, plantain).
Juveniles need protein food (fat-free cottage cheese, chicken eggs, hard cheese). During molting, sprouted grain rich in vitamins B and E is proper. Minerals and trace elements are usually sold in unique briquettes in pet stores. Coarse food as a source of fiber is also necessary—fresh branches of apple, willow, birch, mountain ash, Kalina, currant, and hawthorn.
Do not give branches of poplar, oak, cherry, or pear. Avoid spicy herbs – dill, parsley, cilantro, oily and quickly fermented fruits – avocado, papaya, mango, and “human” treats – sugar, chocolate, and alcohol.
Percentage ratio of dietary components:
(fall-spring)
grain mix ”“ 50%
sprouted grain ”“ 25%
fruits and vegetables ”“ 25%
(веÑна-оÑень)
grain mix ”“ 35%
sprouted grain ”“ 40%
fruit and vegetables ”“ 25%
Clean, fresh water in the drinker is the key to your chatterer’s health. Sometimes, you can add a little honey, fruit juice, or rosehip syrup. We must realize that no matter how much we try, we cannot recreate a living environment, so we must accept that in home conditions, cockatoos live about 30 years, which is not so little.
The cost of an exotic bird
How much does a cockatoo cost, and where can you buy these funny birds? Exotas are not rare nowadays; they are offered online by private breeders, pet stores, and catteries. Buying a chick from a cattery or a certified breeder gives certain guarantees of health, legal arrival in the country, gender and age matching.
Such individuals have an international veterinary chip or a ring on the paw. The most budget option—Korella—will cost around $50. The cost of white cockatoos starts from $600, and yellow-crested cockatoos start from $900. The price of rarer and larger birds reaches $5000.
Reviews by owners of pet cockatoos
Marina Nemirova, private owner.
Since childhood, I dreamed of having a talking parrot, but I had no idea how difficult it was. I had to change many things in my life, adjusting to him. Churchill, a white cockatoo living with us for four years, has changed two owners before. Last time, we got rid of the parrot because we had a baby in the family. A big bird in the house is loud and sharp, screams, and does daily cleaning because otherwise there is an odor, gnawed furniture and the top of the doors, and holes on the clothes when Church decides to spiky on you from the cage. But it’s also the sea of tenderness these birds are capable of, the various funny pranks and contrivances with which our boy surprises and delights every day. His exceptional intelligence and desire to communicate are worth all the little troubles he sometimes causes.
Oleg Patrushev, breeder.
You must love this business; if you want, you must be a fanatic. Otherwise, it will never work out. When you get a cockatoo, know that you are getting a child that will live for 30-40 years and will never grow up. Where a cockatoo lives, it has plenty of opportunities to do as it pleases. At home, the parrot will be naughty and debaucherous; he will demand communication and be sad and sick if you do something wrong. Nature will take its course; one day, they will need a mate. Yes, they are exciting, and there is always a demand for them. Still, every time I part with a chick, I wonder how long the patience and love of its owners will last, whether they understand what they are signing up for, whether they will not abandon it, not betray it, whether they will be able to provide a proper way of life and become a worthy replacement for the flock.
