Types and Personalities of Cockatoos

Umbrella Cockatoo

(Cacatua alba) Writeup Pending

Blue Eyed Umbrella Cockatoo

(cactua ophthalmica) Writeup Pending

Molucan Cockatoo

(Cacatua moluccansis) Some say the Moluccan Cockatoo is the most difficult bird to keep. This has not been my experience, although they can be a challenge. We have had both one we got as a baby and a 3 year old rescue. The baby was very sweet, but unfortunatly, we lost him to a tragic rope toy accident (don't get me started on that subject!) The rescue was abused by a male and had been in two other homes before he came to us. He is afraid of men, but loves women and children. He is very cuddly and sweet. When there are other birds around, he competes for attention. This is sometimes in the form of loud calling, aka, screaming. This is pretty typical for not just the Moluccan, but all birds. It's very important not to reinforce this behavior, as the bird will equate screaming with getting his way (attention from you). I normally just walk away and then when he is quite, I go get him for play time and snuggle time. These are very intelligent birds with great talking abilities. They need lots of toys to keep them occupied and entertained. Their size can be intimidating, but they are very sweet birds if they are taught how to behave from their bird parront. It is an awsome responsibility and can make all the difference in the world as to the quality of your companion bird.

Written by Cynthia