Have you seen videos of umbrella cockatoos online and want to learn more about these beautiful birds? Or maybe you’re looking to adopt one of your very own!
Let’s discuss some fun facts about umbrella cockatoos, including their behavior and how to care for them properly.
What are Umbrella Cockatoos?
Umbrella cockatoos are mid-sized parrots. They have long feathers on their heads and are pure white with black beaks.
These birds are known for having large personalities! They can be very noisy, especially if they’re unhappy–and they’re also quite high maintenance. It takes a unique home to provide the care an umbrella cockatoo needs to thrive.
Unfortunately, umbrella cockatoos are also known for showcasing many stress behaviors, including screaming, feather plucking, and even aggression. This typically occurs due to improper care. But when properly cared for, these birds are typically docile, friendly, and sweet.
Umbrella Cockatoo Fun Facts and Care Tips
1. Umbrella Cockatoos are High Maintenance
Umbrella cockatoos are smart, energetic, and social. In the wild, they mate for life and spend all day with their companions. In captivity, they often have to rely on human companionship. These birds choose a favorite person and can become distressed when they’re separated, even for short periods.
This means that having an umbrella cockatoo as a pet is a full-time job. These birds aren’t suited for most households.
If you’re retired or work from home, an umbrella cockatoo might make a great companion. If you work long hours and don’t have family members who are home more often and will spend time with the bird while you’re gone, you may want to reconsider.
2. They Need a Large Cage
The minimum cage size for one umbrella cockatoo is 42″x36″x60″. However, it’s recommended to buy the largest cage that you can afford and fit in your home. There’s no such thing as too much space for these birds.
3. Cockatoos Need Plenty of Time Outside of the Cage
In the wild, cockatoos fly miles and miles every single day. These animals were never meant to be kept in cages!
Time outside of the cage isn’t optional for these birds, but an essential part of their daily care. Aim for at least six hours in a safe, bird-proof area. Make sure that your cockatoo can’t escape through windows or doors, and that other pets such as cats or dogs don’t have access to the space while your bird is out.
Of course, you’ll also want to ensure that your cockatoo has things to do outside of their cage, such as foraging toys, interacting with other birds or people, or space to safely fly around and stretch their wings.
4. They Crave Companionship
Birds tend to be a lot of work because they form close bonds with their humans. A huge problem for bird parents is the inability to leave them alone, as we’re often their sole companions.
But in the wild, these birds would live in large flocks where they’d always have companionship. Someone to preen their feathers, communicate in a language they understand, and provide constant interaction.
Humans simply cannot replace this, no matter how hard we try! When possible, it’s better for cockatoos to have at least one other bird friend, preferably of the same species.
However, bonding birds can be difficult. Like humans, they can be picky about who they like and who they don’t.
5. They Shouldn’t Eat Too Much Seed
Though wild cockatoos may eat a lot of seeds, too many seeds are bad for our pet birds. This is because they don’t require the calories that wild birds do. They aren’t flying miles a day or exerting energy to escape predators.
Instead of birdseed, feed your cockatoo a high-quality parrot pellet and a small amount of varied fresh fruits and vegetables daily. Cockatoos should have two food bowls: one for pellets and one for fresh food.
Always clean the fresh food bowl before the food goes bad so that your bird doesn’t eat the rotten food, and you don’t attract pests to the cage. Uneaten pellets should also be thrown out and the bowl refilled once a day.
6. Like Most Birds, Umbrella Cockatoos are Messy!
Their cage and the area around the cage will need to be cleaned regularly. Most cockatoo parents use paper bedding at the bottom of the cage and replace it as needed.
Clean the cage at least once or twice weekly, taking care not to use strong chemicals or scented cleaning products anywhere near your bird. Bird-safe options include a half water, half vinegar mixture, soap and water, or a disinfectant made specifically for cleaning bird cages.
Remove your bird from their cage during cleaning and bring them back once everything is dry.
7. Nonstick Cookware is Toxic to Birds
Nonstick cookware such as Teflon can kill your bird as you cook with it! These items should be replaced before you bring a bird into your home.
Smoke from marijuana or tobacco can also kill birds, and we recommend never smoking indoors if you have a pet cockatoo.
Since umbrella cockatoos have very sensitive respiratory systems, it’s best that they’re not housed in the kitchen where they may be affected by oven fumes. Keep candles, air fresheners, scented cleaners, and other fragrant items in a separate room from your bird, if you choose to use them at all.
8. Umbrella Cockatoos Require UV Lighting
In the wild, cockatoos get UV light naturally from the sun, and it helps them produce vitamin D. In our homes, we often have windows that filter out UV light, which can lead to nutritional deficiencies in our birds.
If you can’t bring your cockatoo outdoors safely, such as in an aviary, a very secure cage, or a harness, you may want to consider artificial UV lights. If you do bring your bird outside, be sure to monitor them constantly. Leaving them unattended even for a few minutes may expose them to predators, or they might escape their confinement while you aren’t looking.
9. They Require a Variety of Resting Spots
Sitting on one perch all day is terrible for a bird’s health! They not only need space to climb, fly, and play, but plenty of perches to rest on.
Providing a variety of textures, materials, and sizes will help your umbrella cockatoo’s feet stay healthy. However, you will want to avoid abrasive materials that can cause injuries, as well as perches that are too large or small for your bird.
