The Temperament of the Ducorps Cockatoo

Intelligent, active and loving creatures, Ducorps' cockatoos reward their owners with enormous amounts of stimulation and devoted companionship. Ducorps' cockatoos, also called Solomon's cockatoos, reach about 13 inches in length at maturity, and live for over 50 years. These beautiful white birds become attached to their human families like a child becomes attached to his parents. Ducorps' cockatoos possess many desirable personality traits, but they can also develop behavior problems when they feel neglected or nervous.

  1. People

    • Ducorps' cockatoos enjoy playing games. They throw small objects, chew on toys and wood, make noise with bells, and learn to imitate the sounds and actions of people and other animals. Ducorps' cockatoos prefer human companions who stimulate them and play with them daily. They usually like all their people friends equally, but may behave differently around some people, based on learned social signals. Ducorps' like routines, and often become depressed or anxious when left alone for long periods of time. Some individuals cope with isolation by self-mutilating, which results in open wounds and feather loss.

    Birds

    • Ducorps' cockatoos do not enjoy the company of many other birds. They prefer to live alone with their human family, or with one other cockatoo of the opposite sex. Adult Ducorps' cockatoos display aggressive behavior toward other birds of the same species. Once mated, a male and female stay together for life.

    Crest Position

    • Cockatoos communicate their mood in many ways, but crest position presents itself as the easiest signal for humans to learn quickly. When a cockatoo raises his crest, it signals a level of alertness due to curiosity, fear, excitement or frustration. Always consider the cockatoo's perception of a situation before approaching him with his crest raised. On the other hand, a lowered crest suggests the cockatoo feels calm and comfortable with his surroundings.

    Behavior Problems

    • Cockatoos' intelligent and curious temperaments cause them to need ongoing training and attention throughout their lives. Like children, they enjoy testing their boundaries to see what they can get away with, and they do act out to get attention if they feel neglected. A cockatoo bites or screams to teach its owner to behave certain ways. Lonely cockatoos often chew inappropriate objects when nervous, angry or depressed. Ducorps' need daily expressions of love and devotion from their human family to feel secure and happy.