Baby Cockatoo Behavior

The cockatoo is from Australia and the East Indies. This beautiful bird is highly social, but does not speak as much as other species of parrots. Most say a few words, but many never talk at all. The cockatoo lives more than 60 years, requires a great deal of attention and responsibility and is not for first-time bird owners. Baby cockatoos are known for their loving disposition and personalities.

  1. Baby Characteristics

    • Baby cockatoos are known for their sweet, loving nature. They like to be hand fed, talked to and snuggled with. Baby cockatoos are extremely intelligent and can quickly figure out tricks, take apart toys and open their cage doors. However, similar to a 2-year-old child, cockatoos also go through the "terrible 2s." He'll become bold and curious, exploring and investigating everything by tasting or destroying your windowsill, pillow or couch.

    Adolescent Characteristics

    • As he matures, he'll challenge your authority and crave more attention. As your baby cockatoo grows into an adolescent, he should be taught to play on his own. Set rules for him and adhere to them. Cockatoos are the noisiest of all parrots and have a need to scream for 20 minutes at a time. They can be manipulative, demanding, destructive and even dangerous. They must be trained and supervised at all times when out of their cage. If they are upset or stressed, they're known for self-mutilating themselves.

    Toys

    • Cockatoos are curious and become easily bored. Your baby cockatoo will need toys to keep him interested and out of trouble. Choose toys that have interesting colors and shapes, but beware of toys that contain a lot of dye, since cockatoos are notorious for chewing. Periodically rearrange their toys to keep them alert, and provide them with a trapeze or ring swing.

    Food

    • Baby cockatoos love warm, moist foods. Offer him parrot pellets soaked in warm fruit juice, cooked oatmeal or mashed sweet potato for the first few days. Choose warm corn and peas, pasta, rice, chunks of carrots, squash or sweet potatoes and cold green vegetables such as broccoli, kale, collard greens and spinach. Replace the dish of soft food when he's done, and keep a dish of avian pellets and crunchy, unsweetened dry cereal in the cage at all times. Do not feed him too much fruit - they are the equivalent of bird candy. Cockatoos eat as a family. Feed him during family mealtimes and you will give him a sense of security, making him feel like a member of the flock.