Crests Common to All Parrots

Cockatoos

• These parrots have large crests with long feathers that move as needed on the top of their heads. When the bird is calm, the crest lays flat but raises straight up when it gets excited or alarmed. Some types of cockatoos include the umbrella cockatoo, the sulphur-crested cockatoo and the glossy black cockatoo. The sulphur-crested cockatoo is a large white parrot with a noticeable sulphur-yellow crest, while the umbrella cockatoo is all white including its crest. It does have yellow on the underwings and at the base of the tail. The crest on the umbrella cockatoo looks like a rounded-umbrella shape when it is raised.

  The glossy black cockatoo has a black body with red or orange-red on its tail, while the head, neck and underneath the bird is a brown-black. This bird has a small and less noticeable black crest and is a smaller bird than the other two cockatoos.

  The gang-gang cockatoo is a short, stocky bird, which is mostly gray except for its red head covered by its wispy crest.

Cockatiels

• Cockatiels are members of the cockatoo family but are smaller in size. They are mostly gray with slender bodies and long pointy tails. The cockatiel is noticeable by its bright orange cheek patches. The male birds have a bright yellow forehead, face and crest along with the orange cheek patches.The crest on the cockatiel is slim and pointy. The galah is one type of cockatiel with pink touches on its crown, neck, neck and underbelly. The remainder of its body is mostly gray, like other cockatiels.

Corella

• The corella is another that is similar to the cockatiel in coloring. There are two types: little corellas and the long-billed corellas. The little corella is mostly white with a short, straight crest. It has a large, fleshy blue ring around the eye and a barely noticeable pink strip between the eye and the bill. It has short, wide tail feathers.

  The long-billed corella has a very short crest as well as a short tail and stocky body. It has orange-red patches near the eye and beak as well as a thin ring of orange-red around the neck. It also has a fleshy pale blue ring around the eye.

Family Pets

• Cockatoos and cockatiels make good family pets, while the corella is lesser known and not really kept as pets. Cockatoos and cockatiels are affectionate, intelligent and quite fun to watch when they do their acrobatic maneuvers. There is a downside to keeping these birds as pets. Cockatoos can tend to screech for long periods of time and can be destructive, so they need a sturdy cage. They are also demanding of their owners.

  Young cockatiels can be nervous until they are tamed. They will readily interact with family members and have a friendly whistle.

  Cockatoos can be trained to talk, while cockatiels cannot.