And those adopting these birds do not realize that this hunger for close physical contact is because of these deficient rearing conditions, rather than because cockatoos need cuddling. These babies then go into their first homes hungry for the nurturing that they missed in their abnormal breeding situations. Was rushed, but that they did not receive the close physical nurturing contact Large cockatoos like SadieĪre often sent to their new homes between four and five month of age, longīefore they should be food independent. Even when Sadie was eating well on her own, her parents would provide “comfort” feedings, if reassurance after a stressful event was needed.Ĭontrast this reality, however, with the manner in whichĬockatoos are raised in captivity for the pet trade. As the author describes it, there was a “nearly constant level of feeding and attention that parent birds lavish on their offspring.” They did not “wean” their chick until she was close to one year of age. One Moluccan father visited his chick every hour. When McElroy allowed her Moluccan Cockatoo pairs to raise their own babies, she made two critical observations.įirst, the parents were frequently in the nest box, providing physical attention, preening them, touching their beaks, and feeding them. This natural time clock to which wild cockatoos adhere for weaning is not changed when they are bred in captivity. Instead, for the first few months of his life, until fledging, the baby is dependent upon regurgitated food for his sustenance. Parent birds do not bring uneaten food into the nest cavity for their chicks. Quite obviously, this cannot occur until the baby learns to fly and can keep up with his parents on foraging expeditions. In her article “Weaning Sadie: An Observation,” published back in July of 2000 in the Pet Bird Report, now-retired companion cockatoo breeder Katy McElroy discussed the observations she had made of normal weaning time frames for cockatoo fledglings, as well as the manner in which the parents interact with their chicks.Įach parrot species has an innate time frame for becoming food independent. The advent of nest box cameras has assisted in gathering this knowledge. 26-34, 43-51, 113.Information about how cockatoo species care for their young comes mainly from breeders who allow their pairs to rear their own babies through fledging and weaning. Clinical Anatomy and Physiology of Exotic Species. Pickering, Ontario Silvio Mattachione & Co 1992. Parrots in aviculture: A photoreference guide.
Nutrition of birds in the order Psittaciformes: a review.
Clinical Avian Medicine and Surgery, Appendix 4, Philadelphia W.B. Quedgeley, Glouchester: British Small Animal Veterinary Association 2005.
#PINK UMBRELLA COCKATOO MANUAL#
BSAVA Manual of Psittacine Birds, 2nd ed. Maximizing information from the physical examination. 383.ĭoneley B, Harrison GJ, Lightfoot TL. Normal cloacal temperatures in multiple avian species. 278-279.Ĭonvention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Ames, Iowa: Iowa State University Press, 1996. * Routine avian exam does not include measuring body temperatureīeynon P (ed). Household temperatures of 70-80☏ (21-27☌) are generally acceptable, however healthy birds can tolerate hot and cold temperatures. Citron-crested ( Cacatua sulphurea citrinocristata)
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