The Umbrella Cockatoo is a large parrot with a great personality to match. Here are 5 traits that keep you in constant demand as a pet bird.
Beauty-Its snow-white plumage makes a wonderful and surprising contrast with its dark beaks and eyes, and its gray or black legs. In flight they are like sunlight in that they show the underside of their feathers that are yellow in color. But probably its most striking feature is its shield. It usually lies flat on the head, but when spread out, it forms a semicircle of beautiful feathers on its head, similar to an umbrella. They are truly graceful creatures, whether they fly or perch on your finger.
Caring personalityKnown for their great affection and ability to bond with their humans, they are often accurately described as cuddly. They love physical contact with their human beings and need several hours a day to stay emotionally healthy. They are the perfect companions for someone who has a lot of time and daily energy to devote. If your lifestyle doesn’t allow you to spend at least 2 hours a day with your cockatoo, consider another bird that is less demanding of your time, attention, and affection.
TrainingCockatoos are extremely intelligent birds that are capable of learning and performing a wide variety of tricks. Short, daily training sessions produce the best results. Your consistency and patience will pay off not only in the tricks that your cockatoo will enthusiastically perform for family and friends, but also in the trust and loving bond that this daily attention will create between you. They are so easy to train that they often appear in their own circus and zoo shows! So there you have it, the sky is really the limit of what they can achieve.
Enthusiastic eaters-They love to eat and are not particularly fussy about what they eat. They still depend on you to provide them with a well-balanced diet to help them stay strong, healthy, and happy. A healthy diet should include a constant supply of clean water, a high-quality pellet diet as a base supplemented with fresh organic vegetables, sprouted seeds, and fewer fruits and nuts. Some fruit seeds are toxic to cockatoos, so check with your vet before feeding. Complete your diets with occasional table foods, such as small pieces of boiled or well-cooked scrambled eggs, cottage cheese and small pieces of cooked meat, pasta, and crackers. Provide a varied menu within these guidelines to keep your bird’s interest at feeding time high.
Long shelf life-If you are looking for a companion for life, the cockatoo has one of the longest lives of any parrot. With proper care, they can live 80 years or more. Now that’s a friend for life!