What do sulphur crested cockatoos eat

Young birds should be allowed to learn to fly before their wings are clipped. Many people report their birds are happier and healthier when allowed to be free flighted. Owning a free flighted bird carries extra responsibility as the risk of escape is real. Does my bird need to go to the vet? All new pets should be taken to your trusted avian veterinarian within a week of purchase or arrival.

We perform a thorough physical examination and make recommendations for disease screening your new bird. This may include tests to detect parasites, screen for infectious diseases such as Psittacosis and assess the health and function of internal organs.

Psittacosis is a bacterial disease that can be transmitted from pet birds to humans, causing respiratory disease and rarely meningitis. Quarantine any new birds for at least 4 weeks and have a new bird health check with your vet to avoid disease spreading throughout your collection. Do I need to worm my bird? Aviary birds with access to a dirt or mulch floor will need to be screened and wormed regularly as appropriate.

What about training my bird? Use positive reinforcement training to reward your bird for performing behaviours you like and ignore undesired behaviours. Make it easy for them to perform the behaviours you want e. Showing your bird what you want and rewarding them for this will decrease the likelihood of aggressive behaviour becoming a problem.

Providing suitable perches within your indoor space will enable your bird to find a suitable hangout when out of their cage. Practicing behaviours such as step up and down on the hand, come out of the cage, go back into the cage and go onto the perch stand, will help your bird become comfortable with you and make it a delight to bring them out of their cage to interact with you.

She has a lot of advice on positive reinforcement training on her website www. Hazards around the home Parrots are attracted to shiny objects such as metal staples, nails and metal flakes. Some bird toys may have metal rings or attachments which can be ingested. Heavy metal toxicity occurs when metals such as zinc or lead are ingested by your bird resulting in lethargy, weakness, loss of balance, vomiting, diarrhoea, lack of appetite or gastrointestinal stasis not passing droppings.

If left untreated, seizures and death may ensue. Ensure all metal components on bird toys are stainless steel.

Rope or synthetic fibre ingestion is another common cause of disease in companion parrots. Sources of fibre include rope toys, towels, cage coverings or carpet. Do not use toys or perches made of synthetic fibres. Bumblefoot is a term used to describe swelling, thickening ulceration of the skin on the soles of the feet. It is caused by the use of smooth wooden dowel or plastic perches. No tree branch is ever the same and thus wild birds do not suffer from this condition.

To prevent this condition in your pet bird, use dried eucalypt branches or native foliage as cage perches instead of rope or dowel and replace these regularly.

Natural branches have the added bonus of having a bark covering which can entertain parrots for hours as they rip and tear at it. Smoke from fires, candles, incense or cooking is harmful to birds and exposure should be avoided. Smoke from Teflon frying pans may be toxic.

Do not house your bird in the kitchen or let it free fly when you are cooking. What if my bird gets sick? If you hear it, look for cockies flying in the sky or coming in to roost amongst tree branches at dusk. Sulphur-crested Cockatoos are fun-loving and intelligent birds that are a delight to watch as they play, feed and fly around. Sulphur-crested Cockatoos can learn to drink from public drinking fountains.

In Sydney some cockatoos have even worked out how to open wheelie bins to get at food scraps and garbage waste! Some cockies stay in the trees above acting as lookouts, so if any dangers arise, the feeding flock is warned and flies into the air all at once. Sulphur-crested Cockatoos nest in the hollow branches of dead or living gum trees, usually high up above watercourses. Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Go Back.

What do Sulphur-crested Cockatoos look like? Where are Sulphur-crested Cockatoos found? When not feeding, birds will bite off smaller branches and leaves from trees. These items are not eaten, however. The activity may help to keep the bill trimmed and from growing too large. The eggs are laid in a suitable tree hollow, which is prepared by both sexes.

Both birds also incubate and care for the chicks. The chicks remain with the parents all year round and family groups will stay together indefinitely.

The popularity of the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo as a cage bird has increased its range, as these birds either escape or are released deliberately in areas where they do not already occur. The species has become a pest around urban areas, where it uses its powerful bill to destroy timber decking and panelling on houses. The Australian Museum respects and acknowledges the Gadigal people as the First Peoples and Traditional Custodians of the land and waterways on which the Museum stands.

Image credit: gadigal yilimung shield made by Uncle Charles Chicka Madden. This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Learn more. Identification The Sulphur-crested Cockatoo is a large white parrot. Its head and body are all-white, apart from some yellow colouring around its tail feathers, and yellow feathers on top of its head.