Cockatoo Care and Feeding

The classic mistake is an all-seed diet built on sunflower and peanuts. It is high in fat and short on calcium and vitamin A, and over a long cockatoo life it drives obesity, fatty liver, fatty tumours (lipomas) and hardened arteries. A pellet-based diet with fresh vegetables fixes this. The second mistake is feeding from a heaped bowl. A bird this intelligent needs to work for its food, so spread feeding and foraging through the day rather than leaving a full dish out.

Cockatoos need the largest cage you can fit, with room to climb, stretch and flap fully. They are powerful chewers, so use a sturdy metal cage and keep a steady supply of destructible foraging toys and untreated timber. Give them several hours out of the cage each day, quiet dark sleep, and daily mental challenges. A bored cockatoo screams and plucks its feathers.

Cockatoos bond hard and crave contact, which is both their charm and their challenge. Handle them gently and consistently, set boundaries early, and avoid over-cuddling a single person, since intense one-on-one bonding can trigger jealousy, screaming and plucking. Reward calm, independent play. These are advanced birds that suit experienced keepers who can commit for decades.