Umbrella Cockatoos make extremely sweet, charming, intelligent, and well-behaved pets. Most are gentle enough to be handled by older children, and many Umbrella Cockatoos are beloved family pets. Umbrella Cockatoos are large birds, and they need a large cage and area to play in.
The Umbrella Cockatoos are beautiful, intelligent showoffs and can live over 70 years. Umbrella Cockatoos form strong bonds and may grow to regard their owners as mates. They are also very intelligent and curious and, if allowed, will learn to manipulate their owners. Their comical charms are sure to steal your heart.
The Umbrella Cockatoo is mainly a pure white, medium-sized bird. Its plumage is completely white except for a distinct yellow coloration on the under-wings and at the base of the tail. They are the only large cockatoo species with an entirely white crest. Their crest is normally flat on their head. It is raised with alarm, which may include excitement, curiosity, and/or fear. They have a rounded, umbrella-shaped crest when raised, thus giving them their name.
The beak is grayish-black, and like all parrots, is large, curved, and very powerful. Male Umbrella Cockatoos tend to have dark brown, almost black eyes, whereas the females tend to have more reddish eyes. Both sexes have a pale bluish-white eye-ring. The legs are dark gray.
Temperament & Behavior
Umbrella Cockatoos make extremely sweet, charming, intelligent, and well-behaved pets. Just as with any bird, however, prospective owners should be sure that they can meet the needs of an Umbrella before rushing out and buying one. Most are gentle enough to be handled by older children, and many Umbrella Cockatoos are beloved family pets.
Umbrella Cockatoos are large birds, and they need a large cage and area to play in. They can also be quite loud when they decide to be, being able to produce a call that can be heard for up to 3 miles away! For a person who can meet these magnificent birds’ needs, Umbrella Cockatoos can be the best-feathered friend in the world.
Caring for the Umbrella Cockatoo
Umbrella cockatoos are large birds that need a large cage and play area. Get an enclosure that is as large as possible since these birds do not enjoy containment. This species may act out or become very unhappy in a tight space, which can lead to self-mutilation or illness.
Diurnal birds, umbrella cockatoos require uninterrupted sleep every night for 10 to 12 hours. Good sleep is essential for maintaining their health and well-being.
Cockatoos have a powdery down. Bathe the bird regularly to reduce this naturally emitted dusty substance.
Housing
The white cockatoo bird should be provided with as large a cage that you can afford, considering that it’s a big bird that likes to spread its wings often. Perches should be given, and toys for the bird’s enrichment.
Care
Bathing should not be much of a concern as far as umbrella cockatoos go, as they are extremely clean birds who preen themselves all the time. A shower a week should be enough to maintain the health of the feathers. Trimming the feathers may become necessary if you want to discourage flight. The beak and nails need to be clipped as well for you to avoid injury. Concrete perches should be fine as far as trimming the nails go.
Give the bird fresh drinking water every day and clean the cage as often as you can.
Diet and Nutrition
Like all large parrots, umbrella cockatoos are big eaters. In the wild, they spend most of the day looking for food. Seeds, nuts, coconuts, and grain in farmer’s fields are standard favorites in their diet.
As a pet, about 80 percent of their diet should be a formulated pelleted diet. The rest of their food should consist of a wide variety of vegetables, including leafy greens and root vegetables. High-quality grains such as quinoa and other ancient grains, fresh sprouts, and fresh fruit are great dietary choices for this species. Freshwater should be available at all times.
On occasion, feed them healthy nuts such as almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, and walnuts. You can also offer healthy seeds like hemp, milk thistle, or flaxseed as treats.
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