Cacatua galerita
Other Names: White Cockatoo.
 |
Description:
Sulphur Crested Cockatoos are a
full-sized cockatoo. They are primarily white with a yellow or "sulphur"
coloured crest on the top of their head. The underside of the wings and tail is also
frequently tinged with yellow.
See more pictures of
Sulphur Crested Cockatoos |
Care and Feeding:
A roomy cage is
required (minimum 2 ft. x 2 ft. x 3 ft. high) unless the bird is to be let
out for extended periods. Many birds can spend most of their time on a play pen or parrot
perch. They eat a variety of seeds, nuts, fruits, and commercial pellets, as well as the
same nutritional foods humans eat.
Distribution:
Is found in New Guinea
including the offshore islands, Aru islands, and northern and eastern Australia. It has
been introduced to other places including New Zealand, the Palau Islands, and Indonesia.
Size - Weight:
Mature birds are about 48 cm
(19 inches) in length. They are among the largest cockatoos.
The adult male weighs
in between 815 and 920 grams, and the adult female between 845 and 975 grams.
Social Behaviours:
Wild Cockatoos
are friendly and peaceful. They live together in flocks of 20 or more birds.
Breeding/Reproduction:
The courtship display is
simple and brief. The male struts along a branch towards the female. With his crest
raised, he bobs his head up and down and from side to side in a figure of eight movement.
He utters soft chattering notes followed by mutual preening.
In the wild the
Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo builds their nests in a hollow limb or hole in a tree, generally
a living or dead eucalypt tree in close proximity to water.
As a rule of thumb breeding
takes place in the southern section of Australia between August and January and the
northern areas from May to September.
Eggs:
Clutch of two to three
elliptical-ovate white eggs without gloss are laid.
Sexual Differences:
Hard to tell with young
birds. As they get older the iris of the females' eyes will develop a reddish colour, the
males' eyes will remain black. This is not always completely accurate so other means are
necessary if you need to know "for sure" what sex a particular bird is.
Aviary Notes:
The Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
is one of the most popular of all cage birds. It is extremely hardy, thrives in captivity
and is one of the longest living bird with ages of fifty years or more commonly recorded.
Although a spacious aviary is
preferred to house these Cockatoo's (5 metre long x 2.5 metre wide x 2.2 metre high,) they
are commonly kept as personal pets in cages or on stands.
Hand reared birds are gentle
and affectionate towards their owners and make great talkers. Morning and late afternoon
are the noisy times for the Sulphur-crested letting every one know that they are alive and
well with their raucous, shattering screeches, sharp squawks, and whistles.
General
Notes on Keeping the Sulphurs as a Companion::
If properly cared for, the cockatoo can live up to seventy years.
The lure of the cockatoo is partially based on their incredible need for physical
attention. They require hugging, petting and must be played with daily by their owners.
The attention that you are able to give now must be able to be given years from now.
Sometimes cockatoos can become attached to just one member of the family.
A great deal of socialisation and stimulation is necessary for the cockatoo to stay a
happy, healthy member of your family. They can be mischievous one minute and sedate the
next. The cockatoo is a very affectionate bird and in addition are not noisy unless
something unusual stimulates them to respond with a screech.
Feeding:
A cockatoo should eat a staple diet of fresh pellet formula or a fortified parrot seed
diet. Pelleted diets are recommended because each pellet contains balanced nutrition.
Besides a variety of pellet or a seed mix diet, offer chopped dark green and yellow
vegetables and a variety of fresh fruits in addition to a protein source like mature
legumes, hard cooked chopped egg, and grated cheese.
Avoid the following foods: Iceberg lettuce, and cabbage, (these can cause severe diarrhoea);
caffeine (contained in chocolate and soda); avocado and parsley, (these can be poisonous).
Raisins and bananas should be given in moderation (these can cause constipation). Remove
fresh fruits and vegetables within 2 hours of offering to prevent spoilage. If the bird
gets too much liquid from the fresh fruits and vegetables, the droppings could
become runny and discoloured. Stop the fresh fruits and vegetables for a day to see if
this is the reason.
Birds require fresh water each day. Wash and rinse their water cup out thoroughly prior to
adding fresh water to reduce bacteria growth.
Powdered vitamins (only necessary if on a seed diet) can be lightly sprinkled on the fresh
food, but putting it in the water can encourage bacterial growth.
Housing:
When choosing a cage for your parrot, remember width is more beneficial to the bird than
height. Parrots must be able to stretch their wings and still have room for a variety of
toys without hitting them, therefore, the larger the cage the better. Ideally, the cage
for an Sulphur Crested Cockatoo should measure a minimum of 32" length by 36"
high and 32" wide.
Perches are an essential part of the cages and should be chosen to suit the feet of the
bird. A variety of perch sizes, shapes, and diameters will help exercise the bird's feet
and toes. Place perches strategically to prevent droppings from contaminating
water and food dishes and to prevent the tail from hanging in dishes or
on the floor.
A variety of toys, such as bells and wooden blocks in the parrot cage will assist you in
entertaining your bird. Be sure that when choosing toys that they are intended for a large
parrot and not for something small such as Cockatiels or parakeets.
Always have a cuttlebone or mineral block available to supply calcium and prevent beak
overgrowth.
To aid the bird in keeping itself clean, we recommend lightly misting with warm tepid warm
a weekly basis (in a draft free place). Place your parrot's cage below eye-level in a
bright area free from drafts and direct sunlight.
Book Available:Australian White Cockatoos their
Management, Care & Breeding
[Major Mitchell] [Gang-gang] [Sulphur-crested] [Galah] [Cockatiel]
| The Click For Live
Help button, is just
a way of contacting us direct. There's nothing to download, it just opens a little pop up
browser window running a Java Script. If we are online, you can contact, me Garry. If we
are offline, you can contact us by email. You don't have to give your email address, but
it means that we can't reply. |
|
| 
