Cacatua leadbeateri
(Vigora)
Other Names:
Pink Cockatoo, Leadbeater's Cockatoo, Desert
Cockatoo, Wee Juggler, Cocklerina, and Chockalott.
 |
Lyn, with two of our hand
reared Major Mitchell's. They are 6 months old. They love nothing more than snuggling up on our chest, and putting
their heads under our chin.
At this age they are the most affectionate
companion parrot you could wish for.
Tub on the left and Shaker. Each were
given their names from little things that they did while hand feeding them. |
Major Mitchell's Cockatoo is acclaimed
universally as the most beautiful of the cockatoos and among the most beautiful of all
parrots.
SIZE:
Length about 35 cm (14"), weight about 350-400 grams.
WEIGHT:
Male weighs between 300 - 425 gm.
Female weighs between 375 - 435 gm.
SEXING:
The Major Mitchell sexes are very similar, but can be sexed in a mature bird by the eye
colour. A hen has a reddish brown iris while a cock has a dark brown to blackish iris, a
distinction which develops towards the end of the first year. Immature Majors are similar
to the adult except that the iris is pale brown.
NATURAL OCCURRENCE
The Major Mitchell has a widespread but patchy distribution through much of inland
Australia. It avoids the more arid areas, and also shuns the more humid coastal areas. It
may locally be common, but for the most part is relatively rare, and is certainly
declining in Queensland where changes in land use have had a significant effect on its
distribution. Two sub-species have been recognised, C. l. leadbeateri in the east and C.
l. mollis in the central and western parts of Australia. The crest of leadbeateri contains
a significant yellow band while that of mollis contains little yellow.
THE BREEDING SEASON:
From August to December in South
Australia, May to August in Queensland, and April to June in Northern Australia. A hollow
high up in a eucalypt tree is commonly used for nesting and the hen spends several weeks
gnawing the inside of the nest in readiness to lay.
EGGS and INCUBATION:
Two, or more rarely three white oval eggs
are laid, and both parents share nest preparation, incubation and care of the young. The
male incubates through out the day and the hen takes over for the night. Incubation takes
28 days and the young emerge from the nest 2 months old. They should be removed from their
parents by 6 months old, and birds are mature enough to breed at 3 to 4 years, although
breeding success may often take another year or two.
The Major Mitchell's have a long
reproductive life, and there has been successfully rearing of chicks for up to 37
years.
The species is territorial when nesting,
and in the wild requires a territory of 2 km radius around it's nest site. This behaviour
is an impediment to the species increasing it's numbers in the wild, since there may be
several pairs in an area unable to make use of suitable nest sites because the dominant
pair will stop the remainder from breeding.
AVICULTURE:
The Major Mitchell has always been a popular bird in Australian aviculture, not surprising
given its stunning looks, and delightful behaviour. An aviary at least 5 metres by 1.2
metres by 2 metres high is needed, with a heavy gauge wire, and all metal construction. A
hollow nesting log over a metre long and an inside diameter of around 30 cm should also be
supplied. Breeding success is not easy, finding compatible pairs is often difficult, and
mate aggression can be a significant problem. During the breeding season male Major's can
become very aggressive to any humans who enter their aviary, and they often do not
tolerate nest inspections. We at Parrot Haven Aviary have not experienced this problem
with our Majors, but they will put up a great show of defiance and verbal combat.
A varied diet is required, with a good quality small parrot mix being supplemented by
large amounts of fresh fruit and vegetables. Some meat such as cooked chop or chicken
bones is important, especially during the breeding season. Eucalypt branches or pine cones
are an important factor in relieving boredom.
PET POTENTIAL:
The Major Mitchell is quite often kept as a pet bird and are delightful companions when
hand raised. The Major needs some firm handling to stop it becoming dominant as it
matures. It is also a destructive chewer, and has a very loud "shout" at times.
After saying all that about them, Lyn and I both have a special place in our hearts for
our Majors, and find that all our hand reared Majors are very affectionate and cuddly.
| A pair of Parrot Haven Aviary's
breeding Major Mitchell's. During the
breeding season some male Major's can become very aggressive to any humans who enter their
aviary, and may not tolerate nest inspections.
Our Majors do allow us to inspect their nests and
remove eggs, but put up a great show of defiance and verbal combat. |
 |
"Click to see" Major
Mitchell's nursery pictures
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. |
|
|
