umbrella cockatoo questions

[karrieluvsbirdies]

my avian vet clinic has an umbrella cockatoo that is gonna be available for adoption in a few weeks,and i'm very interested in this bird cuz it is sooo sweet!i have a couple of questions though...first,how loud is it? i live in an apartment, but my neighbors are all pretty loud,so we could get away with making some noise. also,what are their personalities like?this one seems to just want to snuggle.

[Dayna]

Please read this entire thread, it might be very helpful for you.

http://birdboard.com/forum/showthread.php?t=33001

[Asta]

First, if I knew the age of your 'too, I could be more helpful, but I can give you some general information.

Yes, U2s are loud, but they don't yell all the time. My Joonie gets rambunctious only during the most important part of a TV show I am watching so I never hear how any crimes are ever solved on CSI or why Dr. Grey and Dr. McDreamy called it quits again. Sigh. Thank goodness for re-runs.

Um, depending on age and sex of your U2, they can become aggressive upon sexual maturity and can bite. They're frustrated, understandably. If you can ride this episode out, your parrot will, in time, calm down and become cuddly and sweet again. There are no fast hard rules on this. I can't give you any kind of timelines. Puberty could be at 2 years, 6 years...

They can become pluckers, but I don't believe this is true for all U2s. I personally believe this bad behavior is a result of poor nutrition and boredome. Cockatoos are very intelligent and emotional birds and they need attention and lots of smart toys to play with, and lots of stuff to chew on. Joonie has several dog toys he loves -- the indestructable rubber Kongs for instance. Those will last quite a while, and he loves throwing them and carrying them around ('toos love foot toys).

I've had Joonie (who is 19 months old) since he was 4 weeks old (I hand fed him) so our relationship may be different from some members here. But so far, Joonie has been the most loving, sweetest, funniest being I have ever had the good fortune to know. And if he gets aggressive during his teenage years, I will understand and deal with it. He will not be abandoned should the going get a little rough. Having worked with the Humane Society, I know what it's like to be bitten, and the good thing is, parrots don't carry rabies. Which is a big plus in my book. A parrot bite can be bad, but it doesn't scare me like a dog bite.

So the next big question I have is....why is the 'too you're adopting up for adoption? Are there behavior issues? It doesn't sound like there is if you are already cuddling him, but a little background would be helpful.

Hope this post is useful to you. :)

[Asta]

I should add: Having an Umbrella Cockatoo is like having a 2 year old child for the rest of your life. That is me just being very honest. They are like small children and are always getting into something. Joonie somehow pulled an electrical cord into his cage (his foot?) and chewed it almost through before I found him just in time. I would have had a dead bird and probably a house fire.

[karrieluvsbirdies]

dayna-i just read the whole thread about umbrella cockatoos and it scared me to death! i don't want a bird with the potential to be that dangerous.sooo glad i asked!

[Dayna]

Originally Posted by karrieluvsbirdies

dayna-i just read the whole thread about umbrella cockatoos and it scared me to death! i don't want a bird with the potential to be that dangerous.sooo glad i asked!

They can be loving or hard to deal with. A cockatoo that is sweet at a year might send you to the er when it is 15 years.