Umbrella Cockatoo

Also known as White Cockatoo, Umbrella Crested Cockatoo

Latin name:(Cacatua pastinator pastinator)

Vital Statistics:

Body length: 14 ins / 35 cm

Life span: 50-60 yrs

Appearance:

UMBRELLA COCKATOOS, also known as White or White-Crested Cockatoos, have striking white plumage, which covers their entire bodies, with pale yellow under the wings and tail. and unfolds when raised. Umbrella Cockatoos are named for the shape their massive pure white crest which is normally flat against the head, but the crest feathers take on this umbrella shape when fully exposed Beaks, legs and feet are a blackish grey, which often look lighter due to a covering of cockatoo powder.

It should be noted that most females have lighter iris, usually reddish-brown. Immatures look like adult males. The young females will develop their lighter iris by approximately one year of age. It should be noted that at this time it is a greyish-brown. Most females also exhibit smaller heads and crowns

Native to Indonesia, the wild Umbrella Cockatoo prefers a variety of areas including mangroves, forests, swamps, and other areas with tress or tall secondary vegetation. While their numbers have been reduced due to decline in habitat and trapping, they are not yet endangered.

Personality:

Umbrellas are beautiful, intelligent show-offs and can live over 70 years.

They are perhaps the most cuddly and physically affectionate parrots on the planet, they can also be the most demanding on the planet. Umbrella Cockatoos are very affectionate birds and may have been the source of the term "Velcro bird" to describe their strong cuddling behaviour. to empisice their cuddly nature they are will known for covering their beaks with feathers to let people see that they are so friendly, it appears they don't even have beaks to attack with!

Umbrellas form strong bonds and may grow to regard their owners as mates. If deprived of attention and love they can become noisy and destructive or turn to feather plucking. Some may become possessive of their owners, which can lead to unpredictable behaviour toward other people, especially as the bird reaches sexual maturity.

What they lack in talking ability they make up for in intelligence, as these are birds who can readily learn commands and tricks.

Umbrellas should be part of the family, their cages placed where they can see activity and where others passing by can stop to say hello. They also need to be out of their cages for a time each day, to get attention, exercise and a change of environment.

Age at Maturity: 3 - 4 years

If you do not have a lot of time to spend with your parrot, this species is not for you.

Talking Ability: Low

Noise Level: They are quiet for the most part, but do have a loud call.

Buying:

Buying from a breeder is preferable to buying from a pet shop, for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the price; pet shops generally charge about double what breeders do. A good breeder will spend a lot of time on socialization of your baby bird, cuddling it, loving it, as well as providing many toys and other enrichment. A good breeder teaches a baby cockatoo how to play on it's own, as well as how to get attention in ways other than screaming - a common problem in cockatoos. Even if nothing major goes wrong, cockatoos are notorious for being very difficult to wean, and weaned wrong they could develop behaviour problems. Leave it to the experts! And buy a fully weaned baby

Food:

Cockatoos should be fed a pelleted diet supplemented with fresh fruits and vegetables daily. Feed approximately 1/4 cup of formulated diet and 1/4 cup of fresh fruits and vegetables daily. If the bird consumes all of her food, give additional food as desired. Be careful, though: Overfeeding leads to pickiness, wastage and throwing food. Treats such as seeds, nuts and table foods may be given in small amounts as rewards for good behaviour.

Cage Size: Min. cage dimensions: 24" x 36" for smaller Umbrellas,

30"x 40" for larger ones

Bar Spacing: 3/4" to 1 1/4"

UMBRELLA COCKATOO are very active and should be provided the largest cage that space and budget permit