All You Need to Know About the Sulphur-crested cockatoo – Care Guide

Translated by Nick R

Cockatoos are without a doubt one of the most curious of the Psittaciformes order, commonly known as parrots, due to their plume, funny attitude, very social and dancing talent (as in the YouTube videos where they move to the rhythm of the music). Keep reading if you want to know more about this species.

Table of Contents

Cockatoos are a whole family of birds

You got that right, although it is commonly thought of as a single species of cockatoo, they are actually a whole family that shares characteristics, habitat, and behaviors.

The cockatoo family is called Cacatuidae and includes 21 species, which also have other subspecies! As an idea, here are some of the most popular pet species:

Cockatiel
Sulphur-crested cockatoo
White cockatoo

In this blog you’ll learn more about the sulphur-crested cockatoo, and why it might be the ideal pet for you.

Why adopt a sulphur-crested cockatoo?

They are playful, intelligent, and very sociable. If you have a lot of free time at home and need company, this bird is your best choice.
This cockatoo can be cared for without companions of the same species, but because of its gregarious behavior, it will do well to share with you, your family or roommates.
The cockatoo will enliven your space since they are quite talkative and can get to speak and mimic some sounds able and trick your ear with good training.

Characteristics of the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo

Scientific Name	Cacatúa galerita
Common Name	sulphur-crested cockatoo
Place of Origin	Australia, New Zeland, and New Guinea
Habitat	Savanna, meadows, forests, urban or suburban areas.
Size	50 cm
Weight	800 g
Average sexual or reproductive age	3 to 4 years
Maximum life expectancy in captivity	65 years

The sulphur-crested cockatoo is easy to distinguish, especially because of the yellow color of some parts of its body.

Feathers

The cockatoo’s plumage is completely white, except for its yellow wings and tail.

Legs

The legs of a cockatoo are the same as all Psittaciformes: zygodactyl, which means two toes point forward and two backward to make grasping branches, climbing, and handling food easier.

The color of the legs is a combination of black and gray.

Beak

The sulphur-crested cockatoo has a curved, black beak that enables it to break and eat seeds. However, its beak is a little larger than parrots’ beaks.

The distinction between females and males

Sulphur-crested cockatoos don’t have sexual dysmorphism; however, some keepers have identified certain differences between them, namely:

The Female’s eyes are reddish brown. You’ll get to notice it better in the light, while males’ eyes are dark brown.
Males are much larger than females, although this difference is only noticeable when they are in pairs.

If you have doubts about the sex of your bird, it is best to go to a veterinarian for a sexing; they will take a sample of the cloaca and verify if it is male or female.

If you plan to adopt one in the future, it should be easy for you to know which cockatiel you are going to adopt, since breeders and pet stores need to know the sex of their specimens for their future clutches.

Remember that the sexual maturity of cockatiels starts at 3 or 4 years of age.

The behavior of cockatoos in the wild

In the wild, they behave gregariously, meaning that they divide their tasks among themselves to guarantee their care, usually in flocks of 12 birds. They split up to eat on the ground, until nightfall when they return to the trees to sleep together.

Active times are in the afternoon when one bird stays in the tree while the others eat to warn them of any danger. And at night when they go to drink water before going to sleep, moment in which their song will be heard in the thick vegetation as they look for a place to rest.

Reproduction

The mating season of the cockatoo occurs only once a year and like most Psittaciformes, they are monogamous, establishing a bond at a very early age with others of the opposite sex.

The mating season differs from region to region, usually occurring from August to January in southern Australia, while in southern Australia it is from May to September.

They lay their eggs in nests inside holes in some trees, near water sources, laying between 2 to 3 eggs which are incubated for 27 to 30 days.

Once they hatch, the chicks will be cared for by the father and mother, who will feed them until they fledge after about 70 days, but with the particularity that the babies will continue to live with their parents for about a year.

The behavior of the domestic sulphur-crested cockatoo

Cockatoos have adapted impressively to a variety of places with different living conditions from what they are used to, which is why they also inhabit urban and suburban areas and are considered pests and invasive species of cereal crops.

With all the necessary care and attention, the sulphur-crested cockatoo will be the best company; its gregarious behavior will make it identify you as part of its flock and it will learn many things in order to live better by your side.

Given its noisy nature, I recommend you place your adopted cockatoo in a place where you won’t bother your neighbors, relatives or roommates.

Ideal space for the sulphur-crested cockatoo

I know it is usual to have domestic birds locked in a cage for comfort and safety: however, it is recommended not to keep cockatiels in a cage, or at least not most of the time, due to their social behavior and the constant activity they need. Read on to find out more about them.

Suitable environment for the sulphur-crested cockatoo

Your cockatoo must have plenty of space to roam and lots of toys and accessories for entertainment.

If you find it appropriate to have a cage in which to eat and sleep, it has to be about twice the size of your bird.
If you think a cage is necessary, you will need to provide a larger space for its activities; a cage no smaller than 7 meters long or an aviary large enough to spread its wings and move around.
The cage must be placed against a wall to create a sense of placement for your cockatoo and make it feel safe and secure.

Other aspects that you should take into account of the place where your cockatoo will be:

It has to be in a cool, dry place.
It must have access to sunlight but not direct sunlight and especially not from a window.
The ideal location might be in the living room or the most frequented place in the house.
Watch out for the cage door, most cockatoos are skilled at opening them.

Your cockatoo needs to spend 3 to 4 hours out of the cage for entertainment and to avoid stress, which you’ll notice when it starts chattering to get your attention.

Out-of-cage care

Cockatoos that live outside of a cage must have a space of their own, either a perch or a whole set in where they can do whatever activity they want, like flying or flapping their wings.

Be cautious with some of the things in your house that your cockatiel can play with, eat and damage:

Some plants.
Small objects such as rings or earrings.
Wires of any kind.
Dirty water (remember that they drink water from fountains in the wild).

Basic equipment

Feeding and drinking bowls

Of the most fundamental elements in your cockatiel’s cage are the feeders and drinkers, which must be large enough for it to feed from them. Both can be a bowl of about 5 cm deep and a wide opening for the beak, keeping in mind that the material must be stainless steel.

Another option for those who choose to keep them caged is portable tray feeders, which are placed from the outside of the cage in small openings such as doors.

Cover for the cage bottom

Some people, besides the tray that comes with the cage, prefer to use a mesh or plastic cover to prevent some seeds and feathers from falling on the floor. It is placed from outside the cage at the base and wraps part of the sides of the cage.

Accessories and toys for your cockatoo

Cockatoos, like parrots, need a lot of stimulation with toys and accessories, and you will need to change them frequently when you get bored of them.

Racks

Racks are an important accessory in every cage with birds. They not only pose and spend their time in them, but also stimulate them to climb and move, but be careful not to have many, you should add enough for your cockatoo to move without difficulty and not get in the way of other of their activities.

I recommend wooden racks, one specially made for them free of any chemical that can be harmful. Remember, if you want to use one that you take from a park or garden, you must disinfect it properly using a common disinfectant or a combination of water and bleach.

Ropes

Ropes are a favorite of cockatoos since one of the favorite activities of many birds is chewing and tearing things apart.

Rattles

Toys with rattles will capture your cockatoo’s attention, not only can they interact with them, but they will also work for playing with your cockatoo.

Foraging toys

Foraging toys serve to stimulate their search for seeds whether on the ground or in other places. Foraging toys will not only entertain your cockatoo but will also reward them with their favorite food.

Cuttlefish bones

They are a must in every bird cage, especially for Psittaciformes. Not only do they provide calcium but also help to keep your cockatoo’s beak healthy.

Basic care and grooming of the sulphur-crested cockatoo

Maintenance of spaces and accessories

A healthy cockatoo is one that lives in the best conditions, hygiene being one of the most important aspects to avoid diseases and infections. For this you need to take into account:

Clean feeders and drinkers frequently

The feeders must be cleaned daily or less, depending on the type of food you feed your cockatiel. To do it, you must remove the leftover seeds and replace them with new food.

In case it has been wet food such as vegetables, fruits or some breeding paste, you must clean it with plenty of water and soap, and wait until it dries before using it again.

The drinking troughs must be replaced every day with fresh water. This is a must and you can wash it with soap and water if necessary; however, you must be careful not to leave any traces of soap, so I recommend you to have another one as a backup while waiting for it to dry.

Bath for sulphur-crested cockatoos

Cockatoos love to freshen up. Although they release dust that serves to keep their plumage shiny after grooming, baths are not superfluous for them, as they will help them avoid parasites such as mites or lice. This procedure has to be done every two weeks and there are two ways to do it:

Keeping a container with water for bathing

One way to get your cockatoo to bathe is to leave a container of water about 5 cm deep filled so that it can get into it freely and start to shake itself for the water to reach all of its body.

Use a sprayer

This is their favorite way as cockatoos in the wild bathe in the rain or under the dew of the leaves after the rain. All you have to do in this step is to fill a clean spray bottle with water and then spray your cockatoo’s body from one direction only.

Your cockatoo’s reaction may surprise you, as it will stretch its wings and wait for you to keep spraying more water on it.

Cage cleaning

Your cockatiel’s cage may not get very dirty, depending on how long your cockatoo stays in it. However, if you do need to give it a thorough cleaning every month to prevent the accumulation of dirt and possible bacteria and microorganisms, you can check how to do it in the 9 steps to clean your bird’s cage blog.

Sulphur-crested Cockatiel Diet

Cockatoos base most of their diet on seeds and nuts in the wild, which you can supply with seeds such as sunflower seeds, although you must be careful because of their high-fat content. You can also give them feed, which is a much more complete food that can supply about 75% of their diet, while supplementing the rest of their diet with fresh fruits and vegetables.

Remember that another nice food option is mixture, although they might end up eating only the seeds that they like the most and leave aside others that are necessary for your nutrition.

Fruits

The favorite fruits of the cockatiel are:

Bananas.
Peaches.
Apples.
Grapes (without seeds).
Pears.
Strawberries.

Vegetables

Sweet potato
Hummingbird.
Carrots.
Bell peppers.
Pumpkin.
Asparagus.
spinach (high water content)

Prohibited foods

It is very usual that some species of parrots and cockatoos share some foods eaten by their owners, however, you must know that a diet outside the recommended and natural can put at risk the integrity of your winged friend, so be careful with:

Sugar or salt high foods.
Energy drinks.
Caffeine
Alcohol.
Avocado (highly toxic for all birds).
Chocolate.
Stir-fried foods.
Meat or chicken.
Milk.
Onion

If you want to know more about bird food take a look at the blog on What is the diet of a pet bird?

Health care

Some health conditions of Sulphur-crested cockatoos are:

Health problems	Symptoms and causes	What to do?
Obesity and lipomas or fatty tumors	The cause of obesity is generally a poor diet containing a lot of fat and occurs in birds that don’t exercise either. Weight gain can cause the appearance of lipoma or fatty tumors that can grow or ulcerate and in the worst case become a malignant one called liposarcoma.	Prevention is the most essential treatment for this case, try to provide a good diet and exercise your cockatoo. Even if you recognize that your cockatoo is obese, it will be good to start changing bad habits. In case your cockatoo develops a liposarcoma, it will be necessary a surgical intervention to remove it, but this can only be determined by your veterinarian.
Picking/self-feathering	This is not strictly a disease but rather a self-injurious behavior caused by stress and lack of activity in which the cockatoo will start to pluck feathers from parts it can reach, such as the chest and wings.	If you identify this behavior early, you must start changing your cockatoo’s habits for ones that make him feel good, such as playing, spending time with you and keeping him away from anything that may cause him stress such as loud noises or other pets. If the behavior continues, you should visit your veterinarian.
Sarcocystosis	It’s caused by a circovirus that attacks the immune system and affects the growth cells of the beak and wings. Symptoms can take time to be seen and the infected bird can transmit the virus to others, some symptoms are: Abnormal beak growth, feather color change, loss of appetite, vomiting, and diarrhea.	As the disease is not visible until symptoms begin to appear and mortality is higher, it is known from a blood test. There is no cure or vaccine for the disease, however, it can be treated with vitamins, minerals and probiotics so that the cockatoo can live a little better.

What you didn’t know about cockatoos

1. They can feel the rhythm of music

The snowball cockatoo became famous in 2007 for a video in which a cockatoo dances to a well-known song by the Backstreet boys, which led to an investigation conducted by a journal called Current Biology, a scientific journal, detailing that these movements are a performance made by the bird to express itself to the rhythm of the music, showing that this is not only human behavior.

2. They are very intelligent

The sulphur-crested cockatoo is within the percentage of birds that can talk like some parrots, getting to mimic words or sounds of their environment easily, so maybe within the chatter that includes a word that you mention a lot.

3. They are among the longest-lived birds

The life expectancy of galerita cockatoos is high in captivity, they live more than 100 years!

Resources

Animal Diversity

Related Blogs

Why can parrots and other birds fly?