COCKATOOS
All cockatoos belong to the family Cacatuidea and inhabit Australia and some of the island of the South Pacific. Some species of cockatoos range as far north as the Philippines. The members of the family Cacatuidae vary tremendously in size and appearance, from the small, familiar cockatiel to the large, rare palm cockatoo. Most people think of cockatoos as white birds with yellow crest, but there are also black cockatoos. These black species are rare and expensive, and most specimens are kept as exhibit in wildlife parks, zoos or other public attractions. The most common pet cockatoos are the sulfur-crested and salmon-crested. The umbrella or white-crested cockatoo is beginning to win popularity as a pet because of its relatively low price and its gentle nature. Goffin’s cockatoo has recently beome more available because of the destruction of its natural habitat in Indonesia, due to development for commercial interests. The red-vented cockatoo, native to the Philippines, is also seasonally available, mostly because of its propensity for destroying cultivated fields. All cockatoos are fond of feeding on farmland crops, especially corn. For this reason the Autralian government has an open huting season on its native cockatoo species, but it is stubborn in refusing to export them for the pet trade. The future may show this to be a wise attitude, for the Australian birds may be the only spceis to escape devastation due to the high monetary value of the birds in the pet trade. All cockatoos have strong bills that are made of hardened keratin and colored either beige or black, depending on the species. The feet of most cockatoos are black. All have a conspicuous periophthalmic ring, which may be white, blue or purple. All cockatoos have a bald spot on the head, covered by the crest feathers, and all have powder down beneath the outer layer of plumage. The powder down provides insulation to keep the body temperature constant, but more remarkable this down sheds a thick powder which is used for water proofing and cleaning the outer feathers. Although many varieties of game birds have powder down, cockatoos are the only parrots that have powder down feathers. When you rub your hands on the feathers of a healthy bird, you usually find your hand coated with the powder. All cockatoos, except for the cockatiel, have short bobbed tails. Some have erectile crest which dips upward even when the bird is in a relaxed state; others have a recombent crest that lies flat on the head unless the bird raises it in excitement or when alighting their flight. Temperament - Most cockatoos are sedate creatures with calm disposition, but some individuals may be extremely nervous. Most are gentle, but aggressive cockatoos are not uncommon. Lifespan - The life expectancy of cockatoos, like other large parrots, is lengthy, from 30-50 years. Some cockatoos, especially the greater sulfphur-crested cockatoo from Australia, have survived in captivity for 60 to 70 years. When fed and housed properly, cockatoos are generally hardy birds, but, like people, some will catch any bug that is in the air. These individuals must obviously be given extra shelter from the elements and fed an enriched diet at all times. Because of the long life expectancy, a five to ten-year-old bird is not too old for taming and training. Undoubtedly, the younger the bird the more easily it is tame, but do not shy away from an older bird if it appears to be a steady individual. Most cockatoos are very intelligent, adbaptable creatures; unfortunately, some are so nervous that their intelligence is difficult to perceive. Their life cycles are similar to the human life cycle: infancy, childhood, adolescence, young adult, middle age and old age. Although there is considerable controversy concerning the minumum reprodcutive age of cockatoos, they are reproductively mature at about eight years of age and will continue to reproduce into their twenties and thirties.
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