Archive for March 10th, 2010
Training Your Cockatoo
It is this flair for the dramatic and sense of entitlement that makes them both a very charming bird and an impossible bird. Good news…training your cockatoo will make them significantly easier to deal with. Less impossible, more charm.
So how exactly does one go about training cockatoos?
After all, they’re temperamental animals right? Sometimes. Part of the reason a cockatoo may have behavior problems like screaming, biting and feather plucking, is because they’ve been allowed to get away with those behaviors. This is often the case for younger cockatoos. Once they reach maturity and take on a few new behaviors it all seems like too much. Owners become frustrated and the behavior problems escalate.
To begin training a cockatoo it is important to first understand the difference between positive reinforcement training and negative reinforcement training. To understand it let’s take a look at two examples. I’m sure it will be very apparent which one is which.
Scenario One. Owner comes home from work and bird starts screaming in their cage. It’s obvious they want to come out of their cage. “Stop screaming!” the owner yells throwing their keys at the cage. The cockatoo stops screaming.
Scenario Two. Owner comes home from work and the cockatoo starts screaming in their cage – they want out. The owner puts their keys and bag down on a side table and walks past the cockatoo. The owner tends to their business until the cockatoo stops screaming at which point the owner walks over to the cage praises the cockatoo verbally and lets them out of their cage.
Okay so scenario one is negative reinforcement and scenario two uses positive reinforcement. What’s the difference if they both result in the bird stopping their behavior? Scenario one will ultimately result in more bad behaviors. Screaming and throwing things causes fear and stress. Fear and stress cause biting, thrashing, feather plucking and it can actually cause more screaming.
Positive reinforcement teaches your cockatoo that they are rewarded for not screaming. Eventually, by repeating this technique, you’re training your Cockatoo to not scream. They’ll learn they get let out of their cage much faster when they’re behaved. Your job is to be consistent. Always let them out of their cage as soon as they stop screaming – always reward them for the desired behavior.
Because cockatoos love attention, negative or positive it doesn’t matter, it’s important to give them the kind of attention which results in behaviors you want them to have.
A few additional tools you could use in that scenario to speed up the process.
A clicker. A clicker is a little tool you hold in your hand. When you press it, it makes a clicking noise. This clicking noise is used by trainers to signal to the animal being trained that it’s performed the correct behavior. It takes practice to perfect the timing, however when used correctly it can significantly increase training time.
Treats. Just like you, all cockatoos have a favorite food. While yours may be a good hamburger or chocolate, cockatoos tend to favor seeds and nuts. Click, hand your bird a little treat and give them lots of praise. Cockatoos love praise. They’ll be so tickled they’ll be happy to not scream.
Patience. Each and every cockatoo has their own personality. That’s why they’re so loved. Your cockatoo’s personality may mean they don’t cooperate right away. If you spend a week, two weeks, maybe even three weeks listening to your cockatoo scream and scream trust the training method and practice patience. They will catch on. Are you letting them out right when they stop screaming? Are you praising them? Hold steady, once your cockatoo catches on you’ll be good to go. They’re smart, it’ll happen.
A good training guide. Can you bake a cake without a recipe? Build furniture without a plan? No, probably not unless you’re an expert. The same holds true for training your bird. You’re not an expert, use a plan created by experts. Find a training program, video, DVD, or coach who can teach you how to train your bird. Try to do it yourself and you could end up making things worse. You could end up scaring your bird or stressing them out – both of which create bad behaviors.
Now we’ve spent a lot of time talking about a particular scenario which involved screaming however it is important to know you can train away any undesirable behavior. We could replace screaming with thrashing. We could say your cockatoo bites you when you don’t pay attention to them or when they’re done playing. The key is to not react negatively to the behavior. Don’t scream, don’t drop or hit them. Don’t react.
Reward good behavior and take your cue from the experts. You don’t have to let your beautiful cockatoo rule your life. You can be the boss and you can live with a charming cockatoo once again. Training cockatoos is possible.
Bird Cages
The Scarlet Macaw – is This Parrot the Right Pet Bird For You?
No pet birds are more beautiful or intelligent than the Scarlet Macaw parrot. But they take a certain kind of pet keeper to provide the right kind of care. Do you think you can handle the challenge of raising and caring for this amazing parrot?
The Scarlet Macaw is truly a sight to behold. He’s a striking scarlet red, with blue and yellow feathers mixed in around his wings and tail. And he carries a distinctive white patch around his eyes. Including his tail, he can be up to 36 inches (3 feet long), so he requires a very large cage.
Parrot Cages
Parrot cages are not cheap. They should be at least 3 feet x 3 feet x 6 feet and made of durable, unpainted metal. This will enable them to stretch their wings to their full span, which is vital for their health and well-being.
For sanitary and health reasons, you’ll need to thoroughly clean the cage at least once a week, which can be quite a challenge. But over time you’ll get used to it.
Ideally the cage will have a large perch mounted on the outside. This will allow them to spend time outside of their cage during the day.
For both mental stimulation and beak maintenance, you should provide your parrot with a wide variety of toys to play and chew on.
Human Interaction
Scarlet Macaws are highly intelligent and require a good deal of human attention every day. If they don’t receive enough attention, there can be problems. They will become depressed, nervously chew on their feathers and skin, engage in constant squawking, and attack anyone who comes near them.
If there’s no one home during the day in your household, then a parrot is probably not the right pet for you. And children will need to be supervised anytime they’re around a parrot — for both the child’s and the bird’s safety.
Price Tag
Scarlet Macaws don’t come cheap. They cost anywhere from $1500 — $3000. When you add in the cost of the cage and supplies you’re looking at a pretty hefty price tag. And they require regular veterinarian visits too — make sure you have a veterinarian in your area who is qualified to care for parrots.
Parrots Can Live 40 – 80 Years
Are you prepared to care for your Scarlet Macaw for at least the next 40 years? It’s quite a commitment, and is definitely not for everyone. It takes a special kind of pet keeper to own a parrot — and they’re a special kind of pet.
Bird Cages
Cockatoos Need Love Too!
It is true…Cockatoos are gorgeous and popular, but you still need to give them love too…Many are under the endangered species list, and all others are considered vulnerable.
They have beautiful plumage in a rainbow of varieties, and an amazing crest on top of their head, which they can control to fan out or to lay back flat! They have big personalities and are very intelligent.
Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Psittaciformes
Family: Cacatuidae
Subfamilies: Microglossinae, Calyptorhynchinae, Cacatuinae
There are 21 species that belong to the Cacatuidae family. Of these 21, only 11 exist in Australia in the wild, 7 exist in Indonesia, New Guinea and other South Pacific Islands, and 3 exist in both New Guinea and Australia.
Cockatoos are under both the endangered and vulnerable species list, protected under the Convention in International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. This means that it is illegal to import and export these birds, which are caught in the wild.
Endangered Cockatoo Species:
* Goffin’s cockatoo, Cacatua goffini
* Red-vented Cockatoo, Cacatua haematuropygia
* Moluccan Cockatoo, Cacatua moluccensis
* Yellow-crested Cockatoo, Cacatua sulphurea
- includes the subspecies, Citron-crested Cockatoo, Cacatua sulphurea citrinocristata
* Palm Cockatoo, Probosciger aterrimus
If you are interested in adopting a cockatoo for a pet, make sure you are buying from a reputable dealer that has not partaken in the illegal trade of wild cockatoos.
My Story:
When I moved to Perth, Western Australia, about 13 yrs ago, the 1st day I woke up, I went for a jog. I was flabbergasted at the teeming wildlife just in my neighborhood. I made a few turns and ended up jogging through a park, where I found the most amazing site.
The trees were all pink! (Photo: This is what I saw! I wish I could find my photos to show you!) What I mean is, that they were absolutely full of pink cockatoos! Absolutely one of the most amazing things ever! Literally, there was no branch left open. What a treat to get up in the morning for your dull jog, and be graced with this beauty on a regular basis. So special!
It was so normal for the locals, they didn’t really see what the big deal was, and certainly did not want to go jogging with me…LOL Coming from Canada, this was a real eye-opening experience.
How beautiful, I thought. How terrible that they are all either endangered or vulnerable now, 13 yrs later.
* Tip: If you have any respiratory diseases, problems or sensitivities, a bird for a pet is not a great idea, as it can irritate and aggravate your respiratory problems further. (When we owned 2 budgies, when I was young, they lived to be about 10 yrs old. My mother seemed to have chronic bronchitis throughout the year, and it would be aggravated to pneumonia come winter time. When our Misty and Sky passed away, within 2 wks of each other, Misty’s heart was broken, my mother’s respiratory problems cleared up spontaneously. She has never had these problems since. She had a serious sensitivity to the bird plumage and dust that resulted from them living in the house. On the other hand, me, my sister and my father did not have such a sensitivity to our budgies.)
If you are blessed enough to have a cockatoo as a pet, it is important to make sure they are being fed properly, so they will live to be your companion for many years to come.
I love all of these beautiful species of Cockatoo. How gorgeous! How amazing would it be to have these beautiful birds all over the place in Canada?
by Kimberly Edwards
Cockatoo – Is This The Bird For You?
Cockatoos are sweet, loving, beautiful birds. They make great pets if they are given the proper care. However, they can be a handful. Make sure you know what you are getting yourself into before you bring one home.
The first thing you must do before even thinking about getting a cockatoo is to consider cockatoos to be like children. You would not leave a child alone all day. Cockatoos also cannot be kept alone all day. They need plenty of interaction. If no one is going to be at your house during the day, then I would not recommend getting one of these birds. The cockatoo is the most emotional bird species and needs human interaction every day.
Another thing you must realize is that cockatoos live for a very long time. They can live to be 100 years old! You will be taking care of this bird probably for the rest of your life. This is also a very expensive bird. The bird, cage and accessories really cost a lot!
Cockatoos need a very large cage. Many people even suggest you keep them in an aviary! The minimum cage size for these birds is 36 inches long by 36 inches wide by 48 inches tall. Inside the cage they will need perches, toys, food and water.
Toys are something that your bird must have. If they do not have toys then they will not get the mental activity they need. This can lead to serious health problems. You also have to change the toys as least once a month. Birds get bored if they have the same toys all the time.
For your bird’s diet, you cannot just feed seeds. A little bit of seeds is okay but buy a food that is mostly pellets. You will also need to prepare fruits and vegetables every day. Take out any fresh foods once they have been in the cage for a while.
Cockatoos have dust in their feathers and must be given weekly baths or showers to prevent dust accumulation. If you have allergies, this bird is not recommended for you. Also, the wings, beak and claws need to be kept trimmed.
Every day you will need to clean out the food and water dishes and also wipe off feather dust from the cage bars and perches. Twice a week you need to clean the bottom tray of the cage. Once a week you will need to clean the whole cage and all accessories.
Cockatoos do not do well with small children. Some birds have even been known to attack small children for no reason. If you have small children, never leave them alone with the bird.
Cockatoos develop very strong bonds with their owners. They are extremely lovable and affectionate. However, they are very much like small children and will demand your attention. If you aren’t giving them attention then they will scream, knock things over, or even bite to get your attention. Someone needs to be home most of the time with this bird.
If you give lots of attention to your bird, you will be greatly rewarded with a very sweet, lovable bird. Just be sure you have enough time to spend with the bird. These birds can cause serious problems if they aren’t given enough attention. Many people buy these birds not knowing what they are getting themselves into and then end up having to give them away.
Bird Supplies and More
What Kind Of Bird Feeder Should You Choose?
For millions of bird lovers across the country, there is nothing more enjoyable than to see our backyards populated by birds. They’re beautiful creatures and they make our garden come alive with their perpetual motion and ongoing dynamic activities.
Although, there are many ways to attract birds to your back yard and keep them coming back year after year, bird feeders are one of the best ways to do it.
If you are a beginner birder, finding the “right” birdhouse can be a challenge because there are thousands of bird houses available in the marketplace. However, if you’re just starting out, a hopper feeder is probably your best choice. They’re one of the most versatile feeders around.
You will find hopper feeders in many different designs and with different options. However, the common thread that nearly all of them have is that they are easy to fill. To fill a hopper feeder you merely open the top and pour the seed or millet. Hopper feeders come in various sizes, but even the smaller sizes are able to hold quite a bit of seed. The larger the feeder, the fewer trips you’ll have to make to refill it. Another nice feature of hopper feeders is that the well make ones can be easily taken apart for cleaning.
A common and constant problem with bird feeders is that they are very attractive to squirrels. Squirrels will often raid bird feeders as an easy source of food. Unfortunately for squirrels and other critters, however, bird feeder manufacturers are finally getting up to speed. You can now find hopper feeders with built-in squirrel defenses to keep squirrels at bay.
For an assortment of reasons, bird watching has become one of the more popular hobbies in this country and in the world. It lets you watch a small ecosystem in your back yard slowly take bloom, it gets you outdoors, and most of all it’s an enjoyable past-time.
You can find more bird related articles such as wooden bird houses, birdhouse plans, and blue bird houses at our website.
