Goffin’s Cockatoo: Info, Personality, Food & Care Guide (With Pictures)

The Goffin’s cockatoo (Cacatua goffiniana) is one of the smallest white cockatoos. It is an interesting bird to breed in captivity due to its outstanding intelligence. It’s also a gentle, playful, and affectionate little clown. In short, these birds make excellent pets. They do need a great deal of attention, but they are not as demanding or possessive as many other white cockatoos.

Species Overview

Origin and History

Goffin’s cockatoos are endemic to the Tanimbar islands (Yamdena, Larat, and Selaru) in the Maluku province, Indonesia. Feral populations have also settled in the Kai Islands. Given the very small area of its distribution area, the species is considered to be monotypic.

Unfortunately, due to habitat destruction and illegal hunting, the Goffin cockatoo population is declining, as noted in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.¹

Temperament

This cute cockatoo is endowed with tremendous energy and spends its time playing, flying, and screaming vigorously. Watching it play is also great fun, as it loves to move around by hopping.

Goffin’s cockatoos are known to be hyperactive and emotionally dependent, so you need to be ready to fully commit to your relationship with this bubbly little pet bird. Indeed, it must be constantly stimulated so it does not start tearing out its feathers due to boredom.

The Goffin’s cockatoo is known to be extremely clever. Indeed, a scientific study showed that these birds can solve simple problems.² They had to work to solve different locking devices, and most fixed the problem after just one attempt.

Speech & Vocalizations

Compared to some other bird species, the Goffin’s cockatoo is relatively quiet. But don’t worry, if your bird needs your attention, it will let you know! If you want to teach it to speak, you will have to be patient because it’s not as good as a parrot. But with consistency, you should be able to teach it a few words. If you want to be entertained, turn on the music; these birds love to dance and act like little clowns for people’s enjoyment.

Goffin’s Cockatoo Colors and Markings

Goffin’s cockatoo has all-white plumage, except for the facial feathers, which are pink or salmon. Its beak is pale gray. In addition, unlike other species of birds, there is no color difference between males and females.

Its feathers under the wings and tail are a yellowish tint. This small cockatoo is often confused with the Cockatoo corella (Cacatua sanguinea) because of their similar appearance.

Caring for the Goffin’s Cockatoo

Grooming

It is essential for birds to have plumage in good condition: their ability to fly and therefore, their survival in the wild directly depend on it. Even in the case of companion birds, they are hygienic and strive to keep their plumage clean at all times. You can help your Goffin’s cockatoo groom itself by providing it with a bathtub or by having it take daily showers.

These birds also love to take baths. You can put a shallow container filled with warm water directly into the cage for smaller specimens. A larger bird can be placed under a tap of lukewarm water. You can also improvise a shower by spraying it gently with a spray nozzle. However, avoid wetting its bowl and the bottom of the cage, which could become moldy.

Entertainment

Goffin’s cockatoos are curious and love to chew on things in their surroundings, but they’re not as destructive as some other cockatoos. Always provide them with toys, wooden blocks, or branches to chew on to keep them active and entertained.

Socialization

If you don’t want your cockatoo to be overly stressed and anxious, you should start socializing it at a young age: Introduce it to new people, and expose it to a variety of situations, such as new cages, toys, and visits to the veterinarian.

Common Health Problems

Diet and Nutrition

Goffin’s cockatoos are picky eaters. They should be fed a granulated diet; high protein diets are great for cockatoos. Owners also should supplement this diet with fresh fruits and vegetables to add variety. Feed your bird about 1/4 cup of granulated pellets and 1/4 cup of fresh fruits and vegetables daily. Make sure the food that it eats is nutritious, and avoid giving it large numbers of sunflower seeds or other high-fat seeds.

Exercise

Goffin’s cockatoos are active birds and need a lot of exercise to thrive and stay healthy. Therefore, you should be prepared to give your pet bird a minimum of 3 hours of supervision per day outside its cage to allow it to play and stretch its wings.

Interactive toys are also a good choice to make sure your bird gets the exercise it needs to stay in good physical condition. Since these are intelligent birds, interactive toys not only provide the exercise that they need but also stimulate their mind.

Where to Adopt or Buy a Goffin’s Cockatoo

Your first step should be to contact specialist bird breeders and spend time with them. Experienced caretakers will help you determine if these birds are the right choice for your lifestyle. Also, be aware that the Goffin’s cockatoo is not a cheap bird: You should expect to pay anywhere from $1,000 to $3,000, which makes it quite an expensive species!

Above all, be careful if you adopt a Goffin cockatoo from a shelter; it is possible that it developed self-destructive behaviors, which will require a lot of adaptation and work to allow it to regain a little docility. Adopting from a shelter is therefore not recommended if it is your first Goffin cockatoo. That said, if you have enough experience raising these birds and feel up to the challenge, adoption could be a great option.

Conclusion

In short, the Goffin’s cockatoo is a playful, agile, affectionate, and intelligent little bird. Its life expectancy is also long; if you take good care of it, it can be your companion for 40 years. So, take your time before acquiring such a bird; while it does not require too demanding care, you will still have to take care of it for almost half a century.

Related Reads:

• Cockatoo Names
• Cockatoo vs Macaw

Featured Image Credit: Murilo Mazzo, Shutterstock