13 Fascinating & Fun Cockatoo Facts You Need To Know

Cockatoos are incredibly interesting domesticated birds and among the most common, so even though you might think that you know these friendly birds because of their outgoing personalities, we bet that you don’t know everything about these little flyers!

Here are a baker’s dozen of the most fascinating facts about cockatoos. These birds are amazing and versatile in so many ways. Let’s dig in!

The 13 Cockatoo Facts

1. Cockatoos Are Spirited Birds

Cockatoos are one of the most popular domesticated birds, but they come with a spicy attitude. Having a cockatoo is a lot like having a rambunctious toddler. They require a lot of your attention and love to push the boundaries at every turn.

So, when you opt for one of these cuties, be prepared for an exuberant personality and a strong will.

2. Cockatoos Are Velcro Birds

Cockatoos are often described as Velcro birds. What this means is that they absolutely love their humans, and they thrive on their companionship. They want to be basically attached to your body at any given moment and despise alone time.

Once they imprint on someone, it never goes away for them. That’s why just one of these birds is such a huge commitment. Many times, potential owners don’t understand just how affectionate and attached these birds can become.

Your bird looks at you as an extension of themselves, sharing all of them with you.

3. Cockatoos Are Oceania Birds

Cockatoos are tropical birds and hail from one of the most beautiful places on earth. They can be found throughout Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea, and other small surrounding islands.

4. Cockatoos Have Interesting Beaks

Cockatoos have incredibly interesting beaks. While their bite force isn’t as strong as, say, macaws, they still have an impressive bite for a strength of 350 PSI. That means if your cockatoo ever gets frisky, they can easily tear through your flesh.

But no worries, these birds are usually gentle and docile, using their powerful beaks for snacks, wooden toys, and other forms of entertainment.

5. Cockatoos Are Dimorphic Birds

Umbrella cockatoos are sexually dimorphic, which means you can visually tell whether a cockatoo is male or female. Both sexes have a pale blue ring around their eyes. However, males have a brown iris and females have a reddish tone.

6. Cockatoos Have Impressive Lifespans

When you commit to a cockatoo, chances are that they might outlive you. These birds typically live from 40 to 70 years. However, they have lived over 100 years under human care. It is imperative to make sure these birds have a care plan if anything happens to you.

Many cockatoos and other parrots end up in homeless situations (or they get passed around from owner to owner), which can be emotionally devastating for them. It’s best to pass them to a responsible person who can commit to them for a lifetime.

7. Cockatoos Have Loud Mouths

Cockatoos are not quiet birds. They often let out ear-piercing vocalizations. If you are an experienced owner or prefer not to have loud noises, this is definitely not the bird for you.

There are much quieter selections, such as cockatiels and lovebirds. But what volume control cockatoos do not have, they make up for with enthusiasm and lovingness.

8. Cockatoos Can Reach Up to 43 Miles per Hour in Flight

Even though cockatoos under human care often have their flight wings clipped to prevent injury, those in the wild are quite fast. Cockatiels have short legs and a waddling gait to help them navigate through branches quickly.

But their wings are long and broad, used for rapid flight exceeding 43 mph. The fastest of all the cockatoos are the galahs.

9. Cockatoo Pairs Co-parent Their Offspring

Cockatoos are monogamous breeders, keeping the same mates throughout their breeding months. It’s common in the wild for cockatoos to pair up before they reach sexual maturity.

Both male and female cockatoos take turns sitting on their eggs after they have made a nest. After the babies are born, both parents take care of their offspring. It’s a team effort.

10. Cockatoo Translates to “Older Sibling”

The name cockatoo dates all the way back to the 17th century, deriving from the word “kaketoe,” an adaptation of Malay word “kakaktua,” meaning “Old Sister Bird.” There are also some 18th-century terms, like cockatoon, cacato, cokato, and cocatoo.

11. Snowball the Cockatoo Is Capable of Beat Induction

Hatched in 1996, a male Eleonora cockatoo named Snowball was the first non-human animal that was capable of beat induction. Beat induction is receiving an experience in music by dancing to the beat.

You might not think that this is unusual, as parrots often bob to music. However, Snowball specifically synchronized his body movements to the beat of the music.

12. Cockatoos Have Appeared in Films

Cockatoos have been featured in films throughout the ages. Most recently, you might recognize the cockatoo in the movies Rio and Rio II. Nigel, a sulphur-crested cockatoo voiced by Jemaine Clement, is the main antagonist in both films. He’s a theatrical, mischievous villain trying to disrupt the blue macaw pair at every turn.

13. There Are 21 Different Cockatoo Species

When you think of a cockatoo, the first thing that might come to mind is an all-white cockatoo with a yellow crest. This is the most common type of cockatoo you might see in a pet shop or on the bird trade market. However, there are several different types of cockatoos, totaling 21 in all:

Final Thoughts

So, did you know all of these facts, or were you amazed? These beautiful creatures are absolutely intriguing—from their variations to their flight capabilities and superb parental instincts. This knowledge will just help you appreciate all these different cockatoo species more than you already do.

Which fact did you find the most surprising about our spunky feathered friends?

• You may want to read this next: Red-Vented Cockatoo

Featured Image Credit: hartono subagio, Pixabay