Portia is a cockatoo and although we have very little background history on her, we know that she was surrendered as a result of a divorce. Portia’s home was wrecked once her owners got divorced and none of them wanted the bird. Fortunately for Portia, she ended up at Gaia Animal Sanctuary where she adapted almost immediately and bonded with mama bird and auntie bird. Her personality blossomed and although she seems to have some behavioral issues from previous traumas and stress, she was able to adapt in her new environment successfully.
Cockatoos are not easy pets to have, it’s important for people to understand what they are getting themselves into before seeking to own a cockatoo. Let’s talk about some basic facts about these beautiful and sensitive creatures.
The lifespan of a cockatoo is 40- 70 years under human care, they are highly social and vocal communicators, the umbrella species name is Alba which means white in Latin. They have been known to be kept as pets dating as far back as the 7th century.
Umbrella cockatoos or any cockatoo rather, need a very large living space or cage. They are very prone to abnormal behaviors such as over plucking, aggressiveness and self-mutilation if kept confined. Self- mutilation can lead to infections on the self-inflicted wounds. Umbrella cockatoos emit a white powdery dust that can cause allergies and other respiratory diseases on their owners and care takers.
Cockatoos typically have a very charming and sweet personality. They are quite sentimental with the object, person or mate of their affection and there is nothing they wish more than to always be with it. Umbrella cockatoos are never alone in the wild therefore their instinct is always to bond with a partner. The worst thing anyone can do to a cockatoo is to keep it in isolation or in a small space.
The most important aspect of a cockatoo’s behavior that anyone should know is that they are extremely loud and they don’t get tired of screaming until they get what they want. They are very quick to learn how to manipulate rookie bird owners into giving them attention attention or dealing with the loud consequences. Many cockatoos are re-homed because of this. On the flipside they can learn up to 50 words and sometimes they replace screaming for talking however is not always the case.
Umbrella cockatoos are definitely for the experienced bird owner who is willing to be patient and knowledgeable enough to give the right and adequate living environment so the bird can thrive and be a happy and healthy parrot companion.
Source: https://lafeber.com/pet-birds/species/umbrella-cockatoo/#1
