Cockatoos
Cockatoos
Demanding by Design
“Cockatoos are the clowns of the parrot world — affectionate to the point of being almost dog-like, and possessed of a vocal range that can carry across an entire neighborhood.”
Cockatoos cover everything from the 12-inch Goffin’s at 350 grams up to the 24-inch Palm Cockatoo at over a kilo. Across that range you find traits that genuinely unify them: high intelligence, deep need for daily engagement, powerful beaks, long lifespans of 40 to 70 years, and yes — the volume.
I place cockatoos carefully. The right home is rare; the wrong one is the most common reason cockatoos end up in rescue.
What Every Cockatoo Keeper Needs to Know
Loud and Unfiltered
Piercing flock calls that carry through walls. Not for apartments or shared-wall housing — a detached single-family home is the realistic minimum.
Velcro Bonded
Cockatoos pair-bond hard. Hand-raised birds become so attached they will scream when you leave the room. Multi-person socialization is non-negotiable.
Time-Intensive
Three to four hours of out-of-cage interaction daily for the next 40 to 70 years. Birds that don’t get it become screamers, feather-pluckers, or both.
I will lose a deposit before I will place a Moluccan into a home that isn’t ready for the next forty years of devotion.
— Kalyn Bastion, Parrot Bliss
All Cockatoo Species
Looking for a Hand-Raised Cockatoo Species?
Parrot Bliss hand-raises a small number of cockatoos each year here in West Palm Beach, Florida. Every chick fed by Kalyn personally, weaned onto Harrison’s pellets, and placed only with families who genuinely understand what they’re taking on.