Umbrella Cockatoo (White Cockatoo)

Umbrella cockatoos are medium-sized cockatoo found in Indonesia. It has considerable popularity as pets but demands high-maintenance. It can be an intelligent, playful and cuddly companion to its owner provided it is given all the attention and its health needs are fulfilled.

White Cockatoo

Scientific Classification
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Aves
Order	Psittaciformes
Superfamily	Cacatuoidea
Family	Cacatuidae
Subfamily	Cacatuinae
Tribe	Cacatuini
Genus	Cacatua
Subgenus	Cacatua
Scientific Name	Cacatua alba

Quick Information
Also Known As	White cockatoo
Size	18 in (46 cm)
Weight	14.1 oz (400 g)
Color	White body, trailing edge of the wing feathers on both lower and upper surfaces are yellow, as the undersides of the tail, the beak, and the legs are dark grey. Sexual dimorphism involves a dark brown iris for the males and the female irises are red.
Distribution: Where are umbrella cockatoos from	Throughout Indonesian islands of Halmahera, Ternate, Bacan, Tidore, Kasiruta, Mandioli in North Maluku.
Habitat	Lowland tropical rainforests
Sounds & Communication	Prone to making loud screeching screams, other methods of communication involves the use of the crest on their head, which, when they are aroused, alarmed or excited, take a semi-circular structure above their head, thus giving them their name. They may learn to mimic human speech in captivity but are not the best at talking in general. They have been known to hiss when they feel threatened.
Clutch	2 white oval eggs
Incubation Period	Around 28 days
Fledging	After around 84 days of hatching
Breeding Age	3-4 years
Lifespan: How long do umbrella cockatoos live	40-60 years
Diet	Fruits, they also feed on crops and hence have come to be considered to be pests.
IUCN Conservation Status	Endangered

As pets

Provided that you have the resources to afford a white cockatoo, its cage and means to ensure its well-being, you should also know that the bird can be extremely wishful of your attention and if not provided regularly, can be prone to being rather loud, and sometimes aggressive. Its strong beaks have the ability to sever a finger off. Let’s get into the finer nuances of how to own a healthy and happy umbrella cockatoo.

Umbrella Cockatoo

Umbrella Cockatoo Bird

Housing

The white cockatoo bird should be provided with as large a cage that you can afford, considering that it’s a big bird who likes to spread its wings often. Perches should be given, and toys for the bird’s enrichment.

Temperature

Make sure that your white umbrella cockatoo is kept at a spot away from direct sunlight, and if it is kept under direct sun, there should be an area it can move away to in order to avoid it.

Temperament & Behavior

They are a cuddly bird and will require a lot of your attention to stay at the top of their mental happiness. They can be rather mercurial, however, and their disposition can change on a dime, playing with you one moment, and biting at you the other.

You must take cues from its body language and expressions and put the crest to good use, to avoid getting bitten.

Baby umbrella cockatoos that are hand-reared are much easier to train but still retain their volatile personality.

Umbrella Cockatoo Birds

Umbrella Cockatoo Images

Feeding

Here as well, the umbrella cockatoo will require a lot of care, as just providing it with a seed diet will lead to health complications. An ideal food to give to them is a parrot mix that contains seeds, nuts, vegetables and dried fruits.

Care

Bathing should not be much of a concern as far as umbrella cockatoos go, as they are extremely clean birds, who preen themselves all the time. A shower a week should be enough to maintain the health of the feathers. Trimming the feathers may become necessary if you want to discourage flight. The beak and nails need to be clipped as well for you to avoid injury. Concrete perches should be fine as far as trimming the nails go.

Give the bird fresh drinking water every day and clean the cage as often as you can.

Umbrella Cockatoo Baby

Umbrella Cockatoo Pictures

Health problems

Feather plucking and Psittacine beak and feather disease (PBFD) are one of the ailments that the white cockatoo may suffer. But regular visits to the vet and providing the bird with a happy and healthy environment can go a long way to ensuring that such complications do not arise.

Price

An umbrella cockatoo can usually be had by spending $1,000-$3,000.

Interesting facts

There have been unverified reports of umbrella cockatoos living for up to 100 years of age.
The Fourth Crusade was brought to a halt with the gift of an umbrella cockatoo.