The numerous kingdom of birds is rich in the diversity of its representatives. Small and large, beautiful and modest, singing and screaming - they all delight the eye and enjoy the attention of people. Amid such abundance, parrots are best for home use. Yellow-crested Cockatoo is one of these.
Bird description
The feathered creature has a small head, on it is a yellow crest of jewelry, consisting of narrow long feathers. The tips of the feathers of the tail and wings of a lemon hue, throat and cheeks are slightly as if powdered by yellowness. The skin around the eyes is grayish or whitish, in the form of a ring devoid of feathers.
You can distinguish a female from a male by the iris of the eye: the female has a brown shell, and the males have black. Paws and beak are dark gray, almost black. A little about the dimensions of the yellow-crested cockatoo:
- body length - 48-55 cm;
- wing length - 30-40 cm;
- bird mass - 810-980 gr.
The feathers of the bird are round and white, with a slight yellow coating, impregnated with white powder, and with the flapping of the wings it scatters in an almost invisible cloud, but settles on objects.
I would like to note that the small yellow-crested cockatoo looks about the same, only inferior in size and the plumage color near the ears is brighter.
Habitat
This species is common in Eastern Australia, New Guinea and Tasmania. The feathered creature lives long and has excellent health. You can find it on the territory:
- gardens;
- parks;
- forest areas;
- on cultivated land.
She especially likes to settle in the savannahs and fields where there are tall trees, where they settle for the night or hide from the scorching sun. Nearby there must be a pond to quench thirst and receive water procedures.
A large yellow-crested cockatoo settles in packs of 30 individuals, but no more. The most active time for birds is morning or late evening. Ptahs fly fast and climb trees beautifully.
Nutrition
In the natural environment, a parrot eats fruits from trees. The main menu is:
- Pine cones;
- fruit;
- kidneys
- inflorescences;
- berries;
- nuts
- small insects;
- larvae;
- seeds.
It does not disdain to pluck flowers and pull roots out of the plant, the benefit of the beak allows.
Parrots have a nasty voice. They scream when they fly, express dissatisfaction or get scared. It looks like some kind of satanic screams that are carried over long distances.
Breeding
A yellow-crested cockatoo parrot nests in the hollows of tall eucalyptus trees, not far from the reservoir. If there are no such trees nearby, then birds nest in the crevices of rocks.
To attract a lady, a male with a raised crest approaches her, swinging his head up and down and to the sides. The tail in this case is lifted by the male. If the female takes signs of attention of such a handsome man, mating occurs.
Nests are built together at a high height, from 4 to 35 m. A female yellow-crested cockatoo lays eggs with an interval of 2-3 days for 1-2 eggs with a white shell. The size of the eggs is small - 4.6x3.3 cm. At night, a female sits in the nest, and parents alternate during the day. Future offspring are hatching for a month.
The chicks hatch blind, naked, with open ears. After two weeks, the babies are able to hold the head and while sitting to sleep, with their head buried in their paws. After about 2.5 months, the plumage of the chicks occurs. Feathers first appear on the head, tail and wings. Parrots will fly out of the nest on the 70th day, but stay with their parents for the whole year. Puberty in chicks occurs by 3 years.
Population status
The popularity of poultry in European countries and America is not the same as at home. In Australia, the cockatoo is protected by law, trapping is strictly prohibited. So all the yellow-crested cockatoos in stores are grown in nurseries. They get them, so that the house would be more fun, not suspecting what actually a "fun" can arrange a parrot. Future owners hope that the bird will entertain them, but in fact, on the contrary, the hosts will entertain.
The parrot does not tolerate loneliness, and if he realizes that someone is walking in the next room, then he will scream with heart-rending screams until they come to him, keeping his neighbors in good shape.
In the homeland of these birds, their reputation is tarnished by the fact that they can destroy the crop, causing severe damage to agriculture. In such cases, the state gives permission to farmers to shoot birds.
Captivity
Sulfur-crested cockatoo is best kept in enclosures or in all-metal cages. The shape of the cage does not matter, but the dimensions must be at least 100 per 100 cm and a height of 170 cm so that the bird can move freely.
In the cell you need:
- House for rest and sleep - 40x40x100 cm.
- A pair of poles made of strong wood with a thickness of at least 5 cm. They must be made cone-shaped, well fixed and positioned so that the parrot sitting on them does not touch the ceiling of the cage.
- Firmly establish a feeding trough and a drinking bowl. You need to wash them daily.
- It will take a bar of calcium to grind the beak.
- Necessarily - a reliable lock on the door. The strong beak of the parrot and its resourcefulness can easily be opened by simple bolts, and he will go on a tour of the house.
- Toys for a parrot are necessary, as well as for a dog. Bell, a puzzle from several objects, balls. Toys must be made from natural raw materials (wood, coconut fiber or durable plastic).
The pet's cage should be cleaned and washed regularly. Disinfection is carried out once every 7 days. Parrots are very fond of swimming, so there should be a mini-pool in the cage or you need to spray a bird from the spray bottle.
Character
A photo of a yellow-crested cockatoo evokes a smile, it seems that this cute creature will amuse others with its funny tricks. Nothing like this! The parrot does what he wants, not the owner. Kilometers of nerves will go to training the bird, not because it is stupid, but because it willful and capricious.
The parrot always lacks attention. The owner will leave for work under the heart-rending cries of the pet, any leaving the room where the bird is located will be accompanied by satanic cries. Silence will be ensured only in the dark or when there is no light in the room.
If the parrot is hungry, with the first ray of sunshine a wild cry will wake the whole house, it does not matter that today is a day off at 04:30. The neighbors will wake up too.
In a stressful situation, the parrot will rattle wildly (multiply the cry of the baby once in 5). What is a stressful situation is a miracle:
- tangled in a toy;
- something pecked and hit his paw;
- scared of the shadow of his tail;
- heard a sharp sound.
Any whims of the bird are accompanied by strikes and a hunger strike in the form of furious throwing of food, often together with a bowl. All this is done with such a psycho that the food scatters in the rain in different directions.
Yes, the bird looks beautiful and funny. Tries to talk, dance, do different tricks, parody the behavior of the owners, imitate different sounds. All this pleases and amuses.
But you should not forget what a bird has a beak. Even if the parrot loves his master very much, the latter should be wary of the integrity of his eyebrows, ears, lips, tendons and nose. A parrot without a mood can easily bite. About people who come to visit, speech is not even being conducted.
An inquisitive bird released to spread its wings and fly around the apartment will be interested in everything. You can say goodbye to the keys on the computer at the same time with the Internet because of the broken wire. The bird will gladly drop the wall clock on the floor, tear the suspended or suspended ceiling. Pulling out a flower from the root and scattering the soil around is considered to be happiness.
You should not think that with age this SatOna will settle down, become manual and affectionate.
A large yellow-crested cockatoo receives excellent reviews - from those who do not have it or if he lives in a special aviary. Who in the apartment - the opinion is more restrained.
What to feed
The diet of birds is quite extensive. If seeds, then it can be:
- sunflower;
- millet;
- pumpkin;
- oats;
- wheat;
- Pine nuts.
Of vegetables, it is desirable to include in the menu:
- carrot;
- beets;
- pepper;
- Beans
- cucumbers.
Parrots are very fond of fruits:
- grapes;
- apples
- peaches;
- mango.
And much more. Be sure the bird's body requires greens:
- salad;
- celery;
- cabbage;
- turnip tops.
In addition, they should be given protein food:
- cottage cheese;
- cheese;
- eggs
- small bones;
- flour worm larvae.
You can not treat the bird with salty foods, sugar, fried, coffee, parsley, chocolate. Parrots are fed 2 times a day, morning and evening. Before you get a bird, you should think carefully and weigh the pros and cons. A yellow-crested cockatoo is not a budgie.