visiting some cockatoos

[Kim S]

Saturday we had a birdfair at our parakeetclub. The chairman (chairwoman actually, Rita) invited us to a cup of coffee at her place. She and her husband breed several species of cockatoos and wildtype cockatiels. Her birds actually won the world championship a couple of times.
Anyway, we were invited to her place and we got the guided tour of her home, garden and breedingfascility. I know, breedingfascility sound very sterile, but nothing is further from the truth. Most of her birds are tame, or semitame. All of them are treated as pets and the ones that could be trusted were given a good snuggle through the fence when they were introduced to us. All the aviaries had been given a tag with the names and legband number of the birds.

We started our tour in her livingroom with her yellow crested cockatoo. She was the one that started the whole cockatoo-hype they live in now adays. She is a real sweety and was quite upset when we went on with the tour. And boy did she let her disaproval be known!

Next were the birds in the verandah. In a large aviary were a galah and a sollomons. Both young birds that were still being socialized and in the prosess of finding a good home. Next to the aviary was a large cage with two mayor mitchells. O, my, God. I swear I have never seen that beautifull birds ever in my life. I never knew they were that beautifull. I had seen pictures but it is nothing compared to the real experience. The powdery soft rose tint of ther faces is just stunning. Not to mention the vivid bright colours of their crest. I must say, I fell in love....
Both birds were very young and had just been seperated from their parents.


In a large building in the garden she had 6 or 7 large aviaries, largely covered. All were closed off with large glass doors that can be opened during the day but shield the neighbours for the noiselevel during the evening and early morning. In every aviary there was a breedingpair. All the aviaries actually had tys! And enough room to fly around and have a ball! How many breeders have that these days?
Next were the cockatiels. All the birds they bred stay with them till they are at least two years old. At that age the decision is made wether to breed them or sell them. All the youngsters are kept seperated, males and females apart till they are 2 years of age. At that time the birds are teamed up to form a couple, and becourse they spent their first two years seperated they usually accept whatever partner they end up with.

Last, but not least, were the 'retired' birds. They are kept in a seperated area of the house in large indoor aviaries. The most impresive was Kimmie. A yellow crested cockatoo. She was a wild caught bird that lost her mate a couple of years back, Since then she refuses any other male. But she is tame! She is an absolute cuddle-bug. There was not a single sign that she was not happy with us being there, as total strangers. She let me even rub her head and beak through the bars. That was just amazing.

Now I know for sure that if we ever get another bird it will be a cockatoo. Probably a major mitchells. They are so beautifull. According to Rita Mitchells, Galahs and Solomons make the best household cockatoos. The others are just too big to be really at home in our home.

I am sorry but I dont have any pictures. When we left home we didnt know we would end up there, or we would have taken our camera. But I just wanted to share with you.

[Giantmoa]

I adore baby cockatoos! There was this one huge pink-ish baby 'too who followed me around the birdstore begging for head scratches, she made my heart melt with her antics! they just have those inky black eyes and sweet personality that is hard not to fall in love with ^_^ I don't think I could handle an adult one, from what I have heard though... I would love to have an opportunity to visit such a place, it sounds amazing! cockatoos are such interesting and complex birds..

[entrancedbymyGCC]

What a neat tour!!!!

We nearly took on a Major Mitchell's... he is certainly a beautiful bird, but my research suggested they are particularly challenging as pets! My husband has a weak spot for cockatoos, too. I figured we'd wind up with them, but got Scotty instead! They are actually quite hard to find in shops here, apparently the demand is really low as they have a reputation of being noisy (and my husband suspects also because they are particularly prone to PBFD). The stores are FLOODED with African Greys.

[Azure Hanyo]

I do think, eventually, I will succumb and adopt a Goffin's, once my kids are older... I looooove Goffin's.....