Help on understanding body language and various sounds.

[Talven]

Is there a good guide somewhere on this anywhere? There is too much contradicting information coming up whe I try google. I'm hoping someone here may be able to help me out.

Some of the behaviours are easy to work out as it is duplicated by the cockatiel. Such as hissing to warn you off, but there are other behaviors that I have no clue about.

At the moment I am trying to find out what the significance of beak clicking is. When I google I get two results that are the polar opposite of each other. One says that it is a friendly greeting, the other says that it is a threatening posture preceding a bite.

To clarify the noise is not the grindy/static like sound made when content and relaxed but a distinct click/crack sound.

When I am up and taking the covers off of my birds I click my tongue so they don't panic when they hear me moving about. If this is a threatening sound for a cockatoo . . .

 

[Betrisher]

The crack-crack beak clicking sound is just something cockies do. Like cracking your knuckles or whistling or stretching your muscles, y'know?

There's a particular way in which a cocky will click his beak that tells you he's not a happy chappie, but I bet you've figured that out already. And there's another, softer, grindy sort of clicking where the bird is expressing his contentment (same as a purring cat). Sulphur cresteds have a fondness for clicking their beaks, so don't assume he's mad or unhappy.

Whatever clicking sound you make with your tongue doesn't approximate any sound a bird makes, so don't worry about that. The sounds you do make during times of relaxed contentment with your bird will become meaningful to him over time, though. He'll know when you're happy and relaxed, so he will be too.

You haven't told us his name - and photos would be appreciated!

 

[Talven]

His name is Ngayuk (Nayook) which is the name for a SC in the dialect of the western Victorian tribes of indigenous Australians. SC are such a recognizably Australian parrot we felt he needed an authentic Australian name.

Only picture I have. He looks surprisingly well given what he has been through. Beak is a little rough looking though.

The heater in the background is non-functional. It was the only place left in the house with a space big enough for his cage.

 

[Scott]

Three of my cockatoos regularly beak-click in the manner described:

Wild-caught but extremely tame female Goffins clicks when I hold her and head-scratch. I interpret it as contentment with possible mating undertone.

Wild caught male Goffins paired with female Citron: Occasionally click when agitated, particularly when I'm servicing their cage. I view this as a warning and they will often lunge if I get too close.

In case you're wondering why the Goffins are not paired together: They were a bonded and proven pair for nearly 30 years - until infamous male cockatoo aggression syndrome kicked in.