I Need Help Talking a Friend out of Getting a Cockatoo

[stephend]

I have a friend who is a good pet owner, and would likely be a good bird owner. She fell in love with Bob (a tiel) when she met him and would like a full sized cockatoo, I believe that this would be a poor choice of bird for her as they have a reputation for being awful screamers and I have seen her get a migraine from her cat complaining about being in a carrier. The primary feature that attracts her to them is their crest. Any suggestions on convincing her of a different bird?

Assuming Bob makes a normal amount of noise a tiel would be good for her.

 

[wibitywab]

tell her that a cockatoo can be as loud as a Boeing 747 at full thrust taking off, and its true!

 

[suebee]

lol i think she needs to hear one at full scream and then tell her that could be a 24/7 thing with some birds

but sometimes ppl will do as they want

 

[Amber]

Youtube up a video of one screaming, turn your speakers right up and let her hear for herself. We have sulphur cresteds that hang around my parents house (native to tgw area, we live right next to a river so they are everywhere) who you can hear coming a mile away. The flocks also destroy corrugated iron roofs by pulling them apart. We had to get tiled when we built our new place to stop them! Even then they still make pests of themselves.

 

[mellykyitus]

cockatoo's are loud and kind of crazy! mimsy will only come to me if i'm wearing soft pastel colours. if i wear red or black etc its like she doesn't know me! also a cockatoo bite is very painful!

 

[HRH Di]

My husband had always kind of liked cockatoos because of the TV show Baretta. We fostered on for a few weeks before Popcorn went to live with his parents. I have to agree with Melly, 'toos are kinda crazy. Popcorn bonded to me pretty quickly and got down right aggressive to other family members and sometimes toward me when he was trying to "protect" me. He bit my back one time to get to away from my family and left significant bruises...and he wasn't really trying that hard.

And the noise he can make is deafening. He makes flock calls daily and I think the 'toos near Amber's parents can hear him.

He is beautiful and very affectionate. But 'toos take a very special owner.

 

[merlinsmom13]

Show here pictures of 'too's who were unsatisfied w/their situation & plucked theirselves bald. A big problem w/ 'toos. Show here how many are in rescues. But like suebee said, people going to do what they are going to do. Give here the info & let her make a informed decision.

 

[mtdoramike]

Do her a favor and go onto You Tube and type in screaming cockatoo's. If that don't convince her then nothing will. In my opinion if a meowing cat gives her a migraine then she doesn't need a bird. I have a Senegal, which is touted as being the perfect apartment bird because they are quiet (reah right). My Senegal can raise the roof with her squawking, which is quite often especially if she isn't getting attention.

 

[nofearengineer]

Have her watch this...

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWvbfFJZ248]YouTube - ‪So you want to own a Parrot?‬‏[/ame]

That should do the trick.

 

[kitt]

Perfect video.....omg, the loud cockatoo made me jump and then laugh.....

 

[merlinsmom13]

Very cool, these video needs distributed wider than the "talk" videos.

 

[Amber]

And I think Alex is loud! Oh wow!

 

[IcyWolf]

Do you have any bird stores near you? For some reason around here they are always called birdfarms, but they are some of the loudest places I have ever been, I would take her to a place like that, if she is that sensitive to noise, it should change her mind in the first few minutes, not too mention, have her look around at the prices of anything bird related, I've seen that change peoples minds pretty quickly too.(no pun intended ) You could also show her, from a safe distance, some birds that aren't friendly. Also, if she likes their crests so much, why doesn't she get a tiel? They have crests too, are much quieter than a too and much easier to work with as a first bird, although I did have a rescue tiel that would bite me harder than some too's have. Drew blood and bruised me everytime... ouch.

 

[kerry]

Don't be making gross generalizations regarding parrot behavior.
All Umbrella cockatoos are not screamers.
I just fostered a female 21 year old Umbrella cockatoo at my house for the past 3 weeks that needed re-homing & she was not a screamer. In fact my Yellow Naped Amazon was louder than she was.
Just as you can't make generalizations regarding certain groups or ethnicities of people, you also can't or shouldn't generalize about parrot behavior either. There are some Umbrella & Moluccan cockatoos that are loud & there are also some that are not. But I agree with you that watching lots of You Tube videos of the kind(s) of parrots or birds that you are considering getting as a pet is a good way to narrow down & refine your search.

 

[kitt]

I really don't think it was a matter of making a "gross generalization"
Most birds can be quite loud....that is more the rule then the exception....
When I brought home my hahns macaw he never made any noise for like two or three weeks and I thought wow, he is such a quiet bird but then the honeymoon phase ended. LOL....but I wouldn't have him any other way.......
As with most things put on forums and put on the web, you take what you need from it and leave the rest behind.......

 

[CAGLulu]

I've had Lulu now for about three month, she will be six month old on July 18th, and I still haven't heard her scream.. I know that all birds do scream, but I'm waiting patiently to hear her attention-scream LOL .

 

[nofearengineer]

CAG's don't really have a "scream" per se. What they do have is a locator call that will drive you nuts, if they get separation anxiety every time you get up to go to the kitchen.

It's more like a high-pitched whine.

Bitty "cries" when I go to work every morning. It kills me LOL.

 

[xreinx]

A 747 Jumbo Jet produces as much as 140 decibels of noise. Peacocks have been registered at 115 db.
Moluccan Cockatoos hold the record as the loudest bird on earth at 135db (average = 120db)"..... San Diego Zoo

By the way, this isnt what I made up, this is a recorded fact. I found it just a few months ago when I thought I wanted a 'Too.

 

[kitt]

Wow, now thats loud......my in laws use to have a M2 and man, it was hard to be in the room with him when he got going....you needed ear plugs. LOL

 

[xreinx]

If a cats Mew gives her headaches, then think of what a excited Too will do to her.

Ive done my homework I love the Toos, the last one I was lucky to have contact with was wonderful, but I had to leave the room every time he started screaming, the pain from 10 feet away to my ears was accually Physical, besides the fact that I live in a Condo, I dont think Ill be getting a Too. All the luck in trying to get her to change her mind.