The sulpher crested cockatoo

[KodaKeet]

Hello everyone,
I am new here and this is my first post. I was wondering if someone could tell me more about sulpher crested cockatoos. I belong to a parrot group on facebook and have become fascinated by them.

I have an African grey and a parakeet.
I have been told that greys are like dogs in that they seek attention, where as too's are like cats, you have to go to them. Do you think this is true?

What are their personalities (generally) like? Thank you everyone!

 

[thekarens]

I think that's backwards. Our grey played very well on his own and was content to just be in the same room with us. However, my MIL's LSC2 was high maintenance and required a lot of attention. Not that they don't both make great pets, but IMO 2s require more time and attention.

 

[Kiwibird]

All birds seek attention (they are flock animals with higher intelligence), but the white cockatoos are probably the most notorious attention seekers of them all. I am not a big cockatoo fan, as I prefer a more independent bird myself. However, many folks want a really cuddly, attached at the hip bird, cockatoos fit that profile to a 'T', and theres absolutely nothing wrong with it Everyone seeks a different kind of relationship with their bird(s). A few things that would be helpful to know about the white cockatoos:

1. They need to be taught independent play and self rewarding behavior from a young age. No one can spend 24/7 with their bird, so even if you can spend A LOT of time with them, there are still time they will need to be left alone. For a cockatoo, entertaining itself is a LEARNED behavior, and many develop sever behavioral problems due to not knowing what to do with themselves when the owner has to go grocery shopping, to work, in the kitchen cooking, to cut the grass or whatever other everyday occurrences the bird is left alone for. This is probably THE MOST important thing with a cockatoo for good mental health.

2. They tend to go from "loves everyone" as juveniles to "one person birds" after sexual maturity. They will likely need to be trained and socialized AGAIN as though they are a brand to bird after they reach breeding age. Hormones do funny things to all birds, but tend to have an especially 'profound' effect on cockatoos from their young behavior to their adult behavior. Absolutely do-able, just something to expect down the line.

3. They produce an excessive amount of dander (cockatoo dust) many people are allergic to. You need to find out if you are allergic before ever considering one. More than one too has been rehomed due to owner allergies. You will also likely need a quality air purifier to keep the dander levels in check for you other birds.

4. LOUD. Like to a whole other level from other similar-sized parrots. Of course, proper training and attention can prevent behavioral-related attention screaming, but they are still parrots, and will still vocalize, and may be a most unwelcome alarm when the sun rises early in the summer Please meet some cockatoos and hear their volume before deciding one is right for you. Some people can tune it out and don't have close neighbors/aren't apartment dwellers, but for the rest of us, they are slightly too high of a volume level.

All that said, cockatoos make GREAT birds for the RIGHT kind of person. Whether you're that type of person, I have no idea. My dad has had his goffin cockatoo (slightly smaller than a sulfur crested) for almost 40 years. Alfie is a little devil bird towards everyone else in the world, make no mistakes about it, but he does love my dad. He still crawls up his shirt and pokes his little head out the collar and is insanely intelligent (almost to a fault, he can get in a lot of trouble because of his intelligence). He knows how to entertain himself, and thus has never plucked as many toos do. He does holler around the time my dad gets home from work for a good half an hour (out of anticipation, and then out of joy), and if even the slightest glean of sunlight gets under his covers in the morning, he will wake up the house. I do not miss his noise. Makes my amazon sound like a songbird, but I digress... All parrots are loud, messy, attention needy ext... and not for everyone, but a few species are even more 'niche' even within the world of aviculture and cockatoos are one of them. They have a love it or hate it kind of personality, but if you love it, they can certainly be wonderful, lifelong companions

 

[Sadie13]

we just brought our baby home in the beginning of april, and having both a grey and the LSC2, i would definitely say that my too is a lot more attention seeking than my grey.

i like to think of her as a little lap dog, she will walk over to you for cuddles. It is really important that you teach them to self entertain though, if not your going to be looking at huge behavioral problems.

I love both and would recommend the sulfur crested if you have a lot of time to dedicate and switch things up. Getting into routine is also something you don't want with too's

 

[Freespin]

We have one and she is mad Haha they are LOUD and i mean LOUD when they want to be. It echos through our house. Very affectionate and loves attention but very hard work. She is always trying to get into trouble and her favorite game is intimidating people who she knows are scared of her =D I can handle her but I dont trust her 100% though. She frustrates the heck out of me because she wants to destroy everything and anything she isnt meant to but doesnt touch toys i give her. She destroyed her rope perch so i gave her a rope and wood toy. Hasn't even looked at it. She is a real comedian when she knows people are watching, such a showoff!

A friend of mine has an older one who i adore. Very loving and laid back, happy to talk to anyone but is also happy entertaining herself. Lives free range during the day and is very quiet.

Oh and they leave white dust on everything =D Quite prone to plucking too.

 

[BirdyMomma]

We have a Citron Crested Cockatoo (sub species of a Sulpher)

She is the exact opposite of what one would expect from a cockatoo.

She is quiet, independent, and doesn't seek too much interaction. She barely makes any noise, and is completely happy being left to play with toys, rather than being glued to one of us.