The Basics:

These crested white birds are among the most attractive and affectionate of all avian pets. They’re also among the most cuddly, warming their owners’ hearts by bowing their beautiful heads to have their necks scratched. However, they can also be demanding, and may become difficult to manage unless they’re given adequate attention. Lesser Sulfur-Crested Cockatoos are highly intelligent birds with complex emotional demands. Their busy minds never stop working, so they become bored easily, and must be provided with steady mental stimulation and human companionship to maintain their mental health. Without interaction, they may turn to destructive behavior and even self-mutilation. Cockatoos emit a dust that may cause allergic reactions, especially in people that already have dust or other pet allergies.

Cage:

Lesser Sulfur-Crested Cockatoos need room to play, climb and explore. They should be provided with a cage that’s at least 36” long, by 24”wide, by 48” high. It is a good idea to have a cage with multiple or extremely secure locks, since these avian Einsteins will devise clever ways to escape. Space between the bars should never exceed ¾”.

CAUTION

In most cases, more space is more desirable for birds. However, when increasing the size of a Lesser Sulfur-Crested Cockatoo’s cage, the bird’s human companion must be careful to maintain a safe (narrow) space between the bars. The bars of a cage have to be narrow enough to prevent a bird from sticking his head in between. Bars that are spaced too far apart for the bird’s size can result in serious and even fatal injuries.

Positioning  The Cage:

A Lesser Sulfur-Crested Cockatoo’s cage should be positioned in an area where there is plenty of family activity to keep this intelligent parrot mentally stimulated. However, the cage should also offer enough privacy to provide the bird with a sense of security. So, it isn’t a good idea to put a cage in the middle of a room, or by a heavily traveled walkway. Instead, it should be in an alcove or in area that has a wall on one or two sides of the cage. As a good rule of thumb, no family member should be able to walk all the way around the cage. The cage should offer the Lesser Sulfur-Crested Cockatoo a private secluded area. For the sake of the bird’s health, his cage should never be in drafts or direct sunlight. If there is a lot of night-time activity in the room that houses the cage, such as a TV going after 9 pm, the Lesser Sulfur-Crested Cockatoo should be provided with a small sleeping cage in another, quieter room. Another alternative is to have a cage on wheels, so it can be moved to a quiet area at night. It is critically important that the bird be provided with at least 10-12 hours of quiet undisturbed sleep time each night.  The cage can be covered at night. This cover should be washed weekly, since it will accumulate feather dust. A Lesser Sulfur-Crested Cockatoo’s cage should never be placed in the kitchen, since fumes from cooking can prove fatal. The cage should also never be placed in direct sunlight or draft.

Playthings:

Keep plenty of chew toys in the cage; since Lesser Sulfur-Crested Cockatoos are enthusiastic chewers and problem solvers, they will enjoy puzzle-type toys that they can work over with their beaks. All toys should be made for large Parrots to ensure safety. A Lesser Sulfur-Crested should also be provided with toys made from wood or other materials that can be safely chewed.  Toys should be rotated in and out of the cage to keep them interesting. It’s also important to keep toys clean to reduce the risk of disease.

Perches:

A Lesser Sulfur-Crested Cockatoo should be provided with a variety of perches made of different materials and of different thicknesses. Perches should be at least 9” long and around 1” in diameter. Natural wood perches not only provide a perch, but also a safe thing for Cockatoos to chew on. A perch should be placed in front of, but not above, food and water dishes.

Playtime Outside The Cage:

Like all Cockatoos, Lesser Sulfur-Cresteds should spend the majority of the day outside of their cage, interacting with their owners. Their wings should be clipped by a professional and checked regularly. Play gyms are important since Cockatoos will be spending ample time outside of their cage, but still need to remain entertained and amused. Even outside of a cage, a Lesser Sulfur-Crested requires a variety of toys and activities to keep occupied.

Grooming:

Consult veterinarian or literature about trimming nails and possibly flight feathers

Bathing:

Provide a shallow bowl of chlorine-free water for supervised bathing. Use chlorine-free water when misting bird too. Bath and mist water must be lukewarm to room temperature. Avoid drafts. Remove bath bowl when finished. A lukewarm bath or shower on a regular basis will contribute to a Lesser Sulfur-Crested’s health and well-being.

Diet:

Pellets should make up 65-80% of a Lesser Sulfur-Crested’s diet. Fresh and washed vegetables should make up 15-30%, and fresh fruits less than 5%. Fruits and vegetables should be rinsed, dried and cut into appropriately sized pieces before being offered to this bird. Seeds, grains and treats can only be offered on rare occasions. Food should be offered to the bird two to three times a day. Provide additional calcium i.e. cuttlebone during egg laying. Fresh chlorine-free water should be made available at all times. On average Cockatoos will consume about 10 to 15 teaspoons of water daily.

 A Note About Water:

All water given to birds for drinking, as well as water used for misting, soaking or bathing must be 100% free of chlorine and heavy metals.  (Not all home water filtration systems remove 100% of the chlorine and heavy metals from tap water, so check your system's specifications before using it to filter water for your pet.) We recommend that you use unflavored bottled drinking water or bottled natural spring water and never untreated tap water. Do not use distilled water, which can cause severe medical problems, since it lacks minerals that are essential to important body functions.