| Cockatoos are fascinating birds and will, with the right | | | | with shelter and flight is better yet. If kept in a cage |
| care, make delightful companions. They are of the | | | | in the house, their cage should be 4 feet long, and 3 |
| order Psittaciformes family Ka-katoeinae. Their range | | | | feet wide, by 3 feet high. A stand with the ends of |
| is confined to Australasia, as far East as the Solomon | | | | the perch metal-covered would take up less room. |
| Is., North to the Philippines, and West to the Celebes | | | | Incidentally, these birds may be acclimatized outdoors |
| and Lombok. | | | | the year round, being thickly feathered. If kept on a |
| Most Cockatoos are white, although some are gray, | | | | stand, or in a cage or aviary, supply them with a |
| brown or black. All but a few have a crest. They | | | | block of wood or a branch of a non-poisonous tree |
| represent an advance in the evolution of Parrots, and | | | | to keep them occupied and to exercise their strong |
| are seemingly more intelligent. Some species make | | | | bills on. This will also help prevent the bad habit of |
| good talkers when tame and taught young; although | | | | feather plucking. |
| in this respect they don't equal the Hill Mynah, African | | | | BREEDING |
| Grey and large Amazon Parrots. They learn tricks | | | | These beautiful birds are well worth breeding. The |
| more readily than these other birds. The all white and | | | | dimensions of their enclosure should be 30 feet long, |
| rosy white species of Cockatoos are about 15 in | | | | by 8 feet high, by 8 feet wide. Perches should be |
| number. | | | | large, and placed only at either end of the enclosure |
| Cockatoos have feathers which other birds don't | | | | to compel flight, as these birds are as lazy as Parrots |
| have. These are fine, waxy filaments on the body | | | | in that respect. Both sexes usually share in incubation. |
| and under the wings, which break into a fine waxy | | | | A suitable nest easy to obtain would be a large |
| powder when this bird preens itself. This is what aids | | | | barrel. |
| it to retain the snow-white plumage which is so much | | | | Cut a hole in the top of it just large enough for them |
| admired, as this powder is thus distributed throughout | | | | to enter, and inside the barrel from the hole to the |
| its feathers. It appears also that this waxy powder | | | | bottom, place a strip of 1 inch wire mesh netting. The |
| makes their feathers water repellent. If out in the | | | | barrel bottom should be concave in the center, to |
| rain, it is usually the feathers of the tail and wing tips | | | | prevent the eggs rolling to the sides. To accomplish |
| only that get wet. | | | | this, put in a layer of twigs, or wood chips or a |
| Cockatoos, especially the larger ones such as the | | | | section of turf upside-down making a hollow. A large |
| Greater Sulphur Crested, live to a more venerable | | | | branch should be attached to or near the nest box. |
| age than even the proverbially long-lived Parrot. They | | | | Two to three eggs form the clutch, and the |
| may reach 100 years, which makes it the longest | | | | incubation period lasts about a month depending on |
| lived of birds. Naturally this depends on the good | | | | size of bird and species. The young remain in the |
| general care it receives. These are mostly large birds | | | | nest about two months. When breeding, the parents |
| suitable for large enclosures in bird collections. The | | | | should have solitude, and be disturbed as little as |
| smaller ones make nice house pets and are very | | | | possible. |
| exotic-looking. | | | | It would be a proud day for you to have succeeded |
| Cockatoos do better on stands or large cages than | | | | in breeding a Cockatoo. |
| when confined in a small cage. An outdoor aviary | | | | |