OWNING A ROSE BREASTED COCKATOO

The rose-breasted cockatoo (C. r. roseicapillus), as it is commonly known in the United States, is called the Galah in Australia, its native habitat. There it covers an enor­mous territory, nearly the whole continent but for a small part of some of the coastline and the most arid regions of the Outback.

It is seen in the largest cities and on the plains and woodlands. The Galah is so prolific in Australia, it is often considered a pest by farmers, who are al­lowed to destroy a cer­tain number of the birds each year.

Fortunately for the rose breasted cockatoo, it is not known as a pest elsewhere in the world and is prized for its stunning appearance, which is far different from most of the other commonly kept cockatoos.

It has a pinkish-red chest and face; medium gray nape, back and wings; a white crest (shorter than that of the other cockatoos in its size group); and a white beak set well into the feathers on its face.

There is a gray periothalmic ring around its eye. This species is dimorphic-the female has an orangish-red or brownish iris, and the male and immature females have a very dark iris. There are two subspecies, both recognizable by slight physical distinctions.

At approximately 14 inches from the top of its head to the end of its squared-off tail, the rose-breasted is among the smallest of the cockatoos, mak­ing it an appealing pet for some­one wanting a cockatoo but without the space to house one of its larger cousins.

Sweet As a Rose

The rose-breasted cockatoo makes as good a companion as any of the cockatoos but is not known to be as cuddly as some of its cousins.

It can be aloof, but will ap­preciate a head scratch and a great deal of interaction from its human companions.

Each bird is an individual, and rearing is an important fac­tor in personality development. Like other cockatoos, the rose-breasted can become un­predictable once it reaches ma­turity. Buy your rose-breasteds from a reputable breeder who takes the time to socialize the babies correctly.

Guide customers in the prop­er rearing and training of young birds so that you will have fewer unhappy customers returning to complain that the bird is out of control, a common complaint among cockatoo owners.

The rose-breasted, like the other cockatoos, is not the easiest bird to keep happy, but a devot­ed, informed owner should be able to keep this bird in the manner it requires to remain content for its 50-some­ year lifespan.

Although it is not the noisiest of the cocka­toos, the rose-breasted is not a quiet bird and will kick up a ruckus sev­eral times a day.

This bird, especially the males, can become a proficient talker and whistler, much to the delight of its owners.

Rose-breasteds like the com­panionship of other rose-breast­eds and may even accept another cockatoo as a pal, but they are also known for bird-on-bird ag­gression, so care should be tak­en with mature rose-breasteds in your store, as well as in cus­tomers’ homes.

Because this bird is exceptionally sensitive and intelli­gent, it can easily become bored and neurotic, leading to un­wanted problems, such as feather plucking, mutilation and phobic behavior.

Sam Foster, an avian consul­tant from Tampa, Fla., helps cock­atoo owners with these problems and has seen many rose-breasted cockatoos in her practice.

“My feeling is that the meth­ods often used to raise rose breasted babies, combined with the limited knowledge of some caregivers concerning their uniqueness, may lead to behav­ioral disorders that are otherwise ,unexplainable,”’ Foster says.

“Overcoming severe prob­lems, such as persistent feather destruction, mutilation and phobic behavior, is extremely diffi­cult and often requires more pa­tience, time and emotional energy than we are able, or pre­pared, to give.

 "Yet, all the work, dedication and love possible do not always result in positive benefits.”

Let customers clearly know that this bird is not an impulse buy, and that they must be prepared to dedicate several hours each day to these needy birds’ care, or suffer the consequences of living with an unhappy, un­controllable bird.

Housing and Basic Care

Before customers take their new rose-breasted home, there should be suitable housing ready and waiting its arrival.

Encourage customers to pur­chase a very large, well-built cage. Proper housing can go a long way toward preventing neuroses.

“Alarmingly, a high percent­age of the pet cockatoos I en­counter with behavioral prob­lems are in cages of unsuitable shape and size,” Foster says.

“It is my belief that this com­ponent of our birds’ environ­ments, their home within our home, can be instrumental in the prevention of many human­ avian conflicts.

“When overlooked or un-addressed, this element may be a source of ongoing, sometimes severe, emotional trauma or conflict. With some species, such as rose-breasted cockatoos, the standard cage configuration may actually increase this risk.”

A bored rose-breasted is far more likely to develop problems than a bird whose owner has taken the time to provide it with things to do.

“Housing should be an ever changing arena offering new op­portunities for exploration and learning, filled with an interest­ing assortment of bright, color­ful toys and fitted with perches of different textures, sizes and materials,” Foster says. “Ladders or boings [a spring-like toy] should be part of this envi­ronment to encourage the natur­al action of maneuvering hori­zontally as well as vertically. Diversified areas for eating should include opportunities to forage or dig.”

Because cockatoos tend to become heavy, a condition that can lead to liver disease, it is important that the diet varies as much as possible. Include seeds, pellets, fresh fruits and vegetables, and cooked foods in the birds’ diet. Seeds should not be fed in abundance.

Food is best served in stain­less-steel coop cups because they are easiest to clean and do not easily harbor bacteria.

Perches should be kept very clean as well, and should be of­fered in a variety of materials, shapes and sizes.

Instead of having new bird owners leave your store with the birds in boxes, put the birds in safe carriers and make it part of the sale.

Birds need carriers for vet­erinary visits and other travels, and its important that new owners understand that carriers are necessity, not a luxury.

Good information is possibly the most important thing you can offer new rose-breasted owners. Make sure to have a few rep­utable cockatoo and bird train­ing books on hand, and insist that your customer buy them, or make them a part of the sale.

The rose-breasted cockatoo is an expensive bird to retail and will appeal to the interme­diate to experienced bird own­er who has the time to devote to this needy feathered indi­vidual.

This is not a good bird for novices, who should be made aware of the species’ quirks and tribulations. Every rose comes with thorns-but is still beautiful and sweet, nonethe­less.

ROSE BREASTED BASICS

Reprinted by Pretty Birds from Pet Products Magazine by Nikki Moustaki

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