Cockie's 50th Birthday
Yes, we attended a cockatoo's 50th birthday, "Cockie Cole". "Cock" is a funny bird with a good vocabulary who thoroughly enjoyed the party and the special cake. Cock had a fair bit to say on this occassion! The things you do in the bush !
There are 42 different birds in the cockatoo family, cockatoos have been known to live up to 100 years in captivity, 80 years is a typical lifespan. Much much less in the wild though.
They are monagamous but have been known to divorce their mate when older.
Not all Cockatoos can speak, but males talk much more than females (opposite to humans?) . The males can beintelligent and fantastic talkers. Their speaking clarity can be rated average, with a vocabulary of 10 to 30 words. These birds have a softer voice than other parrots, so it can be challenging to understand their words.
They tend to bond with particular humans but can easily be distressed when their bonded parent is absent.
Postscript: Cockie died in April 2023 after a short illness.
Cake time !