Species:  There are 17 species of cockatoos, most of which are in the genus Cacatua.Most are colored mainly in white, but others come in grays and pinks, blacks, and in the Palm's case, deep blue.

Origin:  Australia and the surrounding islands.

Size:  Ranging from the Goffin's, at about 12"-13", to the huge Goliath Palm cockatoo, at 27" long.

Life Span:  40-60 years and up.  There have been some reported cases of cockatoos living to be over 100, but most of these are unsubstantiated.

Price:  Expect to pay anywhere from $400 for an inexpensive Goffin's from a breeder, to around $1,000 for most cockatoos, to $1,500-$3,000 for a Galah or Leadbeater's, and up... Palms and Blacks would probably cost you around $15,000 or more apiece!

Buying:  Buying from a breeder is preferable to buying from a pet shop, for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the price; pet shops generally charge about double what breeders do.  A good breeder will spend a lot of time on socialization of your baby bird, cuddling it, loving it, as well as providing many toys and other enrichment.  A good breeder teaches a baby cockatoo how to play on it's own, as well as how to get attention in ways other than screaming - a common problem in cockatoos.  When looking for that "perfect" cockatoo, shop around - check out different breeders, different pet shops, compare the housing of the birds, the birds themselves, and the breeder him- or herself.  Find a breeder you're comfortable with and a baby you love.  Don't buy unweaned!  Unless you're experianced at hand-feeding, it's easy to mess it up, and possibly kill the baby.  Even if nothing major goes wrong, cockatoos are notorious for being very difficult to wean, and weaned wrong they could develop behavior problems.  Leave it to the experts!  And buy a fully weaned baby.
    Cockatoos are probably some of the top birds that are re-sold as adults, when their owners get tired of their demands or find themselves in a situation where they can no longer cope with them.  These birds *usually*, but not always, have some sort of behavior problem that is the reason for giving the bird up.  Often, this is screaming.  If you're considering one of these second-time-around birds, find out everything possible about the bird, and be ready to deal with some unforeseen behavior problems.

Diet:  Cockatoos are not usually picky eaters, although there are more than enough exceptions.  A varied diet based on pellets is best.  The larger sized pellets are usually prefered; even Goffin's often will eat macaw-sized chunks.  Fruits, veggies, and pretty much everything else should be added to the diet daily.  Most cockatoos love sharing mealtimes with their "flock", and certain owners will provide their bird with his own plate!  Try to include the bird in mealtime even if you'd rather he didn't sit at the table with you; provide him with his own serving of whatever you're eating, within limits.  About the only things not to feed are avacado, chocolate, caffiene, and alcohol, which can be toxic to birds.  Junk foods high in fat, salt, or sugar should be severely limited.  Dairy foods should be watched, but low-lactose dairy foods like skim milk, yogurt, and most cheeses are usually great.  Even meat can be fed, although beef and pork should only be fed in very small amounts; chicken and turkey is better.

Cages/Supplies:  The larger the cage, the better, of course!  Cockatoos are big birds!  Goffin's, Galahs, and Lesser Sulphur Cresteds usually do fine in something about 2' x 2' x 3', but most larger cockatoos should really be in something at least 2' x 3' x 3' or larger.  Plenty of toys are practically a necessity; cockatoos are BIG chewers and expect to replace these pretty routinely!  A playstand is also a wonderful thing, and allows your bird someplace to be when he's not on the cage and you don't want him right on you (although that's probably where he'd prefer to be!).

Grooming:  Most cockatoos LOVE baths... Spray-baths being the usual preferred method.  The spray bottle should be set so it sprays a fine mist; start out by spraying *over* the bird, so the mist falls down like rain, but many 'toos will want you to spray directly on them after a while.  Cockatoo bathing usually involves much positioning and posing so that the water falls on every area of the body.  Most will want you to spray and spray until they're absolutely soaking wet, and this is fine (well, your hand my not be fine after all that spraying, but otherwise!).
    Wings and nails should always be kept trimmed.  Ideally you would have someone demonstrate both these procedures before trying them yourself, although a hand-fed cockatoo that's used to handling is usually not difficult to trim, as they don't mind their wings extended or their toes played with.  Get the bird used to this while he's young.

Personality:  Cockatoos are well-known for their personalities, which can pretty much be summed up in one word - "Cuddly"!  They love to be held and loved and touched all over.  They'll sit for hours cuddling next to you while you just scratch away.  They're very loving, affectionate birds.  They're also very playful, and destructive.  A well-raised cockatoo is an absolute doll; a hog for attention, a socialite (cockatoos are not usually one-person birds), and just a pleasure to have around.  On the other hand, a badly-raised in the wrong hands is a nightmare!  Make sure you know what you're getting into before you bring that utra-cuddly, perfectly sweet bird home!

Noise Leval:  Cockatoos are LOUD.  In fact, they are arguably the loudest of the parrots.  Cockatoos WILL scream - don't think you can train them out of it.  Cockatoos love screaming and will scream for the sheer joy of screaming, usually in periods once or twice a day (usually morning and evening).  The smaller cockatoos are quieter simply due to reduced size, but even a Goffin's is loud.  And a Mollucan?!?!  Watch out!

Talking Ability:  Cockatoos aren't top talkers.  Most individuals say a few words, but many do not.  A few become very good.  Their voices don't have the tone and quality of an African grey's or Amazon's, but they're usually understandable enough.

In General:  Cockatoos absolutely adore attention, and while all of this is usually appealing to prospective owners, it isn't as good as it sounds; cockatoos whose owners havn't set limits or guidelines, still love attention, and when they don't get it, they'll scream.  And scream, and scream, and scream.  And possibly pluck their feathers out.  With training and guidelines, this can be prevented, but it's much harder to cure.  Cockatoos are not for owners with no bird experiance, and not for owners who can't establish guidelines and teach a bird how to play by itself, and really, not for owners who work long work hours.  That's not to say there has to be someone home with the bird all the time, but at the same time, if the only time you have for the bird is a few hours in the evenings, than maybe a more independent species would fit into the house hold better.
    Cockatoos are also very destructive.  They love chewing and will do so, whether it's on that new $30 toy you just bought, or a paper towel roll, or that family heirloom antique dresser.  Cockatoos are very "me" birds; your world revolves around them, plain and simple, or else!  They're usually good family birds, not generally being one-person birds, and also usually very gentle.  They're wonderful birds, but they are most definately NOT for everyone.

Cockatoo Species:

Goffin's Cockatoo, Cacatua goffini - Goffin's are the smallest cockatoo, at about 12"-13" long.  They're rather odd looking with those wide eye rings and short, ridiculous-looking crests.  They're very active, and a bit more independant than your average cockatoo... Which makes them *still* VERY cuddly and attention-loving, but perhaps a bit more suitable for the average home... a bit.  Their noise leval is also a bit lower due to their smaller size, but they're still very loud!  (just ask my family ;-)  They're one of the least expensive cockatoos, ranging from as little as $400 or even lower, to about $700.  Pet shop prices usually being around $1,000.

Umbrella Cockatoo, Cacatua alba - Also known as the "White Cockatoo".  Probably the most popular cockatoo, these guys take your "typical" cockatoo profile and fit it to a "T"... plus.  They're very, very cuddly, very playful, and very destructive.  They're large, too, about 18" long.  They range about $700-$1,000 from a breeder, generally around $1,200-$1,500 from a pet shop.

Mollucan Cockatoo, Cacatua molluccensis - Like a big, pink version of the Umbrella, these guys are impressive!  At 20" long or a bit more, they're *big*.  They range from basically white to a washed out deep salmon pink; all have that salmon pink crest, leading to the alternate name of "Salmon Crested Cockatoo".  They are the ultimate cockatoo and perhaps the most demanding of all.  They're a bit less active and more layed-back than the Umbrella, but otherwise still have that ultra-cuddly, ultra-demanding personality.  They're the biggest of the commonly-available cockatoos and have a voice to match - NOT birds for people with close neighbors, much less apartments!  They range from about $900-$1,200 from breeders, or about $1,500-$2,000 from pet shops.

Lessor Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, Cacatua sulphurea - These guys are smaller versions of their close cousins, the Sulphur Crested Cockatoo.  This species includes the subspecies Citron Crested, or just Citron Cockatoo, which is similar in looks but larger (15") and has a deeper colored crest and distinct cheek patch, and the small Timor Cockatoo, which isn't very common.  The "standard" Lesser Sulphur is about 13" long with a yellow crest and cheek patch.  They have somewhat more independant personalities than your standard cockatoo, and can be a bit more "one-persony", but otherwise are basically typical.  They range from about $500-$800 from a breeder, around $1,000 from a pet shop.

Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, Cacatua galerita - Greator Sulphur Crested cockatoos, Eleonora cockatoos, Medium Sulphur Crested cockatoos, and Triton cockatoos are all the same species; the Sulphur Crested cockatoo.  The Eleonora and Medium Sulphur Crest are exactly the same bird C. g. eleonorae, while the Greater Sulphur and Triton are seperate subspecies; C. g. galerita and C. g. triton respectively.  All vary in size, availability, and pricing, the Greator Sulphur being the largest, hardest to come by, and most expensive.  They have personalities similar to the Lessor Sulphur Crested.

Galah or Rose Breasted Cockatoo, Elophus roseicapillus - As common as pigeons (and just as disliked, more or less) in their native Australia, these guys are the least available and most expensive of the easily available cockatoos in the US.  The two names are interchangable, just plain "Galah" being the preferred moniker in Australia.  These guys are about 13 1/2" long, colored in attractive pinks and grays, with a short, almost "fuzzy" looking crest.  They have more independant, less "touchable" personalities than your typical 'too, but are still very loving, sweet birds.  And, their voices are not as offensive as most cockatoos are.  In price they average around $1,500-$2,000 from breeders.

Bare-Eyed Cockatoo, Cacatua pastinator - Not common, but becoming more so in the US.  Called the Bare-eyed or Little Corella in their native Australia.  These birds are absolutely ridiculous looking; some might say ugly (not me!); with their eye patches below the eyes, making them look perpetually baggy-eyed.  But they're known as probably the most intelligent, playful cockatoo, as well as the one with the best talking potential; some say almost as good as the African grey.  Pricing ranges from $700-$1,000 from a breeder... being pretty uncommon, many breeders don't know quite what to ask.

Uncommon Cockatoos:

Ducorp's Cockatoo, Cacatua ducorpsii - Resembling a slightly larger, rather more attractive Goffin's with a longer crest, these birds are available, but rare, in the US.  Probably should not be kept as a pet, but only a breeder, they're not that expensive when they can be found; I've seen birds for sale for as little as $500, although around $900 is average.

Red Vented Cockatoo, Cacatua haematuropygia - Also resembling a Goffin's, I consider these little cockatoos probably, simply put, the cutest cockatoo out there, with sweet faces and attractive coloring.  The underside of the tail is yellow, with red undertail coverts.  These birds are being bred in the US, but are uncommon and are endangered in the wild.  All available individuals should be in breeding situations.  Pricing is somewhere around $700-$1,000 apiece.

Leadbeater's Cockatoo, Cacatua leadbeateri - Also known as the Major Mitchell's Cockatoo.  Generally regarded as one of the most attractive cockatoos, being mainly pink with a large, spectacularly colored crest, these birds are available in the US, but rare and, being highly in demand, rather expensive.  I've seen them as low as $2,000 each, but around $3,000 is more common.

Gang-Gang Cockatoo, Callocephalon fimbriatum - A perfectly ridiculous looking bird, mainly dark gray with a curly-cue crest.  The male has a bright red face and crest; the female is more drably colored.  A smaller cockatoo.  These guys are being bred in the US, but are very hard to come by, and very expensive.

Blue-Eyed Cockatoo, Cacatua opthalmica - At first glance this bird could be mistaken for an Umbrella, but they're the size of a Mollucan, and have a distinctive yellow crest; along with, of course, blue eye rings.  I've seen a few individuals for sale in the US... Pricing was around $10,000.

Black Cockatoos, Calyptorhynchus sp. - There's the Red Tailed Black Cockatoo, the Yellow Tailed, the White Tailed, and the Glossy.  All are large cockatoos, the smallest being the Glossy at about 19" long, the largest being the Yellow Tailed at over 25" long.  All are colored, of course, in mainly black.  I know the Red Tailed is being bred in the US; I'm not sure about the others.  Extremely expensive!

Palm Cockatoo, Probosciger aterrimus - There are two subspeices, the smaller P. a. aterrimus, and the huge, 27" P. a. goliath, the Goliath Palm.  All are deep navy blue birds with a red or pink bare cheek patch from the beak to the eye and a large crest.  One can't help but be reminded of the Hyacinth macaw, with a similar blue color and large size.  Price, too, only I believe the Palm would beat the Hyacinth in that area!  They're also much less common... but they're out there.
 

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