The Citron-Crested Cockatoo

Facts

The Citron-crested Cockatoo, Cacatua sulphurea citrinocristata is a medium-sized cockatoo with an orange crest, dark grey beak, pale orange ear patches, and strong feet and claws. The underside of the larger wing and tail feathers have a pale yellow colour. The eye colour ranges from brown through very dark brown to black. Both sexes are similar.

The smallest of the Yellow-crested Cockatoo subspecies, it is distributed and endemic to Sumba and Lesser Sunda Islands in Indonesia. The diet consists mainly of seeds, buds, fruits, nuts and herbaceous plants.

As hand-reared birds Citron-crested Cockatoos can make good pets, as they are friendly and sociable. They are not as noisy as most cockatoos, but are curious and like to chew. Generally they are quiet, but they can make a loud honking or screeching sound, which is lower in pitch than the calls of most parrots. They can also make a repetitive quieter whistling or squeaking noise. They are not good at imitating human speech as some members of the parrot family. They readily learn tricks and they can be trained. They often raise the coloured crest feathers in display or when surprised. Their droppings are semi-solid and can be messy. As with many cockatoo species, Citron-crested Cockatoos taken as pets need much greater care and attention than other companion parrots. In personality, they are often more shy or nervous than other cockatoos and should be allowed to adjust to new circumstances gradually in order to become comfortable.

Cockatoos range from 12 to 18 inches long and have a Life Span of 40+ years.

Care and Feeding 

Specialized pelleted diets are highly recommended and should consist of 60–70% of the diet; use fortified seeds in moderation as they are higher in fat and less nutritious than pellets. Fresh fruits and vegetables, such as grapes, pineapple bits, and corn on the cob. Do not feed birds fruit seeds, avocados, chocolate, alcohol or caffeine as these can cause serious medical problems.

If your bird is used to a seed diet, convert to pellets gradually. Fresh pellets or seeds and fresh, clean, chlorine-free water should always be available. Fresh fruits and vegetables should be given daily; discard when not eaten within 24 hours; Cockatoos appreciate quality and variety in their food. Cockatoos ten towards obesity, carefully monitor your bird’s weight and food intake.

Birds acclimate well to average household temperatures; be cautious of extreme temperature change; cage should be placed off the floor in an area that is well-lit and away from drafts. A cage approximately 36" W x 28" D, with metal bars spaced no greater than 1" apart, makes a good home for your Cockatoo; as with all animals, it is best to provide the largest habitat possible; a flight cage is strongly recommended.

Perches should be at least 9" long and 1" in diameter; a variety of perch sizes to exercise feet and help prevent arthritis is recommended. A metal grate over the droppings tray will keep the bird away from droppings; line the droppings tray with cage paper or appropriate substrate for easier cleaning. To avoid contamination, do not place food or water containers under perches.