“Parent-reared Moluccan cockatoos, or those who were wild-caught before this became illegal in the United States make superior companions. Hand-reared birds frequently have problems with feather destructive behavior, screaming and biting. Perhaps the most common problem encountered is the tendency of the young bird to overly bond with the owner. This is encouraged by the owner who believes, because of the parrot’s obvious enjoyment of physical affection, that the young bird needs a lot of cuddling. In my experience, it is this excessive time spent cuddling that leads to the development of an overly-strong bond with the owner. Once the young Moluccan becomes sexually mature, this bond often begins to incorporate a sense of territoriality about the favored human. This, in turn, often evolves into shows of extreme aggression toward the less favored human in the house. This can be easily avoided, however, by making sure that the owner takes the lead in teaching the young parrot all the living skills it needs to live happily in captivity: how to eat a varied diet, bathe until drenched, play with toys and destroyables, enter a carrier and ride in the car, spend time outdoors in a safe enclosure, step easily onto a human hand from a variety of places in the home, go to different people for handling and to learn a trick or two. A young parrot that is being challenged to learn new things in this manner will grow into a confident, enjoyable companion.”

Pamela Clark, IAABC Certified Parrot Behavior Consultant