Ask Lafeber

Cockatoo being afraid

Hello
Sorry for bothering
Pls answer my question
I have a 3 year old male umbrella cockatoo for about2 years
He is very close to me
And always he is with me
I take him shower with me,take him out for a walk
He is so nice
But 3days ago suddenly he afraid of my hands,but not afraid of my parents
Some times he is good but 5 minutes later he terrified of me,even I hide my hands but it didn’t work.
He flew away
I changed my t-shirt color but nothing changed
and never punished him
There is no one around me to help me with this problem.
If you help me,I’ll be so glad
Thank you very much

Hi Reza,

Cockatoos can be quite a challenge. Are you sure nothing changed in your life – maybe you spent more time away from him than usual? Are you on your phone a lot – could he be jealous. Did you get your nails done, new jewelry, maybe get a watch?

It could be hormonal behavior. It is possible to spend too much time with your bird, especially a cockatoo. If their hormones get triggered, they can get aggressive and try to drive you away since you are not a true mate. You need to limit petting to head scratches rather than a lot of full body petting.

Be patient with him and be aware of what is going on around you when he does this. Maybe something else is scaring him. Cockatoos are known for being dramatic, so it could be something small – maybe a new item on a table or new piece if decor.  With no clues as to why he is doing this, it is hard to suggest a remedy other than being patient and aware.

Happy Holidays!

Brenda