Hi,
If your intent is to breed them, I would not recommend it. Cockatoos are just about the hardest species to breed. The males have the tendency to get aggressive with the females and kill them. A pair can be a bonded producing pair and suddenly the male attacks and kills the females. The theory is that in the wild, the pair separate outside of breeding season. In captivity, when faced with not being able to get away from each other, the male snaps and kills the hen. Most cockatoo breeders separate their pairs outside of breeding season. But, when they breed can vary in captivity depending on where you live. You would need to try to find breeders in your area and learn from them. If you only got the bird as a companion, again it isn’t the best idea if she is a tame pet with you. They only have one mate at a time, and typically until that mate dies, so you are a replacement for the mate – but staying in a flock member role. If the cockatoos bond, one or both birds are going to get aggressive towards you. Or if the male likes the female, he may get jealous of you handling her and attach her or you. Basically 3 is a crown when it comes to parrots, whether the third is another parrot or a person. As for why is he is holding on to her feet, this is possibly a form of dominance, and a warning sign that he might get aggressive with her. You need to supervise them very closely when they are together, and keep a thick perch handy in case you need to separate them.
Thank you for asking Lafeber,
Brenda
