it is a sulphur crested cockatoo 10 months old, had it about 1 month and yes it has always hissed at me?

Question

it also raises its crest

Answer 1

Welcome to the wild wacky world of the cockatoo! What you are describing is extremely normal behavior of a unsure cockatoo. I also bet it is a female. (I have one that does that exact same thing with other people. ) With me and my family she is a wonderful cuddly bird. She gives hugs and kisses. She talks a bit. But with strangers. she hisses just like a snake and the crest is up and the wings are out. She trys to be as big as she can get.
She trys to be very big and scary looking. The reason why is so that the stranger won't eat her. So my thought to you is that you really haven't gotten thru to your bird that you are a friend. So my advice to you is to suck up to your bird. So when ever you go by the cage make a peace offering. Of what you ask....a piece of food, fruit, what ever you are eating that is healthy for the bird. You need to work on your relationship. Once the bird trusts you there is nothing the bird won't do to be with you.
So there it is in a nut shell......
Good luck on your relationship....If you need to inquire about what else you can do....feel free to contact me.....

Answer 2

YES!!! Whilst it probably couldn't bite your finger off, I definitely know it could pierce your skin and cause bleeding. Make sure you figure out a way to feed it, without frightening it or making it angry. The best way to handle this is to allow it to get used to it's surroundings, when you approach it, try to be calm and slow. No racing up to the cage, and if possible avert your eyes while approaching. Remember, crests going up, hissing, quick movement towards you are not only signs of agression but also of fear. Try not to aggrevate it or scare it by moving to fast. Remember, it has just been thrown into a new environment, so it'll need some time to adjust. Just be careful, sulphur crests are some of the most beautiful birds, but some of the hardest to keep. So if your still having trouble you may need to seek proffesional help from someone such as a bird trainer.

Answer 3

Yes it is normal for a cockatoo to hiss.

Does your "Too" his all of the time when you get near it? Does your "Too" allow you to hold it or sit on your hand?

It is possible that your "Too" may have been miss treated.

One thing you need to know is if the Cockatoo's original owners miss treated this bird in any way. The reason why I state this is:

I rescued a lesser sulpher crested cockatoo last year. She was in a cardboard box inside a trash dumpster. She had a lot of feathers missing. 75% of her upper mandible (beak) is missing. She is also missing parts of her toes on both feet.
She immediately bonded to me, but she does not want anything to do with men!!
She hisses and tryes to back away if my son-in-law (who lives with me) comes near her cage. She does the same when my neighbors visit who are both men.
This indicates that she has been miss treated by a man as all of her blood work came back and she is in good health and has no diseases. She has no problem with women at all.

If I were you, I would check with the "Too's" origional owners as to how this bird was treated before you got it.

Hope this helps :-)

Answer 4

Sulphur crested cockatoos do that .. it's normal behaviour ..
they are rather intelligent birds and live for a LONG time. they also will bond to some people better than others ..

This might sound silly but if you jump up and down near it's cage and sing a song to it ... it may learn the song and will *dance* with you ( by bouncing up and down)

Sulphur crested Cockatoos can have a bit of a temper and can leave you with nasty bites. They can also be rather destructive .

We have them in the wild and they often can wake you up with their screaching. I would prefer to own a galah http://www.parrot-haven-aviary.com.au/galah.htm

NOTE TO BIRDMAN: i have known MANY pet cockatoos .. lol and they are rarely cuddly (maybe you ran into some placid birds) .. Galahs usually have a better temperament.. even though my grandfather used to allow theirs to chase my grandmother around the clothes line..

Answer 5

He is probably showing you something he has learned somewhere else, or it just may be a part of his personality. All parrots have their own personalities, and little quirks, that make them special, just as humans. Raising his crest is also perfectly normal, and is done for a variety of reasons, usually just to show off!!! and because they can. The cockatoos are amongst the most cuddly and handleable of all the parrot families, once you gain his trust and affection. Be gentle, kind, and feed him treats, people food, and lots of attention, and he will be your devoted companion for the rest of your life!!! Birdman

Answer 6

Am I reading that right? You want to find a home for your bird because it hisses or is that just one of many reasons. Sometimes, for whatever reasons, birds have an attitude is it mean to other people? What is his personality,etc. $$$? You have my curiousity going...

Answer 7

Check your first question. I think I answered this already. Have a tweet year.