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This cockatoo would have to be the most attractive of all our
cockatoos, with their large stunning crest and beautiful pink and white
colouring, they are by far the cockatoo that stands out the most
without doubt. This cockatoo of around 36cm in length is now widely
kept in Australian aviculture, but can become |
very destructive
and noisy in aviary conditions at times. Males and females are similar
to look at from a distance, but closer up you can see that adult males
have a black eye, and the adult females a brownish/ reddish eye. Their
wonderful crests are known to differ in colour from males to females,
that being the males have more salmon red bands in them and the female
has more yellow.
The common species is known as "LEADBEATERI", but there is known to be
a sub species of this bird called the "MOLLIS", which has no yellow
band in its crest at all, and is a slightly smaller bird. This sub
species is found in the western inland parts of Australia where they
are known to be quite common. I have had the pleasure
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in seeing these very attractive birds in aviaries in Alice Springs,
where I believe they are kept in some numbers by a range of
aviculturists. In the eastern states these birds are few and far
between in captivity birds can be destructive with their very powerful
beaks they can chew up all most anything, including perches, wire,
feeding and water bowls, and nesting logs. (I would never put nesting
boxes in, |
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unless made of
steel). Wire is often neglected by aviculturists, who quite regular pay
the price with escapes occurring, these birds need heavy wire to
prevent them from chewing through and finding a way out. I have three
pairs of Major Mitchell’s Cockatoos, and house them in pairs
in steel constructed conventional aviaries, which measure 2.8m long x
1.4m wide x 2m high. This is the minimum size aviary I would keep them
in. They are fed at the rear of each aviary, and watered at the front
by an automatic watering system. (All my aviaries have been fitted with
a watering system, but I still find pleasure in watering them by hose
at times). A normal staple diet of small parrot mix is a good enough
seed mix for these birds, although extra sunflower can be given at
times. At the front of each aviary I have installed swivel stainless
steel bowls, this is used for easy feeding of fruit, vegetables, and
other supplementary foods. Calcium is given with supplementary foods,
as is my own lory dry for the extra ingredients. This is given to all
my seed eating birds, not just the Majors. Despite what other
aviculturists may claim, Major Mitchell’s are not easily
breed in captivity, although there are
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