Black Palm Cockatoos as Pets: Behavior, Care Info and Lifespan

The black palm cockatoo is also known as the goliath cockatoo. These birds are concentrated in New Guinea, Australia, and Indonesia. They naturally exist in smaller groups, prevalently found in tropical forests. Black palm cockatoos are the largest birds you would find in the cockatoo species.

Black palm cockatoos have a remarkably distinct look, with the beak and crest more pronounced. A beautiful red skin patch (typically bare) sits between this parrot’s eye and beak. This patch runs to the cheek. Interestingly, this tone of its red cheek varies according to the emotions the cockatoo is experiencing, especially when it is enthused or when it feels threatened. The Black palm cockatoo is reasonably friendly. Nonetheless, this bird requires a lot of attention from its owner and is famously temperamental.

This is one of the beautiful and exciting parrots you will find in the cockatoo species. It has an intriguing look, which is no less impressive than its behavior. Tell me, do you know about the vocalization of this bird? How about its breeding, exercise needs, or choice of toys? Equally, do you know how long this bird lives averagely? Let us tell you these intriguing facts about the Black palm cockatoo.

Origin and History of Black Palm Cockatoos

The Black palm cockatoos is originally a native of northern Queensland in Australia. However, there are sizable populations of this parrot in Indonesia and New Guinea as well. It is uncommon to find the Black palm cockatoo in large groups at a time.

You would commonly see groups with a capacity of six or fewer parrots at a time. Isn’t it exciting to know the Black palm cockatoo mates for life? The Black palm cockatoo is an endangered species, given that they are vehemently hunted for their premium commercial value.

Physical Characteristics of the Black Palm Cockatoo

This parrot is the biggest in the cockatoo species. Arguably, this is the largest bird you would find in the whole of Australia. Are you shocked? Well, you shouldn’t be.

The Black palm cockatoo is almost gigantic for a bird, coming at a significant height of 49-68 cm and length of 55-60 cm. This bird weighs around 2.01-2.65lbs.

Behavior of the Black Palm Cockatoo

If you are getting the Black palm cockatoo, prepare for a very temperamental parrot. The male Black palm cockatoo is very territorial and isn’t reluctant to get into a battle for its space. It is lively as well, greatly relishing attention from its owner.

While this parrot is remarkably intelligent, taming this bird demands consistency. Factors like its sociableness and intelligence would make the process of this cockatoo integrating your commands easier. With positive enforcement (with some lovely treats), you can teach this parrot simple and complex tricks.

Speech and Vocalizations of the Black Palm Cockatoo

One of the most exciting things about this bird is its natural vocalization. It is incredibly close to what you hear from humans. They are quick to catch the “hello” lingo.

If you are looking for a cockatoo with a special penchant for talking, here is your parrot! Its vocalization makes it far easier for this bird to pick up words and say them fluently.

Black palm cockatoos are notoriously loud. They create a signature drumming noise that can you can hear from 0.1km away! This is achieved by beating a sizable stick (or a seed pod) against a dead bough. It could also beat it against a tree.

If you live in condominiums, it may not be the perfect choice to get this cockatoo given its noisiness and deafening amplitude of its call.

Colors and Markings of the Black Palm Cockatoo

True to its name, this bird is notably dark. Actually, this is a smoky gray coloring. In some birds, the dark tone is more profound. The crest, legs, and feet are dark as well.

In contrast to what you would see from other single-colored cockatoos, the Black Palm species is adorned with red patches on their cheeks. These red patches are very sharp, the strikingness matches the beak’s distinction, making this parrot incredibly beautiful.

Black Palm Cockatoo Beak

This parrot has an enormous beak that could get a bit frightening. This prominent size of beak only comes second (in the parrot species) to that of the hyacinth macaw.

The Black Palm Cockatoo’s beak has a length of around 9.1 cm. This beak is strong as well, furnishing this parrot with the capacity to pluck thick sticks from vibrant trees, or cracking nuts. Indeed, you may need to be cautious when your kids come around the Black Palm Cockatoo beak as this strong beak could harm them.

Exercise Needs of the Black Palm Cockatoo Beak

It is only natural that the Black Palm Cockatoo beak needs a lot of exercises, given its lively nature and its size. Such recreational activities are critical to keeping your parrot healthy, as the Black Palm Cockatoo can get very noisy if not adequately mentally stimulated.

We discourage keeping your Black Palm Cockatoo locked up all day in its cage. It is ideal you let this bird out for about three hours or so for it to sufficiently exercise and work its muscles and socialize with you and family. Surely, you could schedule this training time.

Given the parrot’s inquisitiveness, you have to be watchful when you allow it out of its cage to play. We have seen repeated accidents of Black Palm Cockatoo getting warped in electric wires, or the bird chewing on furniture and walls.

Toys like ladder, perches, play stands, and swings are great for exercising your Black Palm Cockatoo, supplying it the ample opportunity to utilize its wealth of energy. You can rotate these toys to keep things fresh.

Diet and Nutrition of the Black Palm Cockatoo

For wild Black Palm Cockatoos, their staple diet is derived from palm fruits and Java almond nuts. In some cases, they would thrive on tree seeds and the stringy eucalyptus tree bark.

Cracking these tough nuts is not a problem for this parrot, thanks to its strong beak. If not in captivity, this bird would naturally take its meals in the wee hours of the morning.

If in captivity, you can feed your Black Palm Cockatoo high-quality pellets and bird-edible veggies and fruits. To keep their beaks engaged, you could intermittently feed them these nuts still in their shells.

Considering the Black Palm Cockatoo’s propensity to put on weight (and get obese), keep their fat intake very minimal. Preferably, you could feed your parrot 1/3 cup of pellets daily, supplemented with 1/3 cup of healthy veggies and fruits.

Caring for Your Black Palm Cockatoo

As we said, this parrot needs substantial attention from you, the owner. We highly discourage leaving your Black Palm Cockatoo alone for more than 7 hours a day. So if you are extensively engaged outdoors, you should think twice about getting this parrot species.

The Black Palm Cockatoo is very energetic and lively. Therefore, you will need a pretty large cage that affords it the spaciousness to fly and play around.

For the dimension, we would recommend a cage height of 6 feet, a length of 10 feet, and a width of 6 feet. Well, if your budget can’t afford a cage this sizable, it is better to go for a cockatoo species that is smaller than the Black Palm.

Also, this Black Palm Cockatoo doesn’t go well with sustained heat. It loves getting wet. Therefore, it would need frequent baths across the day.

Breeding Season of the Black Palm Cockatoo

The Black Palm Cockatoo typically breeds through August to January. There could slight variations in this breeding season, as determined by the local climate. This parrot mates for life, staying faithfully monogamous with one devoted partner all its life! An inspiration for humans, right?

The Black Palm Cockatoo lays a clutch every 24 months. This clutch contains one egg, which is incubated around 30-33 days. It is rare to see another bird with a fledging age as long as the 100-110 days of the Black Palm Cockatoo. These birds use the same breeding site every year.

After 6 weeks, the young Black Palm Cockatoo should be mastering the techniques of flying. Well, this depends more on the enthusiasm of its parent. By this time, the young bird would be getting matured enough to take care of itself. However, these young birds would stay with their parent till the breeding season where the parent sends them off.

The young Black Palm Cockatoo (whether female or male) will not get sexually matured until it is about 7-8 years old. Breeding happens once in 12 months.

How Much is a Black Palm Cockatoo?

Truth is, you are not going to get the Black Palm Cockatoo cheaply. It is exotic and greatly cherished. Its brilliance, exciting temperament, and severe scarcity make them very expensive to get.

Typically, you would find a Black Palm Cockatoo around the cost region of $19,000. How about that? Well, if you integrate the costs of procuring food and cage for the bird, you would already be spending over $20,000. Therefore, if you are on the lookout for a cheap bird, you are best served to look past the majestic Black Palm Cockatoo.

Lifespan of the Black Palm Cockatoo

The average life span of the Black Palm Cockatoo is around 40-90 years. This is compatible with its breeding pattern since it commonly lays one egg in 24 months.

Common Health Problems of the Black Palm Cockatoo

Aside from its propensity to get obese when in captivity, the Black Palm Cockatoo is a healthy bird to get. The common illnesses this bird suffers include sarcocystosis, feather plucking, and fatty tumors. These fatty tumors could be fibromas or lipomas.

If your Black Palm Cockatoo sick, you can readily tell from the unusual puffiness of its feathers. Also, you can tell if your parrot is ill from its eyes. If sick, the Black Palm Cockatoo could experience fluid deposited in the corners of their eyes.

In some scenarios, the fluid runs from its nose. Acute weight loss is another symptom of illness. Furthermore, you could notice the breathing of your Black Palm Cockatoo becoming more audible and seemingly labored.

However, not all diseases manifest their symptoms promptly in the Black Palm Cockatoo. PBFD and other illnesses like Giardia and Polyoma will not immediately manifest. In these cases, your Black Palm Cockatoo serves as a carrier to these latent diseases, transmitting to other birds.

In some cases, if the Black Palm Cockatoo’s immune system is formidable, it would suppress such latent diseases, with the bird carrying it all through its life without getting sick.

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