I bought my current cockatoo when I was in my 20's, I turned 60 this year. I can attest to every detail that Clint mentioned. Every person that has met my bird over the decades has said they want one, and every single time I tell them "don't do it" then go on to explain many of the issues as Clint mentioned. If I had it to do again, as much as I love him, I wouldn't. Every aspect of my life has revolved around how to make it work with my bird. However, there are lonely birds in rescues, and lonely people who have time and love to give, that can make a good match. But a cockatoo (or any parrot) is not a good match for a younger person with many jobs, people, kids, and homes in their future.

I use to work at a zoo and there were a pair of scarlet macaws. I remember any time keepers would come and go they would need two keepers. One to unlock the combination lock, and another to distract the birds so they weren't looking at the other. Because apparently if we didn't do this the macaws could potentially watch and learn how to unlock a combination lock and free themselves. 👀 So I have a rule, I won't keep a pet that is so smart that they need to be distracted to keep from memorizing combination locks...

This video makes me think parrots actually do make the perfect pet for an 18th century pirate. They get the freedom to fly around wherever they like but can't go too far, they get to see lots of new people but can always come back to their best friend, and their lives are generally very exciting without being too dangerous (who is going to shoot the parrot?).

I love how Clint brought the politest possible cockatoo on to tell us about how destructive they are.

I think one of the best things you do in your videos is discouraging people from making very poor choices with respect to pets ("Mom, look at this cool baby crocodile monitor!"). Speaking from my own experience, your description of keeping a bird and the difficulties is spot-on and I wish more people would listen. Anything bigger than a conure/budgie/lovebird is going to change your life if you want to care for it properly.

I was in a bird store and a cockatoo napped on my chest. He was adorable and cuddly. A couple came in and asked if he was mine. I said no so they went and purchased him immediately. I still hope they knew what they were getting themselves into.

I'm a cockatoo Mom. My current one is my second one (I got her after her previous owner passed away.. she's 35). I laughed so much during this video because it's SOOOO true! Lol. I also laughed out loud at the sugar glider comment as I own them too 😂😂 I also have Conures, cockatiels and lovebirds. I love birds but, they're such terrible pets for MOST people! I never recommend them, even though I love them! ❤️❤️

I’ve had three cockatoos in my life; had to rehome two of them. Macaws, conures, pigs? No issue. Cockatoos? Batshit insane… One of the cockatoos I grew up with once opened a kitchen drawer, grabbed a knife, and chased us around the house with it. I still have a scar on my hand from the fiasco…

You should do a video on pigeons! They're so underrated and probably way more manageable, quiet, and safe than a lot of popular parrots, and come in all kinds of breeds. They're domesticated, like dogs! They also have a similar life span of 15 years, can be potty trained, and even live alone if you are willing to socialize with them enough! I honestly think they should be the norm over parrots for "pet birds" as they seem much more suited for a house lifestyle and are already non-wild. Of course like any animal, they definitely have their cons. But I see a lot more pros for them than most other birds, yet they're so obscure as house pets compared to parrots.

Yes yes yes! Much thanks from a veterinarian. A majority of medical issues and re-homing events with cockatoos and other parrots are from unprepared owners who could not believe just how much effort they would be.

Clint you’re the Mr Rogers of the pet world, you bring the kind of energy that’s been missing from animal documentaries since the height of Animal Planet with Jeff Corwin and the amazing and gone too soon Steve Irwin, your passion for wildlife is infectious like theirs.

I'm like 2 minutes in and this has to be the most accurate summation of owning a cockatoo. I rescued mine. He's 29. Came with a lot of baggage. We had struggles for the first month. He bled me everyday FOR A MONTH STRAIGHT. And their bites HURT. He's settled in and he is a good boy. He has his moments and mood swings+temper tantrums. So far he has not mentioned the screaming 🤣 which can be a lot! Not mine as much, but I know others that can scream like hours on end. This is not a beginner's pet. Permanent toddler.

Mate, there's a reason we've affectionately nicknamed them cockies in australia. Beautiful birds with heaps of personality, but even we know they are a handful without ever owning one.

I've gotten to a point where I watch the majority of your "The Best Pet ______?" videos, not to discover potential pets, but because I adore animals of all kinds and love the way you present them. The videos where you're afraid of the animal you're presenting crack me up every time :)

I had a roommate with Cockatoos once, and he's 100% correct about their being just like toddlers.

As someone who has owned snakes, lizards, and specifically a Solomon island eclectus and a yellow napped amazon .....I found reptiles MUCH EASIER lol. The opening segment comparing to toddlers is the most accurate description of almost any medium to large bird species I've encountered. Love your content Clint

Other than potentially getting a cockatiel, I have resolved that I'm just going to make friends with the invasive Quaker parrots where I live. Anything more than that with parrots sounds like a lot, and I'm fine with letting them take away the branches from when I trim bushes and leaving out a bunch of pistachios for them until they decide I'm cool.

I have owned cockatoos before. This is spot on. A cockatoo is not a pet its a relationship akin to a parent and child. The effort is worth it if you are someone who is willing to put in the effort

I have about 40 living outside my house (I'm Australian). They wake me up every morning, hanging off the power lines chirping and raiding trees. They are insanely vocal and cheeky, and it's impossible to not like them. They always manage to work out a way of breaking into bins, even pushing bricks off. Living with them when they're wild is a truly unique experience.

About birds, I’d be really interested to see a video from you about pigeons. They tend to get overlooked when people talk about pet birds, but I get the impression that they are actually a lot more suitable as pets than the more popular parrots.

My gram, who is still quite healthy and well, got her cockatoo Jun as a baby when I was a baby and she has been well cared for the last 26 years, but Gram is worried about what will happen to her beloved bird when her mind eventually starts to go. My parents aren’t going to take her, my younger siblings aren’t as close with gram as I am(I’m the eldest), and she doesn’t trust her other daughter to be able to take proper care of her. As such I have told her that if Jun ever needs a home, I will take her. This video is quite well timed as I just made this offer and am doing research now to prepare for what I imagine is an eventuality

Great info! Pretty much completely accurate. I would add a few things (as someone who's worked at a specialty bird shop for 7+ years)- 1. You mentioned cockatoos are very dusty. If anyone in the household has asthma, the cockatoo will most likely trigger allergies. Even people who aren't allergic can actually develop allergies to their birds. We've been trying to rehome a goffins cockatoo whose parents LOVED her, but her mom developed lung issues and cannot be in close proximity to birds anymore. Three other cockatoos this year have been surrendered just to our shop for similar health issues (and more were surrendered for other reasons) 2. Cuddling a cockatoo all the time can cause horrible behavioral issues. Be careful how you cuddle a cockatoo, as petting them in certain areas or giving them too many kisses can make them hormonal. Not only is it frustrating and confusing for the bird, they will lash out and bite. 3. Having multiple birds to keep each other company is not as simple as buying multiple birds. They will have to start in separate cages, be supervised when together, and you will have to make sure it is safe before letting them live in the same cage together. 4. Cockatoos can be extremely jealous. If they choose you as their favorite person, they may be aggressive to your loved ones or anyone they perceive to be an obstacle to your affection. Unfortunately, sometimes you will have to choose between your loved ones or your bird.

Way to get back into classic form! I love these so much!

1) Soooooo…. not a good choice if you’re solely motivated by your desire to perfect your Barretta cosplay. 🤪 2) That poor bird’s sitting there during the intro thinking “Hey! I’m sitting here being so good! Why are you picking on me?” 😂 Great video! Thanks!

I'd love some videos on non-parrot birds. Almost all the KZfaq videos on pet birds deal with parrots (of various kinds), when in reality there are plenty of great birds that are available in aviculture, such as various species of Finch, turacos, mousebirds, columbiformes, some types of pheasant, and ducks!

As a kid growing up I had a cockatiel and a parakeet. They were really fun to have and seem like they were nowhere near as demanding as larger birds. Can’t wait for the cockatiel video!

So grateful you didn't sugar coat these in the slightest. They are wonderful, funny little guys and one of the worst pets you can get. Only very, very few special people can do them justice. So loud. So destructive. Say goodbye to having nice things, say goodbye to your safety deposit if you rent, say goodbye to be able to go on trips spontaneously. Don't get a cockatoo.

Just a correction, the species of cockatoo you featured is an umbrella cockatoo. Which is native to Indonesia, cockatoos are a family of birds native to Australia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines and Indonesia.

I love that this still fits into dinosaur December

The best description I've ever heard of cockatoos is that they're like toddlers that have a bolt cutter instead of a hand.

For every one like Kohaku, there must be a thousand like Max. And that's among the ones we get to see as good examples!

I worked at a parrot rescue. They are social, intelligent, and an absolute nightmare. I have a scar from a cockatoo who was surrendered after biting off a toddler's finger. Enjoyed working with them, do not want one in my house.

my mother is crazy about these precious forever-toddlers, but they are definitely not a reasonable responsibility for us. So the ppl who make frequent videos of their cockatoos for her to watch and delight in are absolute heroes in more ways than one 😅 Looking forward to the cockatiel video tho! I'm especially fond of those little guys.

NAILED IT! Yours is one of the best no sugar-coating videos I've seen. Great job! Just got back from getting one of my rescued pteradactyls his regular talon trims and dropping another bill on treats, toys, etc. That doesn't scratch the surface in just this month alone. Had to turn up the volume so I could hear your video since my ears are still ringing from today's "song of his people" on the drive home. He rode in his $400 carrier made to be "cockatoo proof" 😆. Just found another hole in the bite-proof stainless steel mesh. Shocker. Thank you for being very clear and honest. You covered a lot of ground and there's isn't anything you said that is an exaggeration, except the part where you forgot to add "on crack" to the lifelong toddler description. That unyielding cockatoo affection can easily shift into breeding behavior too. That's always fun 😬. I adore my little flock of rescued pteradactyls, however, I don't advocate for psitticines - including parakeets -being part of the pet trade. The number of hookbills relinquished once they reach maturity is heartbreaking. How dare they behave like parrots?! It is literally impossible to meet their very unique needs. I do my best to make sure that everyday is better than the life they had before coming here. I have an aviary for nice days, but it certainly doesn't encompass acres of jungle. I'm in Ohio lol. Thank you again for stating true facts regarding avian husbandry - especially C2's lol. They're all amazing, brilliant creatures. Well I'm off to go figure out if that's chop in my hair or poop. It's probably poop. Again.

My family used to own an umbrella cockatoo (the species featured in this video). We had him since he was a chick, and he was very affectionate towards my brother. I still remember the time he bit through the iron bars of his cage and escaped into the backyard. Fortunately, we did end up getting him back, but like a month later my folks surrendered him after he nearly bit my sister's finger off. Sometimes I wonder where he ended up, and if he's still alive. But it's been more than half a lifetime since we had that bird, and for all the ups and downs that was as a kid, I'll never forget Miki.

I have a macaw and a grey. Pretty much everything said here applies :) He glossed over dust, but cockatoo (and grey) dust is amazing. So much dust from such a small animal. Any time your cockatoo or grey touches you, it's like being hit with a chalk board brush :) We have to be careful about the scream training with the macaw. We did clicker training with the grey, but mostly that taught her to make the clicker sound when the HUMAN is doing something the bird likes, and then she expects a treat. More or less, we trained our grey to clicker train us. We started from scratch, so we had about $2500 in adoption fees for the two birds, $2000 in cages (4'x3'x6.5'), about $150/mo in toys [my grey is whistling back at the bird in the video, she thinks it is a whistling contest]. Renovating the room we put them in was about $6000. Creating an outdoor aviary so they can go outside in good weather has been another $6000. Vet bills run ~$1000/yr assuming there are no serious issues. Some birds (like hyacinth macaw) start at $20k+ jsut to get the bird, though most of the medium and large parrots (greys, amazons, cockatoos, macaws, eclectus) tend to be in the $2k to $5k range in my part of Canada. Oh, and something important: you can't just travel with a parrot across state or international boundaries. Some parrots are straight up illegal in some states (looking at you Monk Parakeet). Others are severely endangered in the wild and have serious restrictions on border crossing.

I can't thank you enough for this video!! Hopefully this will make people think twice and keep these fantastic birds out of shelters.....

As far back as I can remember, my family always kept birds. The largest we ever got was an Amazon parrot. Most tended to be in the Conure/Cockateil size range. I've always thought that once I retire, I'd want a Cockatoo. But after raising 3 mid-size parrots myself, I'm thinking I'd rather build a small aviary and get myself a tiny flock of conures.

I have not looked and don't remember seeing, but, I think it would be fun to look at lots of other bird-pets; checkens (just noticed chickens is done already), ducks, swan/goose, birds of prey like falcons/owls, and corvids like Ravens/Crows. Most birds are waaay smarter than we give them credit for. The Caldonian Crow is known to solve puzzles that would give some chimpanzees trouble. :) As to cockatoos, it's probably cheaper and less trouble to just move to Australia, and set up feeding stations for the wild cockatoos where then you can make friends, but, don't have the burden of 100% all the time responsibility.

I knew parrots were a lot to handle, but I had no clue that cockatoos were this much. My wife has always wanted a cockatoo, but I really don’t think it’s an option after this video. Thank you for the heads up Clint.

the great thing about living in Australia is I get to see and occasionally interact with these beautiful cockatoos in the wild without having one in my house (unless i leave a window open)

Thank you so much Clint for this video. Having a cockatoo is like having a toddler with ADHD for the rest of your life. It's no joke & will change every aspect of a person's life.

As a vet with a huge interest in exotics and who sees more and more of them - thank you for your videos. Thank you for not sugar coating the enormous responsibility it is and thank you for underlining that animals like cockatoos and green iguanas are bad ideas for pets for pretty much everyone

I worked at a doggy daycare and my boss had a couple cockatoos. She was the perfect owner for one tho, well knowledged about all animals, single and lonely as mean as that might sound, and lived in a pet shop so she had the perfect place to store the parrots. You can’t put into perspective how intimidating they are tho, sure they might act cute and talk but anytime that beak is near you there is a chance you’ll get bit. I used to have to sweep the floor and the cockatoos would follow me around the whole time If they were out their cage trying to bite my legs. If they were in the cage anytime I tried to sweep under a cage I had a massive beak sticking between the bars trying to bite me or the broom. Not to mention the when they are out of the cage it is the loudest screeching you’ll ever hear, just constant parrot squawking at a 10/10 volume level for as long as they want to squawk which can be hours. I love cockatoos to death but I’d never consider owning one but any chance I ever get to interact with one I’ll take the opportunity.

I love your energy Clint! I live near the Australian Reptile Park that you showed with the shingleback lizard. I recognised the logo on the shirt! 😆 Never had a cockatoo as a pet but we had a flock of wild ones who would stop by our backyard. They ended up chewing through the awning struts above the backdoor, ripped out the flyscreen to my parents bedroom window and then a few of them would lean in through the window and watch TV with my Dad. They are awesome birds but definitely not for the faint hearted. I have had a couple of Rainbow Lorikeets as pets, both were rescues. Custard was a dinosaur for sure. Velociraptor. Needed distraction to get food in her enclosure and the only one she loved was my sister. Jelly was my little gentleman, much calmer and he was quite happy to ride around on a shoulder or sit with you at a table. Thanks for another awesome video.

As an Aussie, we see a lot of escaped/released pet cockatoos - you can tell because they're usually solo not in a flock and they're extra social and less fearful of people. We have one that occasionally visits us - it's very pointed about telling us what it likes in our garden! Any time we plant parsley, it's mysteriously ripped out and usually deposited onto our downstairs neighbour's balcony! More than once, we've had to knock on their door and ask if we could our plant back please! In a flock, they're one of the funniest birds ever - imagine a small child trying to do acrobatics...whilst eating...and talking... They're upside down, food in one claw, usually screeching up a storm and often trying to shoo another cockatoo away with their wings. Then times that by about 100 and put it in the most publicly visible place. It is a magnificent and hilarious sight to behold!

Thank you for this video, especially your emphasis on how much responsibility and dedication these birds require to keep properly. When I was a kid I was friends with someone whose parents owned a couple of cockatoos. The birds were very neglected and it made me incredibly sad. I never saw them leave their cages, and those cages were in a walk-in-closet sized room covered in bird dust, so they were extremely poorly socialized. The larger of the cockatoos would let me stroke him through his cage if I was careful, the smaller would hiss and attempt to bite if I came anywhere near her enclosure. Apparently the owners initially took better care of them, my friend told me when she was young the birds were frequently let out of their enclosures and would even accompany the owners on car rides around town (not the safest thing but at least the birds were getting attention and activity). I suspect the owners got tired of attending to the birds' needs after the novelty wore off or after the owners had children. Animals are a commitment, not a decoration or a toy to be tossed aside when they get boring or when life gets stressful; people need to know what they're getting into and make sure they're capable of providing for an animal for its entire life, *especially* for animals that are high-needs. I am glad to see some other commenters here have changed their minds about getting a pet cockatoo, and I hope anyone who is still interested in owning one will understand how much time and work they'll need to put in to take proper care of these amazing birds.

My Aussie hubby and his family got a sulphur crested cackatoo in the late 60s, Felix is still alive and thriving! He's in a BIG outdoor enclosure in Australia, and it's probably not even enough!! He has a smoker's cough ( 😉) he picked it up from my father in law that was a smoker, my fil died in the 80s!!! The bird still likes to "cough". They will likely outlive YOU! You do not want a cackatoo! Felix has a great memory and they will choose who they like and who they don't like, you might be one they don't like! Just skip getting one, for the bird's sake!

Growing up I had a cockatiel (she lives with my parents as she bonded most strongly to my mom) and this is true even for little birds! Also an air filter can be super helpful if dust makes your allergies flare up. Birds are a lovely pet if you're willing to have your whole life revolve around them. And 95% of the time, even if you think you are, you're not. Rescuing a bird is a good option too :)

Thank you so much for being straightforward and honest. The next time someone tells me they want a cockatoo, I'm sending them DIRECTLY to this video. I've owned birds all my life, and I know that I would never be able to own a cockatoo. It breaks my heart that there are so many in the pet trade, because they're absolutely incredible animals. I really feel like there should be laws against selling them in pet stores.

My female hand reared Umbrella Cockatoo is 20 years old, I've had her since she weaned at 17 weeks old. I'd die for her and she is amazing in so many ways I couldn't possibly list them all. She is very affectionate and gentle, sassy, hilarious, swears like a trooper, trolls us, is destructive and very, very demanding. She certainly changed my life (and my wife's) when we got her. If I'd have known what I know now before I got her, would I have still got her. No way on this earth. Fortunately she is under one of, if not the top avian vets here in the UK. She has prolapsed again for about the 5th time due to laying eggs twice a year for about 18 years, so is back at the vets on Monday, likely to be knocked out again to have stitches placed in her vent to stop it happening again (Hopefully). There is a lot of stress that goes with it (for all of us). She isn't like a dog or a cat who are easier to deal with and the treatment will be about £1000. I hope that's all it is but I suspect it's a bit more complicated this time round. The worry is horrible. The problem isn't what they are like as pets, like noisy, destructive etc. That's something a determined owner will deal with and work around if they are committed enough. It's the problems caused to them by hand rearing. It essentially 'breaks' them, both physically and mentally. They are very hormonal, can and will damage themselves physically and anything can trigger it. And the symptoms of these things can be anything from a spot of plucking to literally chewing holes in themselves. They are simply too emotional to survive in a captive environment I would say in the majority of cases.

Have you ever thought about doing a video on owning and caring for Corvids, specifically Ravens? Considering how intelligent they're supposed to be, I would be curious to know how they do as pets. I loved this video on Cockatoos and I'm glad that I got to know more about them.

I'll have you know the best pet dinosaur is Rocco, but cockatoos are certainly up there :) You did fail to mention that occasionally birbs like to chew on things, like wooden blocks, or literally the wall. As a little anecdote on what looking after a parrot is like, I wake up to Rocco, when he flies off to bed he flies back if I don't follow. I need to convince him that I am coming back when I go to the washroom. When I open the washroom door he is either standing in front waiting for me, or he flew downstairs looking for me and/or trouble. If I go out he sulks when I get back. When I used to close his cage door (been over a year since I have, although I do close the room door still), he would grab on to it with his feet and flap as hard as he could while screaming. He is rather quiet normally actually, first squawk in weeks was in response to him hearing the birb squawks in this video. I have scars from him disagreeing on things, like me sharing my phone, or a pen I was using, or when bedtime was. Oh, and he is potty-trained, but he also tries to game the system of him getting a treat for going potty in the right place. Little con artist dinosaur :P

I really don't want a cockatoo but man I really want a friend with a cockatoo who needs me to watch it once and a while for a weak end

I met a pair of cockatoos at a family friend's house many years ago... I fell in love with them. The exhilarating feeling of having this rather large bird [more so being a young teen] perching on my hand or shoulder and just hanging out with me was a formative memory. That being said, their owner John, was as explicit as you were in this video. "Don't get one, they own you a [bleep] ton more than you own them." THANK YOU for being so absolutely opaque on this incredibly important fact. These days I have a chance a few times a month to volunteer at a local parrot rescue. While being a newer volunteer there means I'm on poop duty most of the time, I still get my fix of getting to hang out with some incredible cockatoos, macaws, etc. Perhaps some day I could move forward owning a smaller, more sensible bird buddy, but owning a cockatoo is something I would never do without being able to essentially dedicate my life to one... which I can never foresee being the case.

Would never get one. But they’re so precious. I appreciate this video. I had a conure once and even for them, I did not have enough free time to care for her properly on an emotional level for the parrot. Birds are so incredible.

Awesome video Clint. Whenever anyone comes into my store and asks for a cockatoo, I really try to talk them out of it. I spend more time and energy on my moluccan cockatoo than I do on all my other 60+ pets combined. They are insanely difficult to work with but very rewarding. We get soooo many cockatoos in our rehoming room. They really aren't the right pet for 99% of people but they are so, so wonderful for that 1%!

That's the calmest parrot I've ever seen. She could have a career starring in pirate movies.

Great explanation, I work at a sanctuary in SoCal we have about 60 rescues we get calls from people wanting to relinquish their birds everyday. I see a lot of cases where people go out and spend thousands buying baby birds only to bring them to us a year later. More people need to watch videos like this before they make such a life-changing decision.

I'm the owner of a princess parrot and this is an excellent video to anyone thinking about getting any kind of flying dinosaur. Well done Clint!

For reference I have an Indian Ringneck, but what you said here is very accurate to my lil guy. Birds are a very niche pet, and not something I recommend to the average pet owner. Usually when people ask about my ringneck I list off the reasons to not get one first, cause they are a lot to deal with on a consistent basis. But for those few who are willing to put the time, effort and commitment in, and can look past all the blemishes, birds make for a fantastic companion that is unlike any other pet. I've had my lil guy for 3 and a half years and he's been life-changing for the better

I'm from Sydney, and we frequently get them around the suburbs. A week ago was heading down the stairs at the local train station, and there were around eleven Sulphur-Crested cockatoos sitting on the railing - they were very quiet, but keeping an eye on all of us, and were totally unafraid. We were all watching them, and they were all watching us. You are right about the noise though. We sometimes get a group of them (I think a collective noun is a Crackle of Cockatoos), that fly about screeching their heads off. The sound would wake the dead!

Beautiful birds in nature, as pets not so much. I did a drinking game with water to see how much you said life. Cause I knew that was coming. Thanks for spreading awareness of the needs of parrots and birds. Like when you surrender/rehome a dog or a cat, it's not as devastating when they get used to their new home, but birds NEVER get over it or need alot of help doing so. Surrendering a bird is like surrendering a toddler they don't know why, they just want their mom/dad.

My wife and I thought of owning a cockatoo at one time and started going to bird rescues with the intention of researching for a few years before making the commitment. That quickly stopped when one of the people at the rescue described it as "a toddler that would stay a toddler for 80 years, stands on your shoulder, and poops on your back." I think a parakeet might be better for us haha.

I love these pet rating videos so much! I’ve been watching every week for about 3 years now, and I love the variety that exists on the channel now, but I think these need to stay a prominent feature.

My mother adopted a Yellow Headed Amazon parrot from her sister 40 years ago and a Nanday Conure from a friend of mine 30 years ago. Her life absolutely revolves around these birds, all day every day. More of her life has been spent with her Amazon than without it. It’s a noble commitment that most people aren’t willing to make. At her age, 73, these birds will be mine for the rest of my life too.

Australian here. We have a big flock of these which hang around our place. They are really curious and come and say hi every day. The brave ones will take an almond right out of your hand.

I have 6 of them, all adopted. There is a reason why people get rid of them. Their snuggling is because they are not socialized the natural way, and they demand this every day. The mess, destruction, biting and the screaming is not for everyone. They are NOT beginner's pets. They are perfect for someone who is home all day, with nothing else to do but to cater to their cockatoo. Do not have neighbors - their decibel level is higher than any other parrot. And they live for a long time. They are also prone to plucking, and they can get prolapse, which is very expensive to treat - and many people (and other parrots) are allergic to the feather dust, which is very fine and gets into everything. Every new cage lasts a few weeks and then it needs new doors , latches or gates.They can pop locks and cage-bars and destroy your woodwork in minutes.

Happy New Years Clint I have really been loving Your videos for the past two years and I wanted to Thank You and The Heavenly Father for Helping me learn so much about Reptiles and I Love Birds so much as well and I think You should do Exotic Birds more often as well like The Macaws and Toucans and maybe do Bush Baby’s and other Exotic Animals

Such an underrated KZfaq channel, so much detail and effort goes into the content and it really shows. I hope more people start viewing this amazing content.

thank you for this! it breaks my heart how many unwanted parrots sit and wait out their lives in cages... they aren't good pets at all! the only time they should be in human care is at a sanctuary for surrendered birds, like you mentioned, or if you are some rich person who doesn't have to work and have a big property and lots of other big parrots. anything else is just not enough IMO.

Over 28 MINUTES of BONUS content from this video, exclusively for our Stinkin' Rad Fans on Patreon! Patreon is a great way to support Clint's Reptiles AND get awesome extras (including hundreds of other bonus videos)! www.patreon.com/posts/patreon-extras-76451716

Looking forward to the cockatiel video since that is the parrot that sounds right for me.

I’m extremely glad you’re thorough and explain more cons than pros with parrots. I’ve grown up around parrots my whole life and own a budgie and african grey. My grandma owns rescue 3 cockatoos and I would NEVER recommend one to anyone. I absolutely love birds, but most people have no idea the life altering effects of owning one, and the bigger the bird the more you sacrifice for them. Cockatoos are the craziest bird I’ve ever been around, their screaming and destruction abilities are insane, and their bites have always drawn copious amounts of blood. I’ve only ever been around rescue cockatoos with behavioral issues, and while they’ve significantly improved after leaving their neglectful/abusive previous homes they are very unpredictable. I’ve met cockatoo owners whose pets have never experienced anything negative or come from a prior home and they’re also crazy. I personally think in order to own a cockatoo you need lots of prior parrot experience with large birds and a serious sense to commit. Birds are amazing pets if you can handle them, otherwise they’re definitely not for most people and I would never recommend one unless you spend lots of time with birds before getting one, even "easy" small birds.

thank you so much for his video, I am so appreciative that you mentioned the food and household dangers which are so important to know for all keepers but ESPECIALLY for people considering becoming a keeper of the avian companions. Also thank you for the honesty with the attention requirements of parrots and the cockatoo specifically , most don't realize what a cockatoo needs to thrive, and most don't realize that they really aren't the best species to keep if you are wanting to keep any of the psittacines. Thank you Clint!! being a parrot trainer and keeper for 27 years it really is an entire lifestyle. thank you for your honesty and using your profile to help one of the best animals I know, parrots!! keep up the awesome work!

I know some kids that the Terrible Twos lasted until they were a teenager, at which point...they were a teenager.

You should do a video on shoebill storks, they’re unbelievably interesting and are like living dinosaurs

I've watched a few of your videos now and... I love your attitude. Reminds me of my zoology teacher, who was one of my all time favorites. I just love the passion behind it all

My aunt and uncle have a beautiful cockatoo! I desperately wanted one when I was younger, so I spent as much time with Bonita (yeah they don’t get points for name creativity😂❤) as I could! Until I was put in charge of her for 2weeks when I was a teenager, while my aunt and uncle went on a cruise for their anniversary…. Bonita was chill for about the first 4-5 days (which was previously the longest time her “parents” had ever been gone and left me in charge of her before this cruise)- after that, all heII broke loose. She totally stopped eating(yes, she went on a hunger strike), she “screamed” almost nonstop and yelled for “mom/dad” (which was heartbreaking), she started destroying everything around the house that she could-and finally, she started ripping feathers out. After about 3 days of pure Bonita anarchy, they had to end their trip early and pay for a flight back home before the cruise was even over-because I simply couldn’t get Bonita to calm down, no matter what I tried. Sure as the sun rises, almost immediately after they get home-she starts eating normally, no longer shrieked all day and stopped destroying everything in sight! I still love cockatoos (and Bonita) but I definitely reevaluated my desire for one after that. 😂❤ That was about 25 years ago and they still have never attempted to take another trip that long again, because they don’t want to risk another Bonita meltdown.

When I was a kid I wanted nothing more than to have a Cockatoo. I'm so glad my parents advised against it. I would not have been able to handle it, and neither can most. Really glad you point this out in your videos. Nobody wants to see abandoned animals

When you take care of animals perfectly, it's never easy, because you want the best. I have a 30 year old male turtle since 92 and pet prairie dogs since 1997 (today their 5 in the familly) that I have always brought with me on vacation: to the beach; mountain and even in other countries (accessible by car in Europa). For this there is their special house for trips. The best reward for good care is a very long life (more than 10 years on average), their love and little babies every year.

We have a 3 year old cockatoo called Cotton He is an amazing bird and lots of fun and games We love him dearly and is a part of the family

I love how patient it is throughout the video

I had an African Grey more than ten years ago. They are very similar to Cockatoos minus as much snuggling. I can tell you first-hand, it rivaled the care and attention required by my human children.

I love birds... but only if other people own them LMAO I've tried keeping parrotlets and lovebirds when I was a kid and later as a young adult but man... the screaming, biting and pooping would drive me to tears sometimes. Cockatoos are on a whole different level and as awesome and majestic as they look, I could never imagine keeping one.

Thank you for spelling out the commitment. I love cockatoos so much from past bonds of neighbors and friends. But they live sooo long. I feel I am too old at 40 to adopt one. As I would pass before it would. But, as far as affection goes holy moly. Every time I’ve met one, even if for a second we instantly connect. But, even my neighbors cockatoo expected me to stop and pet him anytime he saw me. So cute and flirty. The only reason my neighbor was such a good dad was 1. He was a retired and trust fund dude 2. His parents got it when he was a kid and he took over its care when they passed, 3. He did not leave its side and always had it outside to interact with any neighbors and keeping it busy with tricks, changing obstacles/puzzles weekly. That bird was happy as f, but it was his life!

the whole time i was just watching the bird on your shoulder he looks so comfy and i love the beak crunching birds do when theyre sleepy

It would be cool to hear your opinion on less common pet birds like European starlings. They're invasive in the US and therefore have little protections or restrictions. I've heard that they can be pretty good pets. Especially if you find captive bred chicks.

A bratty toddler that can fly and has a bolt cutter for a face is definitely not for everyone

I just found this channel a couple days ago. This is awesome. Super nice guy, great information, awesome voice imo, humor.

I have a rescued Moluccan cockatoo, Kiah (Australian Aboriginal for "From the beautiful place."). I've had her since the Summer of '05. She was an import in the 60s, and was used as a breeding hen for the pet trade, and overbred to the point of bone and beak deformaties. When she was no longer of any use as a breeder, they dumped her, and because she was never socialized, she bounced from house to house. When I got her, nobody could go near her, because she would go ballistic. I did what I do with all my rescues; I set her cage up next to my computer, and fed her, watered her, and kept her cage clean, but other than that, I didn't look at her, talk to her, anything. It was about her observing me. Within two months, she made the decision to approach me and make first contact, and since then she's what we who work with toos call a "love sponge." She's a massive cuddler, will open her wings to give a hug (she was not taught this), and loves meeting most people. That's the positive. She's also loud. For those curious, Moluccans are capable of being louder than the Umbrella Clint showed in the video. Moluccans are capable of screaming at 135dB, which is only 50dB louder than what can cause permanent hearing damage. They also stomp their feet when they are upset (okay, that's kind of adorable), which is almost always followed by screaming. Like many rescues, she's also a plucker/self mutilator, and wears a styling collar to keep the damage limited to only *looking* like she went through a blender, and not giving her the more damaging effects of having actually met the business end of her built-in one, also known as her beak. With the collar, she only does damage to her feathers; without it, she will tear into her skin. Basically, while I love my Kiah, and will have her until one of us croaks, I can say this with *total* confidence; you rated them high, Clint.

Is the flying human toddler with a can opener on its face the right pet dinosaur for you? No...probably not.

My ex girlfriend had a cockatoo, and when I went to her house for the first time that bird HATED me. Bringing a partner into the picture can make the bird jealous that it has to share you. Fortunately over about a month, I won him over by bringing treats when I came to visit. I think he liked me more than her by the time the relationship ended 🤣

I love how honest you are around this animal. You respect the animal and I love that.

Absolutely Love You & and Everyone/Every Animal that allows you to do what you do!! I only discovered your channel this last weekend... I work nights and put this on, deliberately, to fall asleep to, cuz I Believe in osmosis & I'm a nerd 😄, I fell asleep to this video, woke up bout an hour after with another of your wonderful videos going, slept for few, after waking up "for real" around 7, I hit the KZfaq History to show my Husband your "This is a Snake" video, and realized I'd actually not been sleeping most of the time, and yet I felt completely rejuvenated!! What struck me most is your Pure Joy/Love & Enthusiasm for what you do, but also, I Love Star Trek...and Your Enthusiastic Voice + Your Bearded Face threw me straight to Wil Wheaton!! Love All You Do & Again Thank You to EVERY Supporting Character that makes the Magic Happen!!! Hope You All have a Fantastic, Beautiful & A Year Full of Learning!!

Yes as a bird owner I cannot recommend enough NOT buying a bird. Some people cannot or will not change their entire lifestyle for their bird, which is necessary. It is A LOT of work and if you aren’t willing to do it, your bird will suffer immensely

Lol...watching the beginning of this and forgot one of your categories was "Upfront Costs." I'm in the process of adopting my first reptile (a crested gecko) and I have probably already spent about $800. Maybe more...

Thanks for 5 years of amazing content!

This is a excellent video!!! Very interesting and I like that you encourage people to really think if they want one or not. This would probably be a horrible bird for a young person to get and I can see many wanting one because they’re cute and funny and lovable. Many youngsters don’t think about all the many bad traits that come with one. I appreciate you pointing all that out.

If you feel like having a toddler who lives to be 80 and never grows up, get a Cockatoo.