Try giving your cockatoo different types of fruit and see what they like best. The only real exception is avocado, as this is poisonous to many birds including cockatoo and parrots. Individual cockatoos may form their own personal preferences, but there are very few fruits that the typical cockatoo will turn away.
When it comes to fruits, cockatoos are not picky as a species. The rest of your cockatoo’s diet should be made up of fresh foods such as fruits and vegetables. Your avian veterinarian should be able to suggest a quality brand. Be sure you purchase the best food for your particular type of cockatoo. Much care has been given to develop pellets for different species of cockatoos. What is so ideal about this is that it makes it impossible for your cockatoo to pick out any favorites or dismiss any seeds they don’t like everything is mixed together in such a way that your cockatoo gets everything they need in their diet. Pellets are a favorite for many owners, as they are made from ground up seeds that are then made into a pellet shape. However, you should be careful what brand you buy, as many tend to just use cheap seeds that aren’t very nutritious. In seed mix that has already been mixed, there has been a proper distribution of all the seeds and minerals needed for your bird to have a healthy diet. This does not equal a healthy and well balanced diet. Some owners want to give their cockatoos large nuts like they are used to in the wild, but the problem is this is that the cockatoo may “cherry-pick” their favorite nuts and eat nothing else. In captivity, it is often best to feed your cockatoo either pellets or pre-mixed seed. They are considered pests by farmers, especially when they arrive in large flocks. However, when their natural habitats are destroyed they sometimes have to move to agricultural regions to forage for food. They can travel for long distances to find food supplies. They then use their skillful tongue to pick out pieces of the nut with dexterity almost on par with that of a human finger.Ĭockatoos in the wild usually do well in densely forested areas. They are skilled at picking up large nuts, and biting through the shells with just their beak. This is why cockatoos have such large and powerful beaks, as well as feet that are good at manipulating small objects. In the wild, cockatoos survive primarily by eating nuts and seeds. Dry Foodsĭry food should form the bulk of a cockatoo’s diet. Typically, a healthy cockatoo will have a diet that is 60% dry food and 40% fresh food. Fresh food includes items such as fruits, and dry foods being foods such as seeds, feed and pellets. A cockatoo’s diet can be split into two main categories - fresh food, and dry food.