An Enriched Life

This is Sydney. He is a large male Moluccan Cockatoo. This happens to be the natural "breeding season" for cockatoos. While his family is away, he is enjoying a large cardboard box positioned in his cage to keep him busy. I must admit, that I am careful when I handle this big guy. When he is intense inside his box I don't try to reach in to retrieve him. I simply say "hello" and preceed to carry out the other birds in the room. After a while, he pops up and realizes that the others are out on the play stands. Then, he comes to the door of the cage and happily steps up for a trip to the kitchen. Providing this type of enrichment for a parrot needs to be monitored. If it produces an aggressive attitude, remove the box. Use your knowledge of your bird to determine the pros and cons of allowing a "nesty" behavior. It certainly keeps this big guy busy all day!