Abstract
On July 12 , 1980, we purchased a
pair of lesser sulphur crested cockatoos
from a couple who had had them
for several years. The birds ' ages were
unknown, however it appeared they
were mature, but not " old:' They had
been housed in a wrought-iron cage
approximately 4' x 4 ' x 5' high. When
I inqu ired as to their diet , I was
startled to learn they had been fed
sunflower seed solely, as the birds
were in perfect feather. The previous
owners had supplied them with a nest
box (exact size unknown) and
informed us the birds had chewed
and entered it , but had never
attempted actual nesting. The couple
had frequently check the nest. The
pair were held in a cage 6' long x 4 '
wide x 4 ' high. A ten gallon metal
trash can "nest" was installed " just in
case ,'' and although the birds
attempted to chew around the nest
hole, not surprisingly under these circumstances,
again no actual nesting
was attempted . We found this pair,
like our other pairs of lessers, to be
very shy and secretive. In late April of
1983 , they were transferred from
southern California to our breeding
farm in western Oregon. They were
put into a fully enclosed but unheated
aviary 12' long x 5' wide with the
height being 10' on one end and graduating
down to 8' at the other end.
They were given a wooden nest 30"
deep x 12 ' ' square. We had by then
completely abandoned metal nests as
we found them to be veritable
" ovens" in the summer and " freezers"
in the winter. They also did not
provide the psychological stimulation
of allowing the pairs to shape the nestÂ
hole, a process which is as individ.ual
in each of our cockatoo patrs as ts a
signature to a human being.