Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo as pets

People usually start looking into sulphur-crested cockatoos as pets when the idea of a clever, affectionate “talking” bird collides with a few practical questions: How loud are they really, what do they eat, and what does it take to keep one well for decades?

These are big parrots with big needs. A sulphur-crested cockatoo can live for many decades in captivity, and the day-to-day reality is time, noise, mess, and long-term veterinary planning. The notes below focus on what matters most in Australian homes: legal sourcing, housing space, diet, enrichment, training, and the health problems that show up when their environment isn’t quite right.

Sulphur-crested cockatoo quick facts

• Scientific name: Cacatua galerita¹
• Adult size: commonly around 45–50 cm long (some sources note a wider range up to ~55 cm)^{1, 2}
• Lifespan: often 70+ years in captivity; shorter in the wild^{1, 3}
• Temperament: intelligent, social, often strongly people-focused with regular handling and routine⁴
• Noise level: very loud, especially at dawn/dusk or when excited/alarmed⁴

Before you buy: legality and ethical sourcing in Australia

In Australia, it is illegal to trap and take native birds from the wild. If you want a sulphur-crested cockatoo, it should come from a lawful source (for example, a licensed seller where required, with paperwork/receipts that show where the bird came from).^{5, 6}

Rules vary by state and territory. As an example, NSW lists sulphur-crested cockatoos among the native birds that can be kept without a biodiversity conservation licence, but the bird must still be lawfully sourced (not taken from the wild).⁶

If you’re moving between states, check the destination state’s requirements before you commit. Queensland, for instance, sets out licensing frameworks for keeping protected native animals and stresses buying only from licensed sellers where required.⁷

What they’re like to live with

In the wild, sulphur-crested cockatoos move in noisy, social groups and spend long hours travelling, foraging, chewing, and watching what others are doing. In a home, those same instincts show up as constant curiosity and a strong drive to interact with their environment—often with their beak.

Many individuals learn to mimic household sounds and some speech. It’s best treated as a by-product of a well-stimulated bird, not a promise. What is far more consistent is volume: their calls carry, and neighbours will hear them.⁴

Housing and environment: space, safety, and daily movement

A sulphur-crested cockatoo needs room to move, climb, and fully extend and flap its wings without striking bars or furniture. A cramped cage tends to produce the same pattern: less movement, more frustration, and more self-directed behaviour (including feather damage).

Set up the living space with three priorities:

• Security: strong locks and heavy-duty fixtures. These birds test hinges, latches, clips—patiently.
• Variety: multiple natural perches of different diameters, plus safe chewable materials that can be destroyed.
• Predictable routine: consistent sleep/darkness, and regular out-of-cage time for supervised climbing and flight (where safe).

Aviary-style housing can work well if it’s predator-proof, weather-safe, and paired with daily human contact. Sunlight matters, but so does shade and the ability to retreat from heat.

Diet and nutrition: what “balanced” looks like for a cockatoo

In the wild, sulphur-crested cockatoos feed largely on plant material such as seeds, nuts, fruits and other vegetation, with some variation by season and location.¹

For pet birds, many avian veterinarians and welfare organisations recommend building the diet around a formulated pellet, then adding vegetables and other fresh foods, while treating high-fat foods (including many nuts and seed mixes) as controlled extras rather than the base diet. This approach helps reduce long-term nutritional disease in captive parrots.⁸

• Base: quality pellets appropriate to the bird’s size and life stage.
• Daily fresh foods: a wide spread of vegetables (think leafy greens, cruciferous veg, squash, capsicum), plus smaller amounts of fruit.
• Controlled extras: nuts and seeds, often best used as training rewards.
• Fresh water: changed daily (and again if it’s been “washed” with food).

Calcium and vitamin balance is best handled through an appropriate pellet and vet guidance, rather than guessing with supplements. If your bird is laying, growing, unwell, or on a seed-heavy diet, ask an avian vet for a tailored plan.

Enrichment and exercise: the non-negotiable part

Sulphur-crested cockatoos are built for hours of daily foraging and chewing. In captivity, enrichment isn’t a luxury; it’s how you prevent boredom from turning into noise, destruction, or self-harm.

Useful enrichment tends to be simple and replaceable:

• Foraging: pellets hidden in paper, cardboard, safe untreated branches, and puzzle feeders.
• Chewing: destructible toys rotated often (wood, paper, vegetable-tanned leather).
• Movement: climbing and flapping space every day; safe, supervised flight time if possible.
• Social time: calm interaction spread through the day, not just one intense burst.

Training and socialisation: calm, consistent, reward-based

Training works best when it’s quiet and repeatable: short sessions, clear cues, and rewards the bird values. Reward-based handling helps with everyday tasks—stepping up, going back into the cage, accepting a towel, or travelling safely to the vet.

Aim to shape cooperation rather than “winning” a standoff. Cockatoos are observant, and they learn patterns fast—especially the ones you didn’t mean to teach.

Grooming: bathing, beaks, wings, and nails

Regular bathing (mist or shallow dish, depending on preference) supports feather condition and can reduce dust in the home. Nails and beak should be monitored, but routine beak “trimming” is not a standard home job; beak overgrowth can signal diet or health problems and is best assessed by an avian veterinarian.

Wing clipping is a complex welfare decision. It can reduce flight-related accidents in some homes, but it can also increase falls, reduce exercise, and remove an important confidence tool for a nervous bird. Discuss your household risks with an avian vet or experienced behaviour professional before making changes.

Health and veterinary care: common problems to watch for

Cockatoos hide illness well. A bird that looks “a bit off” can be genuinely unwell, so it pays to establish a relationship with an avian veterinarian early and schedule routine health checks.

Common issues seen in pet cockatoos include:

• Feather damaging behaviour (including plucking): often linked to boredom, stress, disrupted sleep, pain, or underlying medical disease.
• Nutritional disease and obesity: more likely on seed-heavy, high-fat diets with limited exercise.
• Beak and nail overgrowth: can reflect low wear (not enough chewing/perching variety) or health/diet issues.

Noise, neighbours, and daily rhythm

Expect peak calling around morning and late afternoon, plus bursts whenever something changes—visitors, dogs next door, a vacuum cleaner, a flock flying over. These calls are normal. You can shape the household response (don’t reward screaming with attention), but you cannot train a sulphur-crested cockatoo to be a quiet bird.⁴

If you live in close quarters, it’s worth planning ahead:

• Choose the most sound-buffered part of the home for the main enclosure.
• Build a predictable routine around sleep and mealtimes.
• Use foraging and training to occupy the loud, restless parts of the day.

Compatibility with children

Some sulphur-crested cockatoos live well in family homes, but supervision is essential. These birds are powerful, fast, and easily startled. A “warning bite” from a large cockatoo can do real damage.

Good matches usually involve:

• an adult who remains the primary carer and trainer
• clear rules for children (no teasing, no fingers through bars, no sudden face-level contact)
• a bird that has been gently socialised to calm handling over time

Final thoughts

A sulphur-crested cockatoo is not a small, decorative pet. It’s a long-lived, high-contact, high-noise native parrot that needs space, routine, and daily work—training, cleaning, enrichment, and thoughtful feeding. Done well, the relationship can be steady and richly interactive. Done casually, problems arrive slowly, then all at once.

How long do sulphur-crested cockatoos live as pets?

They can live for many decades. Captive lifespans of 70+ years are commonly reported, with shorter lifespans typical in the wild.^{1, 3}

Do sulphur-crested cockatoos need a licence in Australia?

It depends on your state or territory. NSW, for example, lists sulphur-crested cockatoos among the native birds that can be kept without a biodiversity conservation licence, but the bird must still be lawfully sourced and not taken from the wild.^{5, 6}

Can I take in a wild cockatoo that visits my yard?

No. Taking native birds from the wild is illegal, even if the bird seems tame or persistent around people.⁵

What should I feed my sulphur-crested cockatoo?

A practical baseline is quality pellets plus a wide variety of vegetables and some fruit, with nuts and seeds used in moderation (often as training rewards). For a plan tailored to your bird’s age, health and activity level, an avian vet is the best guide.⁸

References

1. Australia Zoo — Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
2. NSW Department of Education (Field of Mars EEC) — Sulphur-crested cockatoo fact sheet
3. Oakvale Wildlife Park — Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
4. Australian Geographic — Sulphur-crested cockatoos: An Australian icon
5. NSW Environment and Heritage — Birds you don’t need a licence to keep (and warning about taking birds from the wild)
6. NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water — Birds you don’t need a licence to keep (publication)
7. Queensland Government — Licences to keep, use or display native animals
8. RSPCA Knowledgebase — What should I feed my pet bird?