Abstract
W hat a charming little cockatoo the Red-vented is' I was thrilled to be able to get photos of them and also handle one of the tame males. In spite of their rarity, these cockatoos are no different than any of their other white cousins in their personalities and likes. They love to be touched and have their heads rubbed just like all the rest.
When the opportunity presented itself to write an article on them, it was a stroke of luck for me to be acquainted with two breeders in my area who have these birds. The breeder I visited for the photos has a whopping group of seven. Unfortunately, he also grapples with the age-old cockatoo problem. He has five males, two hens and is in a constant search for more unrelated hens to make up the pairs he needs.
With nine years of Red-vented Cockatoo breeding experience under his belt, I was told by the breeder here on the Central California Coast their breeding season is late April to May. The chicks hatch in early June. Incubation of eggs lasts 25 to 28 days and the clutch size is one to three eggs,
but usually two. The eggs are the approximate size of Goffin's eggs. All eggs are parent incubated and hatched. No matter the size of the dutch, only one offspring from each dutch ever survives. The parent birds let the other baby or babies die. Even if the weaker babies are pulled for hand-feeding they never last more than two weeks and expire. Occasionally the pairs double dutch but that is a rarity. One dutch per year is the norm.
The males are described as extremely aggressive during the breeding season and protective of the hens. They have been known by this breeder to attack him, his dog, or whoever happened to be in the way. He keeps the male cockatoo's wings trimmed during the breeding season to slow him down a bit. Pairing Red-vented Cockatoos at the time they are very young would be ideal but almost impossible given their short supply.
Even though it is quite evident these cockatoos make excellent companion birds, because of their rarity it is not recommended. They are not often
kept as pets.
This species of cockatoo was readily available 25 years ago at reasonable prices but the its numbers have dwindled, making it a very rare bird. In addition, the Red-vented Cockatoo isn't nearly as common to its native Philippines as it was at one time. There are some still on the Island of Pala wan.
During the 1980s when there were greater numbers of this species, the Red-vented was devastated by psittacine beak and feather disease (PBFO) contributing to the decrease of its numbers in captivity. In fact, during the last 15 years it has become one the Philippines' most threatened birds as well, second only to the Philippine Eagle.
My first impression was that the Redvented resembles a Goffin's Cockatoo in size and overall appearance. But when I caught a glimpse under the tail I saw the big difference. What a flash of color! The covert feathers under the tail are a bright red, edged with white and the under tail feathers are brilliant yellow.