Cockatoos breed every year, and just like most species, they mate before laying eggs. Their mating ritual is slightly different from other birds. Let’s discuss how they mate.
The mating ritual of cockatoos begins with the male cockatoo making joyful sounds and moves to attract the female. If the female is interested, it will take feed from the male; this looks like a kiss. Then the female slightly bends down and lets the male jump on it. The male rubs its vent on the female’s vent and transfers sperm.
Though it seems simple, it is not. Before the mating ritual even begins, the pair needs to be bonded to each other, and both birds need to be in heat. Like humans, cockatoos are very choosy about partners; they take time before accepting a partner. Let’s discuss in detail how male cockatoos attract females.
How do male cockatoos attract females?
Male cockatoos spread their wings, bob their heads, and dance in front of females to impress them. The body movements are the courtship of male cockatoos for females. Below are all the moves that male cockatoos make.
- Male makes a mating call to express his intentions. Usually, mating calls are the first thing that helps unite single males and females. If a male approaches a female and makes mating calls, and the female does not fly away and lets the male approach her, it is a good sign.
- Male pins his eyes to show interest. Eye pinning is the expansion and contraction of the pupil.
- Male bobs his head and nods back and forth, which looks like a dance. It shows the female that she is being checked out, and the male is excited.
- Male raises his crest and then pulls it back completely. When a cockatoo raises its crest, it makes him prominent among all males. It is also a sign of interest for the female.
- The male spreads his wings to grab the female’s attention. With open wings, he is also exhibiting his colors and trying to look more beautiful. Some cockatoo species have yellow-colored feathers under their wings, like the Sulphur-crested cockatoos. These feathers make them look more attractive.
When do cockatoos mate?
Cockatoos mate during their breeding season. The breeding season of cockatoos varies for most species. However, most cockatoo species breed in winter.
Cockatoos usually do not mate all year, even if they are bonded. They mate only during the breeding season, and that too if the conditions are favorable.
For example, the pair needs a nest to breed. The female needs to ready the nest before she starts laying the eggs. Moreover, when the baby cockatoos hatch, they must be warm and safe. This is why the pair usually starts mating after they have chosen a place to nest.
Mating position of male and female cockatoo
Before the mating begins, the female finds a suitable place to sit, usually a branch or somewhere high. The male approaches the female, come closes, dances, and when the female is finally ready, it gets in position.
The female slightly bends down, moves its head and tail up, expands and contracts its iris, makes mating calls, and exposes her cloaca (vent). This appeals to the male and gives him a signal to mate.
The male jumps on the female and maintains balance. If, for any reason, the male is unable to maintain balance, it softly grabs the female’s head feathers.
The male cockatoo transfers his sperm by rubbing his cloaca on the female’s cloaca, and for that, their vents need to make contact. As the female had already lifted her tail up, the male moved its tail from one side under her tail, making a contact between his cloaca and the female’s cloaca.
Then, the male gently rubs his cloaca for almost 3-4 seconds. This is when the male transfers sperm and impregnates the female.
Once done, the male comes back to the stick. The female also sits properly, and the pair cuddles. They usually mate again after a few hours, but if both birds are in extreme heat, they may mate more than once within an hour.
What happens after cockatoos mate?
After almost 10 days of mating, the female lays the first egg. The number of eggs a cockatoo lays varies from species to species. Some cockatoos lay just 1 egg per clutch and some lay up to 8 eggs.
Each egg is laid after 24-36 hours of last egg. Until all eggs are laid, the pair mates almost everyday which helps further fertilize the eggs.
If for any reason, cockatoos fail to mate properly, their eggs turn out infertile. As the babies do not hatch out of infertile cockatoo eggs, the pair abandons the eggs, and mates again.
Final Thoughts
Cockatoo mate to reproduce and show affection towards each other. During the breeding season, they mate almost 1-10 times a day for almost 10 days.
Both birds show great affection towards each other during this period and can often be seen cuddling and cleaning each other’s feathers. They look absolutely adorable when they show love toward each other.
