We all love it when cockatoos visit us, and we can see them from close. But is there a way to attract cockatoos to your home? Yes, and here is how you can do it:
Cockatoos spend most of their time looking for food. If they are provided a source of food in your garden or balcony, they start visiting you. You can do it by either planting fruit and vegetable plants or keeping food for them in feeding pots.
Besides providing them with food, there are a few other things that you can do and a few things that you should never do. Let’s discuss them.
Do these things to encourage cockatoos to visit your home
To attract cockatoos to your home, the environment should be inviting. Give them not one but multiple reasons to visit frequently. Below are the things you can do to grab their attention.
Colorful places attract cockatoos
Cockatoos like colorful things, especially flowers. You can decorate your garden and balcony with colorful flowers and painted pots. Some sources say white color scares them; it is recommended not to place any white flowers or use white paint. [1]
Cockatoos are always looking for food
Cockatoos like to eat a variety of foods like fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, and grains. Place food bowls with whatever you can easily provide them. Place the food bowl somewhere they can easily find when they pass by looking for food.
You can also put some leftover food for them; they can eat leftovers too. In fact, in Sydney, wild cockatoos forage on waste bins to look for leftovers. [2]
Cockatoos follow the sound of other cockatoos
Place a sound player in your garden or your balcony near the food bowls and play cockatoo sounds. This encourages them to visit your home, following the sounds and finding food.
You don’t have to do it all the time, all the year; play the sounds just in the morning around 7-8 AM or preferably in the entire day time. Cockatoos start looking for food as soon as the sun rises, so early morning is the peak time they are likely to visit. Once the cockatoos start visiting, you no longer have to do it.
This is one of the most effective ways to attract them. However, this can be a bit disturbing for the neighbors.
Cockatoos frequently visit places where they feel safe
Despite being very friendly and affectionate, wild cockatoos take some time to trust you. Do not engage with them immediately; wait for them first to get familiar with your home and feel safe around it. Once they show no signs of fear around you, keep reducing your distance daily.
Cockatoos enjoy bathing in fountains
Place a water fountain in your garden for cockatoos to bathe. The sound of water sprinkling in fountains attracts cockatoos. They enjoy drinking water and bathing in fountains.
If you can’t place a fountain, at least place a large open bowl of water, it also works. Make sure you change the water once a day, so they always have access to fresh water.
Never do these things to make cockatoos keep coming back
If you are doing everything to make cockatoos visit you, and they don’t, you might be doing something that is driving them away. Below are some of the most common mistakes people make when inviting cockatoos.
Do not cut down trees in your garden
Cockatoos eat from trees, perch on them, nest on them and sleep on them. So trees are an essential part of their life. If you have any trees in the garden, it is a plus point; they are more likely to visit because of the trees, do not cut them.
Your pets can make cockatoos feel unsafe
If you have a cockatoo, you can place its cage in your garden or balcony; it will encourage them to visit. However, if you place the cage of any other bird or animal there or have a pet dog or cat always roaming on the spot, this might make cockatoos feel unsafe.
It is recommended not to place the cage of your other pets wherever you wish cockatoos to visit, at least not in the morning. Also, ensure you have not placed any predator decoys or shiny elements in your garden; they keep cockatoos away from your garden.
Use of pesticides can be harmful to them
Pesticides might be good for your plants, but certainly not for cockatoos. They are toxic for cockatoos and can cause severe harm. Instead, use oils and soap; they all do well against pesticides.
Final Thoughts
Inviting cockatoos to your home takes some time, but it is worth it. Just follow the ways I have discussed above. Also, keep changing the food once in a while, so they enjoy different tastes, and this way, you can also guess what they like most.
Lastly, make them feel invited and safe; that’s all it takes to see cockatoos visiting you daily.
