With so many options for bird cages, it is hard to determine which one will work for both you and your Cockatoo.
Listed are five bird cages for your Cockatoo. Not all bird cages are created equal. To get the best one for your bird first, you need to determine your means and living situation so that the pen itself doesn’t create a hassle for you. Then look at your bird, especially their size and activity level.
While the process might seem intimidating read further to get tips on the bare minimum that your bird needs along with extras that will make your life easier. After that, we will show you 5 great cages for cockatoos.
In the end, you something that will make your bird feel like your home is theirs also so that you will have a harmonious environment for all involved.
What should you keep in mind when choosing a cage?
To know what kind of cage to purchase for your bird first, you must understand the bird itself and its habits, while also being honest about what you can accommodate in your home.
There is no use getting an aviary while you live in a one-bedroom house. Below are some things to consider when hunting for that perfect cage.
Size of your bird
Generally, Cockatoos range from 12 to 26 inches; the size of your bird is the most significant factor in determining what kind of cage you will need to get for your bird.
If your Cockatoo is on the smaller side, then you will have a lot more options to work with. However, more substantial breeds require a bigger cage.
If you have the room, the more prominent the cage, the better, look for the biggest pen that you can find without limiting the quality of the enclosure itself. Doing so will give your Cockatoo added freedom to fly around their cage and play.
For those that don’t have that type of room, the rule of thumb is if your bird can stand up straight with their wings fully spread without touching the parameter of your cage.
This guide gives them enough room to move about in the pen itself. While you will need to let your Cockatoo out of the cage every day for people with smaller cages, try to increase this time so that they do not feel that they are trapped.
If the enclosure does not have a play top, more on that later, then create perches around your home. Something else to consider for the size of your bird’s cage is the energy level of your bird.
An animal that is highly intelligent needs activity to prevent it from letting boredom set in, low activity is debilitating to any living thing with intelligence; in birds, this will lead to aggressive outbursts.
And the Cockatoo is a very energic species. Assesh the energy level of your bird and accommodate it with a bigger cage.
Socializing
A cockatoo loves to be around their family (you), so the cage needs to fit in the high traffic areas of your home. Typically this means a living room or other main living area.
So look at your living situation and think about what can fit in the current arrangement. Something to consider about the placement of your Cockatoo’s cage is that they tend to be very vocally energetic.
While your Cockatoos can talk they don’t develop that habit as much as other parrots, they do love to hear their voice. So if you spend a lot of time in your bedroom, it’s best not to keep your bird in that room unless you like waking up at all times of the night.
Another room that you need to avoid for your bird is the kitchen. Even if it might be a high traffic area, it just gets too hot for your Cockatoo to live comfortably.
The fumes from preparing and cooking food might prove toxic to your feathered friend.
What the cage is made of
The overall construction of the cage needs to be sturdy, preferably made of metal rather than plastic, which they can easily chew through. If the pen is at all flimsy, your bird will attack it with gusto, because they can, annihilating any weak points.
Traditionally a bird’s cage will be made of wrought iron and painted with non-toxic powder coating.
While these types of enclosures are perfectly fine, they will not see out last your Cockatoo who can live up to, depending on the breed of your Cockatoo, from 20-60 years old. Some even live up to 90 years old.
A longer-lasting option is the stainless steel cage. While these run towards the more expensive side, a stainless steel cage will be worth it overall due to their durability.
These cages will be a lifelong pet, so get something that can last with them instead of cheap substitutes. These cages last longer and are not as easily torn apart by your bird. They are also non-toxic, which is always great.
The stainless steel cage will last a very long time, so you don’t have to buy bird cages continually, and your bird can grow used to their surroundings.
The only downside is the expense, which if you look at it overall, this is the cheaper option. When purchasing a stainless steel cage, make sure it is 100% high-grade solid stainless steel so that it doesn’t rust.
Regular size stainless steel cages are hard to find online, so look to your local pet store or specialty shop. If you want to try out how your bird reacts to the stainless steel, then you can easily find a travel cage online to test it out.
Features that will make life easier
Besides the cage itself, certain elements are necessary for the overall wellbeing for your bird. First, the cage needs perches so that your Cockatoo has a comfortable place to stand and rest.
Perches plural also, they need a variety of options. If the pen that you want or have doesn’t have any poles you can also buy one that hooks to the cage itself, or if you have room get a java tree that will make them feel they are in an actual tree.
Some people like a tray at the bottom of the cage to quickly clean any waste or seeds that might fall to the bottom of the cage.
These are better for larger cages where your bird doesn’t have a lot of contact with the base. For smaller enclosures where your Cockatoo needs that extra area to play, it’s best to use paper for easy cleaning.
For larger cages, a cage with castors or wheels will make your life easier if you like to rearrange your furniture often or you want to take your bird outside in their cage.
These cages typically come with a shelf at the bottom of the cage giving extra storage for all of your bird accessories. Some even have the option to remove the cage part and then store the bottom half with the wheels.
Playtops are the type of cages that have perches or ladders on the top. Designed so that when you let your bird outside of the pen, they have a place to perch. If you have poles around your home, it isn’t necessary.
If you don’t the play top works well and is at the right height for your bird to perch. Perch height should be eye level. You don’t want your bird to look down on you because they begin to think that they dominate the situation.
Other things to look out for
Consider the size of your bird when assessing the spacing of the bars on the cage. The bars need to be small enough so that your bird doesn’t get their head or feet stuck in the bars.
The cage should come with a water and feeding bowl that fits on the bars of the pen. Feeding and water bowls should not sit at the bottom of the cage.
If it doesn’t make sure to get the type of dishes that will fit on the bars of your particular cage and are sturdy enough from them to perch on while they eat or drink.
The door/s to your bird’s cage should be easy to lock. Your Cockatoo will easily be able to open a door and get out. Consider the size of your bird before purchasing a cage for them.
If they are a smaller Cockatoo, then the regular latch door will work fine. A giant bird will be able to snap that tiny latch in half and then have their way with your house while you are out of the house.
Separate doors and fasteners can be ordered if the standard ones that come with your cage are subpar. Measure the size of the opening on the enclosure then get entries that match that exact size.
Any mix-matched doors will be easily Macgyvered by your intelligent Cockatoo.
What makes a good cage?
There is no perfect cage, only the best one that fits you and your bird’s living situation. The ultimate qualities of a better pen are a place for your parrot to play and perch.
If your bird is happy and content with showing a continued interest in playing, then you have made the right choice.
However, don’t get anything that will make life miserable because it might turn into resentment for your bird, who doesn’t deserve it. Balance is key.
Get something big enough that they can move around and doesn’t feel trapped. If you have ever gone to the zoo and seen animals pacing back and forth, then you know how a smaller cage affects an intelligent creatures mindset.
The cage needs to be sturdy enough for them to climb and bite at the bars.
While the space between the bars themselves should be small enough that your Cockatoo doesn’t get their head stuck. But big enough that they also don’t get their feet stuck either if your bird gets their feet stuck and are in the position for exceedingly long they will knaw through their foot.
This is an instinct developed in the wild the idea is simple. The bird would rather live without a foot rather than die with it.
Cage options and examples
Below are five examples of cages to give you an idea of what to look for when purchasing an enclosure for the first time. Choose one that fits both your living arrangements and your budget.
Aviary
Aviaries are large bird cages that are typically outside. However, there are indoor aviaries. They will usually fit from your ceiling to the floor itself. With these types of pens, your Cockatoo will be able to fly about inside their cage.
These, of course, are not feasible for everyone.
First, you need the funds to be able to pay for a quality aviary and the room to store them. Before you leave your birds outside, Cockatoos are more adaptive to warmer weather since they come from the rainforest in Indonesia and Australia.
Do not put your bird outside during the colder months. If you are keeping your aviary inside ensure that it is in the main living area and you have room to accommodate the aviary.
An aviary works well if you don’t want your bird to have extended periods outside of their cage, but you also want them to have room to fly around.
This enclosure here is the perfect midsized aviary that you could have in or outdoors depending on your situation.
Some of the features included are:
- Perches all the way to the top
- Food and water bowl attachments
- A tray at the bottom for easy cleaning
Other features to consider:
- Dimensions: 31 x 31 x 71
- Weight: 67 lbs
- Weatherproof finish
- Glazed Pine (When purchasing something made of Pine for your bird make sure it isn’t Pitched Pine which gives off an odor)
- Powder-coated grid (make sure the grid matches with you bird’s size.)
Larger aviaries are for sale if you want something outdoors that you can also walk into, look around if this one doesn’t fit your needs!
Decorative cage
Unfortunately, it seems that when choosing anything, we either have to pick between looks or reliability. Are these shoes comfortable, or do they look good? They don’t have to be mutually exclusive.
Since your Cockatoo’s cage needs to be in a high travel area of the house, you can purchase something that fits into the décor of your living arrangements.
One such as this white cage works for both decoratively and functionally.
Additional features include:
- Four hanging feed and water bowls with own door
- Opening play top
- Perches
- Tray for easy cleanup
Construction:
- Powder-coated wrought Iron cage
- Bar Spacing: 5/8″
- Dimensions: 31″ x 29″ x 63″
Bargain
You don’t have to be rich to own a cockatoo. It’s fun to own a fancy cage for your bird, but maybe right now all that you can afford is your bird, their healthcare, and a place for them to stay. This is ok.
For those that are bargain hunting all that you need is a well-made cage. The tray itself is handy, but you can also use newspaper or other non-toxic paper to line the bottom of the cage.
Perches are great can be purchased either online or at your local retailer. Bowls for water and food can be found for cheap also, and toys for birds can be so cheap that you can buy baby toys or even make your own out of bottle caps.
These cages will be powder-coated or Plastic-Coated Wire Cages. They will not last as long as say a stainless steel cage. So save up for something better so that you don’t have to keep buying pens after cages.
Note that with Plastic-Coated Wire cages the metal underneath the plastic could be toxic to your bird. If you purchase one of these cages keep an eye on the coating and how your bird interacts with it.
If you notice that your Cockatoo has been chewing on the pen to the point where the surface is gone, it is time to buy another cage.
Just because you are looking for a bargain doesn’t mean that you have to skimp on the necessities. This cage here is cheaper than the other ones listed.
However, it still has as many features as the others.
Additional features include:
- Four hanging feed and water bowls with own door
- Perches
- Tray for easy cleanup
- Wheels
- Removeable cage
Construction:
- Powder-coated wrought Iron cage
- Bar Spacing: 1/2″
- Dimensions: 25″ x 17″ x 53″
Play-top cages
These cages, as stated above, have perches along with play areas on the top of the cage itself for your bird. It comes in handy when letting your Cockatoo out of their cage so that they have somewhere to rest.
This play top birdcage here has different sizes and colors that you can choose from.
Additional features include:
- Four hanging feed and water bowls with own door
- Perches
- Tray for easy cleanup
- Wheels
- Playtop
Construction:
- Powder-coated wrought Iron cage
- Bar Spacing: 3/4″
- Dimensions: 4 different sized pens ranging from 57″ high to 66″
- Eight different colors to choose from.
Cages with wheels
If you are like I am you love to have a relaxing time outside on your patio where you can drink sweet tea read until you are uncomfortable. Your bird would enjoy this time too.
Or say you are the type of person that gets bored with how their home is arrangement and feel that itching to change everything every few months. Then you need a cage with wheels so that you can move your bird with you.
If you do take your bird outside in their cage, make sure the door is secure and only do this in the warmer months. Also pay attention to your bird’s reaction to this activity, if they are freaking out too much just put a stop to it.
Try it out a little bit at a time to see how they adjust to it.
When rearranging your home with a bird, keep them in a main living area with the rest of the family — an exception of course to the kitchen due to the smells, toxicity, and temperature.
Also, keep them in a corner with two walls next to their cage so that they feel safe without direct light from outdoors.
You might think that your bird would love to be next to the window, however, if it too much sun where they can’t move away and also the activity level will make them agitated and nervous.
This rolling cage here comes in large and x-large depending on the size of your Cockatoo.
Additional features include:
- Four hanging feed and water bowls with own door
- Perches
- Tray for easy cleanup
- Wheels
- Removeable cage
Construction:
- Powder-coated wrought Iron cage
- Bar Spacing: 1/2″
- Dimensions: 37″ x 23″ x 60″
Related questions
What do Cockatoos like to play with? Since the Cockatoo is an intelligent animal, it needs a lot of play and things to play. Anything that can be chewed, climbed, or explored is great for this curious bird. You can buy toys at your local pet store or make your own with bottle caps and large beads.
They also like to play with baby toys. We show you some great baby toys for large parrots here!
What trees do Cockatoos live in? Cockatoos come from two separate locations, either Indonesia or Australia. For the types that come from Indonesia, they are accustomed to tropical type forests, while the Australian types deal mostly with the vast plains. For perching type of wood go for anything that doesn’t have a strong odor.
Do Cockatoos make good pets? They do, and they don’t. If you have not had a parrot before the Cockatoo should not be your first experience, they are better for people who have experience with birds. They also do not make a great companion for children. If you accept this loud and in charge bird, for itself, the lifelong bond will be rewarding.
