Cockatoo Lifespan: Can Cockatoos Live For 60 Years?

In this article, we will not only discuss the cockatoo lifespan but also its behavior. If you know how one thing operates or how the cockatoo behaves, it becomes easier for you to handle them and give them extra care, which they demand.

If you are one who needs to know about the life expectancy of cockatoos and why they live so long, this article is for you. And also we will share many types of cockatoos with you. So let’s dive into the article for the plethora of knowledge and owner’s experiences. 

Are Cockatoos Good Pets? 

We need to delve into cockatoo’s behavior and traits to examine if cockatoos are good pets. Cockatoos, like other parrots, are affectionate, talkative, colorful, and attractive avian birds until their requirements are completely taken care of. Otherwise, it takes a short time for cockatoos to become aggressive and scream.

If you meet their requirements and needs on time, cockatoos make a good pet. Cockatoos are good pets. If you have given attention, they ask for and take care of them completely from the very start. Else it becomes hard for the new owners to handle cockatoos as they are the center of the Universe. 

A properly trained and socialized cockatoo is the perfect bird for your home. They are entertaining, dance to the rhythm, and become easily attached. However, they are jealous birds as well. They become jealous and aggressive if they find owners with other pets and humans. 

Why do cockatoos live so long? 

The maximum age cockatoos live is 80-100 years, but is it true always for all types of cockatoos or avian birds? We will explore it now. 

Why do cockatoos live so long? Scientific studies have revealed the higher age expectancy in parrots is due to their high body temperature, an abundance of glucose, and high metabolic rate. Well, if this were the case in humans, we would have been short-lived. 

However, birds grow with a special mechanism that protects them from quick aging. And another reason experts suggest why birds live so long is because of their ability to escape quickly from the predator’s attack. 

The average lifespan of a cockatoo 

When it comes to the average lifespan of birds, the numbers quickly decrease. The maximum age the cockatoo can live is 80-100 years. These high numbers of parrots age shock humans because the birds can live more in comparison to us and other mammals. But this is not the case. All the cockatoos do not live this long. 

On average, cockatoos can live 40-50 years. However, cockatoos live up to 25 years from 5.5 years. The age factor is mounted on various other factors, such as diet, emotional balance, and the attention they receive from owners. 

Types of cockatoos and their life expectancy 

In this segment, we will explore all the types of cockatoos and their life expectancies. Although cockatoos can live 20- 80 years, most of the cockatoos die till the age of 25. This is the average life of cockatoos and other parrots. This segment entices some unique cockatoos species and their life spans. 

🔹Moluccan Cockatoo

Alternatively called salmon-crested cockatoos, Moluccan is the largest among all the cockatoo species. The life expectancy of Moluccan cockatoos is also higher among all of them. The age of the Moluccan cockatoo can vary between 70-80 years or more. This is because they maintain their hygiene, stick to what they want to eat, and take extra attention. They are attractive because of the pink shade over their head and the completely white body with a black, powerful beak.  

🔹Goffin’s cockatoo

Goffin’s cockatoo is the smallest in the cockatoo species. They are also referred to as Tanimbar Corella. The age expectancy of Goffin’s cockatoo is 40 years or more. They can live up to 40 years if they are highly maintained, well-balanced, and socialized. Though Goffin sometimes dies in captivity with a lack of attention or companions. They are white-colored, pink or orange shaded above the head, and cute. 

🔹Cockatiel

Either we know their names or call them typical parrots, but we see them in most domestic cages. They are little colorful birds with orange or black rings underneath their eyes. 

The cockatiel is talkative, cuddly, and outgoing. A cockatiel can live 10-15 years in the wild and if they are properly domesticated and socialized, they can live up to 30 years. 

🔹Sulfur-crested cockatoo

Sulfur-crested cockatoos are highly demanding and attention seekers. They are found in the wild in Australia. However, in Australia, they are popular because of the spruce head with orange shed. The expected lifespan of sulfur-crested cockatoos is 20 – 40 years if they are properly raised and maintained. 

🔹Galah Cockatoo

Galah cockatoo is attractive because of their pink outlook. They are famous as rose-breasted cockatoos or pink and grey cockatoos. You can find them abundantly in the wilds in Australia or in domestication. The lifespan of a Galah cockatoo is 20 – 40 years. However, if you properly raise them and give complete attention to them, the numbers can rise from 40 to 80.

🔹Umbrella Cockatoo

Umbrella cockatoos are impressive and attractive birds. The lifespan of the Umbrella cockatoo is about 40-50 years in the zoo or wild. And in domestication, the life expectancy of the Umbrella cockatoo is about 60 – 70 years. As they are demanding and seek lots of attention, they need experienced hands to handle them. 

🔹Black-palm cockatoo

Black-palm cockatoo, like other birds of the same species, seeks more attention and requires extra care. They look strong and attractive because they are block colored and have pink cheeks. The lifespan of a black-palm cockatoo is about 80 years in proper domestication with lots of care. They can become aggressive easily, so for aggression to not become their habit, they require experienced hands.

Factors affecting the lifespan of cockatoo 

As we have discussed above, cockatoos can live happily, young and longer if they are given extra care, attention, and a proper diet. The average lifespan of the cockatoo is about 80 years or more if they have lived in a suitable environment. 

The major factors that affect the lifespan of a cockatoo are proper hygiene and diet. You must be careful about their diet and care. If the proper diet is not followed and abandoned from time to time or for a longer time, the expectancy decreases and falls somewhere between 20 – 30 years. The general care for cockatoos is the ointment to increase their lifespan. 

They need stimulation, emotional touch, and better air quality. You should free them out of the cage for a longer time so that they can feel the environment and explore their body. 

Final Thoughts

Now that we know the average cockatoo lifespan is about 40 years, we need to understand also how we have to take care of them and give them a proper, hygienic diet. For this, we need to understand their behavioral patterns and traits. 

It gets easier for us and the owners to handle cockatoos if they understand their behavioral traits. Because they are highly demanding and attention seekers, it is difficult for first-timers to take care of them. Though it is easy for experienced owners to take charge of their health, cockatoos grow better and healthier.