Why & When Do Cockatoos Puff Up? 5 Facts You Should Know

Cockatoos are one of the most famous pets generally known for their fun-loving and affectionate behavior. Let us find out the reasons why and when cockatoos puff up.

Cockatoos puff up their feathers to express certain feelings. They tend to puff up in different situations when they feel cold, sleepy, stressed out, scared, or even due to expressing joy and happiness also. Sometimes it is also found that cockatoos puff up their feathers without any reason. 

To understand the exact reason why cockatoos puff up their feathers, we have to notice their all over behavior properly. There are several signs along with puffed up feathers that indicate the health condition and feelings of cockatoos.

When do cockatoos puff up?

Puffing up is one of the most common features of cockatoos’ body language. There are several situations when cockatoos puff up their feathers, let us discuss them.

  • Cockatoos puff up their feathers when they want to be loved.
  • Cockatoos puff up their feathers when they feel sleepy.
  • Cockatoos puff up their feathers when they experience cold.
  • Cockatoos puff up their feathers when they are sick.
  • Cockatoos puff up their feathers when they have stress or depression.
  • Cockatoos puff up their feathers when they are angry or scared.
  • Cockatoos puff up their feathers when they try to impress.
  • Cockatoos puff up their feathers when they preen

1. Want to be loved

Cockatoos are very affectionate birds, they madly love their owners and always want to be the center of attention.

While in a very active playful mood, cockatoos come close to their owners and puff up their feathers and tilt their heads. It means they want to be loved, and want cuddles and rubs at that moment.

2. Feeling sleepy

Cockatoos also puff up while feeling sleepy.

After playing all day long and having their meal properly, mostly in the night time when cockatoos are found standing in a position and puffing up their feathers. It directly indicates that they feel sleepy at that point and want to take rest. 

Image Credits: Cockatoo puffing up by Peter Gaylard is licensed under (CC BY 2.0)

3. Feeling cold

Mostly during winters when the surrounding temperature drops, cockatoos puff up their feathers very often.

Puffing up is a mechanism to keep cockatoos warm. When cockatoos puff up their feathers, each feather blocks a layer of air between them and the air then acts as an insulator keeping them warm. 

4. Feeling sick

If a cockatoo seems so inactive, quiet, and puffed up most of the time of the day it directly indicates that the bird is sick. Along with puffing up, if cockatoo shivers continuously it means he has fever. 

During this time, cockatoos become so inactive that sometimes they could not even open their eyes properly, unable to pull their head straight and drop their feathers down from the actual position. 

5. Having stress or depression

Being a very sensitive and affectionate bird if a cockatoo does not get the proper attention it becomes stressed out and depressed. At this time it tends to puff the feathers up, become inactive, stop having meals and hide the face with feathers. 

6. Feeling angry or scared

Cockatoos tend to puff when they are angry or scared. Cockatoos try to make themselves look bigger by fluffing their feathers so that the opposite being is afraid of them. 

Along with puffing up they open their beak and tail, raise their crest, flash their eyes and scream loudly. These symptoms directly indicate that the following cockatoo is trying to defend itself and can attack the intruder in no time.

7. Try to impress

It is very common that cockatoos are found to puff up their feathers while trying to impress someone, preferably their mates.

Cockatoos puff up their feathers to show off their feather colors in front of their mates and raise their crests to impress them.

8. To preen

Sometimes cockatoos seem to puff up while preening. Sometimes they puff up, shake their bodies to release their tension, and sometimes they appear puffy without any reason also.

How do cockatoos puff up?

Cockatoos puff up their feathers by trapping a layer of air within each of their feathers. It is a technique through which they seem fuller and bigger and keep themselves warm.

Conclusion

Cockatoos are one of the most loving pets worldwide. They are very fun loving active birds which is why through analyzing their body language we can understand their feelings up to some extent. Puffing up is one of their features to express their feelings.

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