COCKATOOS 
7) HESE birds have great crests which they 
can erect at will; they are never green like 
parrots, but are usually white or gray or 
brownish, with the crest of brilliant color, 
and often with brilliant colors on the under 
side of the tail. Inmany respects they dif- 
fer from other parrots. They are more affectionate, 
and perhaps more dependent upon the devotion and 
kindness of their master or mistress. They are nat- 
urally gay and happy birds, full of delightful tricks. 
I once saw in the Zoo two of these birds playing with 
each other like a pair of kittens, rolling over and over 
on the floor. At first I thought they were fight- 
ing but it was real play. They are quite as intelli- 
gent as parrots, and can be taught to speak, although 
usually not so proficient as the parrots in this gift. 
While they are very noisy when several are kept to- 
gether, this tendency may be much reduced in the 
individual bird by giving it affectionate care. If the 
cockatoo is happy and healthy and well-cared-for, 
it seems to forget tosquawk. The most common 
of the pet cockatoos are the rose-breasted, the sul- 
phur-crested, the rose-crested and the lead-beater. 
The cockatoos come from Australia and the Indian 
Islands. They make their nests in decaying trees. 
HOUSE 
The cage of the cockatoo should be like that of the 
parrot, excepting that this bird is usually larger, and 
should therefore have more ample quarters. 
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