The Black Palm Cockatoo

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Black Palm Cockatoos are endangered, but loving friends

Black Palm Cockatoo

Black Palm Cockatoo

The Black Palm Cockatoo is considered to be the most beautiful of the Cockatoos.

However, the Palm Cockatoo is endangered in the wild and is mostly kept for breeding purposes. While the Palm Cockatoo is known for being loving and affectionate, just like any Cockatoo, they are also very needy. If you own a Cockatoo, then you know why they are called the “love sponges” of the parrots. And you also know that they are the most needy of all the pet birds and often love their owners too much.

These birds make great pets, but ONLY if you are an extremely experienced bird owner. This is VERY important.

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STOP! Before you buy a Cockatoo, READ THIS SITE!

To read more about Cockatoos as pets, please visit our Cockatoo page.

Cockatoos require a lot of time and attention–much more than any other pet bird. If you are able to spend at least two full hours a day with your bird (out of his cage), not leave the house for 6 or more hours everyday, cook for your bird and provide him with a variety of healthy foods, handle the loud screaming, afford the large cage and huge amount of toys, and deal with the adjustment stage that can include aggression, then rescuing a Cockatoo might be a great idea. Make sure you research as much as possible because you don’t want to add to the already out-of-hand rescue problem.

Because so many Cockatoos are left to rescues, I highly encourage you to visit your local parrot rescue, see what I’m talking about, and consider rescuing one of these poor magestic creatures instead of buying one in a store. If you can handle all this, then this really might be the right bird for you.

But keep in mind that Black Palm Cockatoos in particular are very hard to find. They can cost upwards of $16,000 because of their rarity and endangered status. So, don’t get your hopes up if you have your mind set on this species.

Fast Facts

Name Palm Cockatoo (Probosciger aterrimus), Black Palm Cockatoo, Goliath Cockatoo
Origin New Guinea and Queensland, Australia
Size 22-24 in., 900-1,000 grams
Color Differences The Palm Cockatoo is primarily black and dark gray with a red cheek patch that changes color when he is excited or alarmed. The Palm Cockatoo also has a very large crest and one of the largest bills of all parrots.
Average Cost $8,000-16,000
Lifespan 40-90 years
Noise Very loud–Most Cockatoos scream if they are not getting the attention they want.
Living Arrangements Because they can be very loud, they are best suited for living in a house.
Qualities Beautiful, loving, affectionate, rare in the wild, love to be handled, cuddly, needy, noisy, destructive, requires a lot of time and attention, prone to behavior problems.
Abilities Good–Cockatoos can learn to talk, but most only learn a few words or phrases. You can train them, but they would most likely prefer to just cuddle with you.
Interaction/Time Requirements Very high–They love their owners and want attention 24/7. You need to be prepared to spend at least 2 hours a day with a Cockatoo to give him the time and attention he needs.
Diet They need an x-large parrot diet.
Supplies Needed They need supplies for x-large parrots.
See How Black Palm Cockatoos Compare to Other Types of Pet Birds!

Black Palm Cockatoo Videos

“Black Palm Cockatoo”


This is a great video of a 10 year old Palm Cockatoo being handled by the staff at Golden Cockatoo. The video truly shows how loving and affectionate the Palm Cockatoo can be.

“Parrots in the Land of Oz: Hello, Palm Cockatoo!”


This is a fantastic educational video of Palm Cockatoos in the wild. This video will give you a good idea about the Palm Cockatoo’s natural behaviors and vocalizations.

“Sanctuary Takes Birds Owners Can’t Care For (WCCO-TV CBS)”


Many pet birds are landing in bird rescues all over the country. Cockatoos are very needy and many owners don’t realize how much it takes in order to keep their Cockatoo healthy, happy, and screaming/plucking/illness free. It truly takes a lot. This is a great video of a news story covering the common heartbreaking story of birds being given up by their owners. Or worse, birds being neglected by their owners and not receiving the love and care they so desperately need.

> See More Cockatoo Videos on our Cockatoo Video Page

Black Palm Cockatoo Training

Because Cockatoos are such needy parrots, they can quickly become screamers and feather pluckers. Even if you spend a few hours with your Cockatoo every day, he may scream every minute you’re not around.

For this reason, we highly recommend that you find an effective training program. Whether your parrot is new to your home or you’ve had him for years, a training program will always come in handy. We personally recommend the Bird Tricks Parrot Training Course by Dave and Jamieleigh Womach. You can see many of their videos for free to get an idea of how much they know about parrots and how they can help you train yours.

Below is one of Dave’s videos about stopping your Cockatoo’s screaming. Cockatoos tend to scream even if you spend plenty of time with them. This video is a great example of how effective the training courses are and how they are filled with a wealth of useful information for any bird owner.

This video is only the first step in stopping your Cockatoo from screaming. We highly recommend checking out the BirdTricks Training Course for training your parrot even further.

For more information about Dave and Jamieleigh’s courses, you can visit the Bird Tricks website HERE.

Cockatoo Education

To learn more about your pet Cockatoo, we recommend these books:

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Cockatoo Gifts

Have a friend of family member who loves Cockatoos? Gift them something that will truly spark joy!

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Have A Great Story About Your Black Palm?

Share your experience with others! There’s no better way to learn about a pet bird than from an owner.

Some helpful information for potential owners can be: What is the sex of your bird? Is he/she friendly? Loving? Cuddly? Talented? Messy? Loud? You get the idea!

Your comment may just help someone decide whether or not this pet bird is for them.

3 replies
  1. Black Palm Cockatoo
    Black Palm Cockatoo says:

    The Black Palm Cockatoo are extremely intelligent birds that possess a large and very powerful beak. These parrots are not known to be very affectionate, so if you are searching for a cuddly cockatoo this bird is probably not for you.

    This large companion parrot has a scientific name of Probosciger aterrimus and goes by a number of other common names such as the Black Macaw, Great Black Cockatoo, and Goliath Cockatoo. There are three subspecies that vary slightly in size.

    Reply
  3. Geeman Gaotia Pangarie
    Geeman Gaotia Pangarie says:

    Hi, I am Geeman Gaotia Pangarie and I’m from Papua New Guinea. More specifically, I am from Morobe Province from a local area known as Morobe Patrol Post which is right at the provincial boarders of Morobe and Oro Provinces.

    I am very interested in Black Palm Cockatoo because we have them naturally present in the wild in our area and I never knew it is a rare species, and also very expensive.

    Therefore, I would like to know more about how to catch them, or breed them and keep them safe and sell them if possible.

    I would be very grateful if anyone out there can offer advice.
    Thank you so much.

    Geeman Gaotia Pangarie

    Reply

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