Do Cockatoos Bang Their Beaks? (Amazing Info)


Owning a cockatoo or any other bird species is quite fulfilling, but they can exhibit certain habits that you may consider unusual. They often display traits like beak tapping, clicking, grinding, or rubbing on other things. You need to know why they do it, and what are the consequences.

So, do cockatoos bang their beaks? It is common for cockatoos to bang their beaks on any object they come across to claim ownership or poke an unfamiliar object. As they get fond of you, they will also bang their beaks to capture your attention and to initiate petting. If they come across an object they fancy, they will rub against the material and keep tapping on it. They also tend to rub their beaks on surfaces to wipe them after eating.

We will intend to decode your bird’s body language to help you better understand them. We will also investigate the beak banging’s primary reasons to bring you closer to the world of these incredible species. Read on as we tell you more.

Why Do Cockatoos Tap Their Beaks?

Before you keep a cockatoo, you first have to understand their body language. By spending more time together, you will realize that the birds may come up to you and tap you with their beaks. They also tend to tap other items in their cages or any other object they come across.

The instinctive beak tapping is the birds’ way of declaring and claiming ownership of things or impress other birds or you as their owner! Secondly, they do it out of sheer curiosity when they spot an unfamiliar object. They particularly love doing it on reflective surfaces as they try to do a little investigation. It is also typical when they want to capture your attention.

If they love how a material feels on their beaks, they will continuously tap and rub the material. Their beaks have numerous nerve endings, and the parrots will take any chance they get to explore other items around.

The Cockatoos have some peculiar behaviors that may baffle any new bird owner. You will notice the frequent headbanging on things, especially hard and smooth surfaces like the floor or glass. Your first instinct is to worry about them getting hurt in the process.

Birds always do this in the wild with the hard tree stump; thus, be sure that their beaks can withstand the hit. Seemingly, all parrots, whether small, giant, male or female, often do it; it is instinctive, and it is near impossible to stop them.

The reason for the behavior may also vary depending on the bird’s personality. Some affection lovers do it to capture their owner’s attention or as a way to impress them. It may mean that they want to be petted or they simply miss your company. For males, they tend to tap when looking for a viable hollow spot for nesting, which is very natural and intuitive. Other times, your parrot may tap to create some noise, especially when you seem distant as if to say, “are you forgetting about me?”

The tapping should not worry you; your pet is fine and wants to explore things, claim ownership, or impress you. The tapping will also not hurt them in the process because they are used to exerting a lot of force on their beaks.

The only issue comes in when they start tapping you or the people around you. It becomes worse if you have children around. The best remedy is to keep the birds in their cages when you are having people over or when children are around. If you want them to mingle, it is best to supervise them to ensure there are no casualties.

Why Do Cockatoos Click Their Beaks?

The birds’ beak is not only for cracking nuts or building nests; it is also a form of communication with other birds or with their owner. Therefore, your bird will try to tell you a lot by clicking its beak. Let us help you decode it.

First, beak clicking is an indication of contentment among cockatoos. They do it when they are happy about something and use it as a greeting. They also seem to love it when people try to make soft clicking sounds to them, and they often respond with more clicking. Secondly, it may be an aggression indicator. If they are relaxed when doing it, there is no need to panic. If they otherwise do it fast, incessantly, and loudly, they don’t want anyone coming close to them.

Birds make the clicking sound when they slide their beak tips over each other. They often accompany the sounds with body language to express themselves when they are happy or agitated.

The clicking speed will also tell you a lot. If it is soft and the bird does not show any aggressive behavior, it is only a friendly gesture. Otherwise, if the clicking is loud and accompanied by charging towards you and an angry look in their eyes, it signifies aggression or perceives you as a threat.

They also do it instinctively when they want to defend their territory. Males often stretch their necks and stomp around in the process to scare away a newcomer. They do it to unfamiliar humans, as a warning to keep a distance. If you keep approaching or touch them when they show this trait, they may bite in a bid to defend themselves. Unlike beak grinding, clicking is louder, and you can easily decode it by monitoring other body movements.

Most times, pets clicking is a harmless trait. If it is just you and your cockatoo, the chances are high that it is merely a happy sound. They are certainly fond of your presence, and it is unlikely that they would perceive you as a threat. Other times, they may click, trying to remove a residue stuck in their mouth.

Why Do Cockatoos Rub Their Beaks on Things

Birds can continuously rub their beaks on objects in a repeated back and forth motion. They can do this on their cage grills, tree barks, or even any other surface or object they find. These behaviors may seem awkward at first, especially as a first-time owner; therefore, we have interpreted them for you.

Initially, birds rub their beaks to eliminate any leftovers that might have stuck on the bill. The rubbing may also be due to the urge to sharpen the beak because it wears given the frequent usage. Therefore, doing that helps them trim the bill, which would otherwise overgrow.

Lastly, the birds can rub their beaks against their counterparts to show affection or initiate courtship. If they love a certain object, bird, or person, they may rub against them.

1. Grooming Reasons

The same way humans clean hands after meals is the same way cockatoos rub their beaks. Birds eat by cracking open seeds and nuts, which often splutters all over their beaks and faces. Fresh and dry fruits also end up getting stuck on their bills.

It turns out that birds also have some table manners since they clean up after eating. If you notice that your pet is struggling to get rid of all the food particles, you can step in and help them by wiping them using a clean cloth.

2. Social Relations

Like other birds in the wild, Cockatoos use their beaks to communicate with their counterparts or convey different types of information. For one, cockatoos can show aggression to other birds by rubbing their beaks in a certain way.

They also rub their beaks to signal an approaching stranger or intruder. Other times, they do it to portray the excitement of being with members of their family. It is also typical for them to rub other parrots to initiate courtship and mating with females.

3. Beak Sharpening

When Cockatoos get older, their bills become a bit ineffective, and their growth also becomes retarded. At this stage, the birds will need to sharpen them to make them fit for feeding. Since cockatoos’ bills grow long, they have to rub them frequently to avoid overlapping.

The birds can use hard surfaces such as wood or stone to perch and swipe their bills just like you would slide your knife on a rough surface to hone it. This behavior keeps the Cockatoos’ continuously extending beaks tamed and refined for ease of feeding.

Beak rubbing is a habit for the birds; however, if you have a hunch that it is too much or your pet is hurting themselves, it is best to seek a bird expert’s help to be sure.

Cockatoos Bang Their Beaks

New parrot owners will be alarmed to find their birds tapping aggressively on surfaces or rubbing their beaks frequently. If you are worried about your bird’s well-being, we assure you that they are perfectly fine. The tapping is mostly out of instinct to show ownership, out of curiosity when they find an unfamiliar object, or when they want to investigate an object. They may also do it to capture your attention.

They mostly click to be friendly, and the rubbing is primarily for hygienic reasons. They obtain these characteristics from the wild, and it occurs to them based on instinct. They have no control over it, and there is no effective way to make them stop completely. If you feel that the habit will hurt them in the process, it is best to consult an expert.

Bal Kang

Bal Kang is an owner of several pets including reptiles, cats and dogs. An avid writer, who loves to share her insights into caring for pets.

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