Why does my cockatoo jump and hurt himself when I feed him?

He is bored. Provide a variety of toys and puzzle feeders for him. Increase play time, both in the cage and out, to keep him distracted. When the behavior is seen, a stern "No" should stop him and then he can be distracted. Be firm and be consistent.

It is not uncommon for birds to chew at one particular spot on a perch. It looks like you have a number of wooden dowel perches in the cage - you could try to vary these by providing Manzanita wood perches (they look more like branches) and this may provide them with some areas that they can clean their beaks and wear their nails as well. For your question about the food dishes - it is very common for birds to only utilize materials (including food, water, toys, and perches) that are at the top of their cage. The reason for this is that they typically live in the trees, so they like to be high up the majority of the time. I would advise removing the dishes that are down low, and only providing dishes high in the cage. You can still provide multiple dishes if desired, in case you have some competition for food among the birds in the family. I hope that answers your questions, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

He could just be bored or stretching. Giving him time outside of his cage to exercise, as well as providing plenty of enrichment such as toys, treats, time together, etc can help keep him in shape and reduce boredom.

thanks for reaching out about Zucchini. Boredom is common in pet birds. In the wild, they tend to spend 70-80% of their day foraging for food, but we place it all in a bowl. So hiding food around, using foraging toys will help to occupy this little brain. Good luck.

A bird may do this out of curiosity or for attention. If he is behaving normally otherwise, there is likely no cause for concern. Allow for more playtime in and out of the cage to see if that makes a difference.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This may be just playful behavior. You can consider securing it to the cage with some type of material or just getting a new water bowl of a different color she may prefer. Best of luck!

What you can do really depends on what the cause is, so trying to find the cause is best. If you suspect illness, seeking out a vet appointment is a good first step to rule out any health issues or pain that can cause behavioral changes. Sometimes, aggression can be caused by boredom, stress or even an urge to mate. Adding in enriching toys or allowing Coco to explore his environment may help with boredom and keep him happier and occupied. Moving his cage to someplace quieter or without harassment by other pets and people can help reduce stress in addition to adding some fun toys or treats to play with. If he is trying to mate, sometimes changing the daylight hours and decrease protein amount in the diet can help, as well as distraction with interactive toys/ignoring/avoiding the behavior. If he does seem stressed and lash out, giving him a chance to calm down and relax before interacting again may also help.