More about Jim and his mates
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (325759)
Rockingham, Australia
August 4, 2022 8:04pm CST
I thought if I’m going to be responsible for the health and well-being of a sulphur-crested cockatoo named Jim, I should know a bit more about them. And, being a generous soul, I thought I’d share my new-found knowledge with you here.
The sulphur-crested cockatoo (Cacatua galerita) is relatively large. It is white with lemon tints under the wings and tail and a bright yellow crest. They are 44–55 cm (17.5–21.5 in) long and weigh about 780 grams. In captivity, they live to 70 years or more. They are highly intelligent but can be raucous as pets. What is interesting is that they may eat clay to detoxify their food (geophagy). They also produce a fine powder which serves to waterproof their plumage.
They are ground-feeders and in the wild, one or two will stay perched high in a tree to keep a lookout for predators while the others are feeding. Wikipedia says that ‘cocky’ has entered Australian slang referring to a person keeping guard at illegal gambling gatherings. To me, cocky is slang for a farmer.
The photo is from Wikimedia Commons, courtesy of
Andrew Mercer ( CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Soon, I’ll have my own photos of a sulphur-crested cockatoo.
Edit: As well as being slang for a farmer, several have pointed out that 'cocky' also means brash or over-confident. I did know that but forgot about it when I wrote the piece. 
17 people like this
18 responses
@FourWalls (62125)
• United States
5 Aug 22
Beautiful birds. Very intelligent, too. My cousin had one as a pet once upon a time.
2 people like this
@FourWalls (62125)
• United States
5 Aug 22
@JudyEv — some cockatoos can talk, so if Jim eats Vince’s hearing aids he may have to stand on Vince’s shoulder and repeat everything someone says! 
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325759)
• Rockingham, Australia
6 Aug 22
@FourWalls We were teasing them that we'd try hard to teach him to swear. 
1 person likes this
@jobelbojel (34729)
• Philippines
6 Aug 22
Thanks for the information..
I am amazed that this kind of bird can live longer.
I hope we can see more photos of him.
1 person likes this
@jobelbojel (34729)
• Philippines
6 Aug 22
@JudyEv I hope I can see that. Have fun.
1 person likes this
@garfieldlee (159)
• China
6 Aug 22
When I was in middle school, my English textbook was designed as stories of Green's family life. They have a pet named Polly, she always said:'No news is good news'
1 person likes this
@garfieldlee (159)
• China
7 Aug 22
@JudyEv Yes, just like Lily, Lucy,Jack,Emily for British,or Lilei,Ligang,Zhangwei for Chinese.
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (45487)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
5 Aug 22
Cocky in these parts means boldly or brashly self-confident.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325759)
• Rockingham, Australia
6 Aug 22
I didn't know about the waterproofing powder. I'll have to have a good look at Jim when we're there.
!
@RebeccasFarm (86755)
• United States
5 Aug 22
Yes many definitions for cocky alright.
Isn't he a big bird!!
1 person likes this
@RebeccasFarm (86755)
• United States
5 Aug 22
@JudyEv Oh I bet I would not want to be anywhere near his beak
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325759)
• Rockingham, Australia
6 Aug 22
They do tend to squawk and screech a lot. It probably helps that this one has a big cage. The only time he made a bit of a noise was when he was on the verandah on his perch and he couldn't see us in the kitchen. So they moved the perch into the kitchen and he was perfectly happy.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (156159)
• United States
5 Aug 22
Cocky to us in the US is boldly or brashly self-confident. I can't wait to hear about your adventures house-sitting these animals.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (156159)
• United States
5 Aug 22
@JudyEv I'm looking forward to pictures!!!
1 person likes this
@misunderstood_zombie (8142)
• United States
7 Aug 22
To me cocky is someone who thinks way too highly of themselves and their abilities.
I've heard that they are very mischievous birds and cause damage to peoples homes and cars. The wild ones anyway. I just think they are so beautiful. I would love to visit your country just to see all the birds, and all the sites.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325759)
• Rockingham, Australia
7 Aug 22
They like to chew things and they need to do this to keep their beaks from growing too long. Like many creatures, they have the best lives if they are simply left alone in the wild. I hope you get to Australia one day. I feel fortunate to live here.
@wolfgirl569 (95165)
• Marion, Ohio
5 Aug 22
You will have a lot of fun with him.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325759)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Aug 22
They eat nuts and seeds mainly - sunflower seeds in particular. They chew wood to keep their beak worn down so we have to make sure he doesn't start chewing on chairs or whatever.
@JudyEv (325759)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Aug 22
It's awkward in a way, isn't it? In Australia, great flocks of budgerigars are found through the northern regions but the ones in households seem to adapt remarkably well.
