Description
Life span: 30 + years
The smallest of the white cockatoos, the Goffin’s cockatoo, also called the Tanimbar corella, measures about 12 inches from head to tail. It is most likely to be mistaken for a bare-eyed cockatoo due to its similar look. Goffins are primarily white with darker feathers in the crest and neck region, as well as salmon-colored feathers around the eyes and beak. The undersides of the goffin’s wings and tail feathers are yellowish.
Habitat/Native Region
The Goffin’s Cockatoos native habitat is the Indonesian archipelago of Tanimbar Islands. They can be discovered in New Guinea as well.
As Pet
Behavior
Goffin’s cockatoos are highly intelligent birds that are excellent at opening cage doors. A 2013 Oxford University study found that Goffin can resolve intricate mechanical issues by disabling a string of locks one at a time. A puzzle box holding a nut was given to ten untrained Goffin’s cockatoos, along with a transparent door that was closed with a set of five interlocking mechanisms. To reach the nut, the cockatoos had to take out a pin, a screw, a bolt, turn a wheel 90 degrees, and then slide a latch sideways. Many of the other cockatoos mastered the difficulty with some help or by watching another cockatoo do it; one Goffin figured out the locks in less than two hours without any assistance.
Care
A Goffin’s cockatoo needs a sturdy cage to prevent escape as well as the bird from damaging the cage. Despite being smaller than other cockatoos, a Goffin’s cockatoo is quite active and needs a big cage to climb around in. A Goffin as a pet needs a steady supply of toys and suitable chew-and-destroy items. A Goffin needs challenging toys, like puzzles and games that call for disassembling or undoing knots.
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