If you have ever been around a child under twenty years old, you know how hard it is to make a child sleep when he says that he “is not tired”. So, Cumulus the Cockatoo is just that. But, when sleep time approaches, he comes alive, even breaking away from the cutest song and dance.
This little ham is always the star of his show. Bedtime? Never heard of him. Watch as Cumulus tells Mom he’s ready to sleep. Meaning: not!
In an instant. With so much charisma packed into one tiny body, Cumulus is the essence of unadulterated joy. He loves to sing and charm his adoring fans no matter the place or time of day. Never mind bedtime, Mom, this guy has the whole world to perform for!
When Cockatoo isn’t doing anything, he’s perfectly happy as the stock control pro at his mom’s bird clinic, even though singing is a part of him and he loves to show it off.
The cockatoo’s bedtime performance is a favorite because much like putting a small child to bed, many feel it’s one of Cumulus’ best clips ever.
“Going through 999 reasons why it’s not time to sleep right now,” one person wrote.
“He’s saying, ‘I won’t go to sleep; I’ll stay up and scream!’ said another.”
“No and if I’m not going to sleep then no one is,” another said.
Whatever he’s doing, and no matter how long he stays up and singing, you have my heart, Cumulus!
Training Your Cockatoo to Rest on Time
Cumulus aren’t just spirited parrots. They’re known for being very recognizably vocal. But when it comes to planning rest, Avian Behavior Worldwide has a little advice – especially if your parrot wakes up too early every morning or doesn’t go to bed at night – because they need about 10-12 hours of rest to feel better on their own. Think of it like sleep training a young child!
The very first step is to give a bird a cage that’s made for resting, place it in a separate, quiet room, and cover it at night. Some birds will still rest even if their inner clock tells them to wake them up or take time to rest. Make sure they have good toys to keep themselves occupied in the cage so they can scream and run around for a while before everyone wakes up.
For the first week, give praise, high-value treats, and exploration toys to wake them up in the mornings, but keep the cage secure. Be reliable and over time, your parrot will learn a lot from staying quiet in their cage until everyone is awake. Keep increasing the time you give these rewards as they calm down until you are ready to let them out.
To provide support and put your bird on a nighttime resting plan, do the same, but in reverse order. The goal is for them to learn to go into the isolated safe cage at night when they are quiet and get treats and toys. This is a preparation and won’t happen overnight, especially if you have a small furry animal like a Cockatoo that loves to sing and move around! Time it and in no time you’ll discover that your bird’s internal clock is ticking, and they’ll be ready for bed without you having to ask. Fingers crossed!