Sulphur-crested cockatoo
Sulphur-crested cockatoo Temporal range: Pleistocene - Present[1]
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C. g. galerita in Tasmania, Australia | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Psittaciformes |
Family: | Cacatuidae |
Genus: | Cacatua |
Subgenus: | Cacatua |
Species: | C. galerita
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Binomial name | |
Cacatua galerita (Latham, 1790)
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Sulphur-crested cockatoo range (in red), introduced range (in violet) |
The sulphur-crested cockatoo (Cacatua galerita) is a relatively large white cockatoo found in wooded habitats in Australia, New Guinea, and some of the islands of Indonesia. They can be locally very numerous, leading to them sometimes being considered pests. A highly intelligent bird,[4] they are well known in aviculture, although they can be demanding pets.
Distribution
In Australia, sulphur-crested cockatoos can be found widely in the north and east, ranging from the
Image | Scientific name | Common Name | Distribution |
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C. g. triton (Temminck, 1849) | Triton cockatoo | Found in New Guinea and the surrounding islands | |
C. g. eleonora (Finsch, 1867) | Eleonora cockatoo | Restricted to the Aru Islands in the Maluku province of eastern Indonesia
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C. g. fitzroyi (Mathews , 1912) |
Mathews cockatoo |
Northern Australia from West Australia to the Gulf of Carpentaria | |
C. g. galerita (Latham 1790) | Greater sulphur-crested cockatoo | Found from Cape York to Tasmania.[5] |
Introduced species
Within Australia, sulphur-crested cockatoos of the nominate race have also been
Description
Sulphur-crested cockatoos are 44–55 cm (17.5–21.5 in) long,[6] with the Australian subspecies larger than subspecies from New Guinea and nearby islands. The plumage is overall white, while the underwing and -tail are tinged yellow. The expressive crest is yellow. The bill is black, the legs are grey, and the eye-ring is whitish. Males typically have almost black eyes, whereas the females have a more red or brown eye, but this requires optimum viewing conditions to be seen. The differences between the subspecies are subtle. C. g. fitzroyi is similar to the nominate race but lacks the yellow on the ear tufts and has slightly blueish skin around the eye. C. g. eleonora is similar to C. g. fitzroyi but is smaller and has broader feathers in the crest, and C. g. triton is similar to C. g. eleonora except it has a smaller bill.[5][7][8]
It is similar in appearance to the three species of corellas found in Australia. However, corellas are smaller, lack the prominent yellow crest and have pale bills. In captivity, the sulphur-crested cockatoo is easily confused with the smaller yellow-crested cockatoo or the blue-eyed cockatoo with a differently shaped crest and a darker blue eye-ring.
Behaviour
Sulphur-crested cockatoos' distinctive raucous calls can be very loud, which is a result of an adaptation in order to travel through the forest environments in which they live, including tropical and subtropical rainforests. These birds are naturally curious, as well as very intelligent. They have adapted very well to European settlement in Australia and live in many urban areas.
Being intelligent, in Sydney, Australia, they have learned how to open garbage bins as a source of food.[9] The behavior spreads among the birds by imitation.[10] In captivity some will spontaneously dance to music with a variety of unique moves.[11]
These birds are very long-lived, and can live upwards of 70 years in captivity,
The sulphur-crested cockatoo is a seasonal breeder in Australia; little is known about its breeding behaviour in New Guinea. In southern Australia, the breeding season is from August to January, whereas in northern Australia the season is from May to September.
Sulphur-crested cockatoos have a range of visually observable expressions. A 2009 study involving an
Species that feed on the ground are very vulnerable to predator attack. The cockatoo has evolved a behavioural adaptation to protect against this: whenever there is a flock on the ground, there is at least one high up in a tree (usually a dead tree), keeping guard. This is so well known that it has even entered Australian slang: a person keeping guard for sudden police raids on illegal gambling gatherings is referred to as a cockatoo or cocky for short.[17]
Pest status
In some parts of Australia, sulphur-crested cockatoos can be very numerous, and may cause damage to cereal and fruit crops and newly planted tree seedlings, as well as soft timber on houses and outdoor furniture.[18] Consequently, they are sometimes shot or poisoned as pests. A government permit is required for any culling, because the birds are a protected species under the Australian Commonwealth Law.
Many have assumed that the human feeding of sulphur-crested cockatoos have caused many issues for the birds, including pest behaviour and disease in many localities. Numerous places around Australia like the Surf Coast in Victoria[19] and the Blue Mountains in New South Wales[20][21] have had residents complain and rules be constructed to forbid locals and visitors in towns and national parks from hand-feeding cockatoos.
Aviculture
Sulphur-crested cockatoos may no longer be imported into the
One cockatoo called Fred was still alive at 100 years of age in 2014.[24] Cocky Bennett of Tom Ugly's Point in Sydney was a celebrated sulphur-crested cockatoo who reached an age of 100 years or more. He had lost his feathers and was naked for much of his life, and died in the early years of the twentieth century. His body was stuffed and preserved after death.[25] Another 'cocky', born in 1921 and residing in Arncliffe with his owner Charlie Knighton, was 76 years old in the late 1990s.[12] Their longevity can cause a problem of being a beloved pet and bonding to an adult who then, as they age together, dies while the bird is in their prime but has lost their life partner. The deceased owner's children are often faced with the problem of how to rehome the bird. RSPCA in Canberra regularly form large flocks of these birds which are then rehabilitated to the wild as a family unit [citation needed].
Sulphur-crested cockatoos, along with many other parrots, are susceptible to psittacine beak and feather disease, a viral disease, which causes birds to lose their feathers and grow grotesquely shaped beaks. The disease occurs naturally in the wild,[26] and in captivity.[27]
References
- ^ "Fossilworks: Cacatua".
- ^ . Retrieved 11 November 2021.
- ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
- ^ Salleh, Anna (17 October 2020). "Sulphur-crested cockatoos can be noisy and destructive, but they're also very clever. Here are some facts you may not know". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
- ^ a b c d Rowley (1997), pp. 246–269.
- ^ "Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo - The Animal Facts - Appearance, Diet, Habitat". The Animal Facts. Retrieved 2021-12-02.
- ^ "Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Fact Sheet". Northern Parrots. Retrieved 2021-12-02.
- ^ "Bird watching in Australia - Sulphur-crested cockatoo". www.aladdin.st. Retrieved 2021-12-02.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-07-25.
- ^ Turnbull, Tiffanie (22 July 2021). "Clever cockatoos? Scientists go beyond the garbage". The New Daily.
- ^ "Scientists discover Snowball the cockatoo has 14 distinct dance moves". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21.
- ^ a b "Australia's Oldest Cocky: Qantas Amazing Australia". Burkes Backyard website. CTC Productions. 2006. Retrieved 2009-11-14.
- ^ Glenda Kwek (August 31, 2011). "Sydney's old crock of a cockie was a legend at 120". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved June 7, 2013.
- S2CID 83711585.
- S2CID 8133846.
- S2CID 220075824.
- ^ "The Sentimental Bloke". Australian Screen. 1919. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
- ^ "Guidelines for Reducing Cockatoo Damage" (PDF). Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning. Retrieved 2021-10-31.
- ^ "Cockatoos". www.surfcoast.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 2023-10-19.
- ^ "Neighbours beg: don't feed the birds". Blue Mountains Gazette. 2021-12-06. Retrieved 2023-10-19.
- ^ "PLEASE DON'T FEED THE COCKATOOS!". Pauline Conolly. 2018-05-16. Retrieved 2023-10-19.
- ^ "Wild Bird Conservation Act". US Fish and Wildlife Service. Retrieved 2012-12-27.
- ^ "Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Fact Sheet". Northern Parrots. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
- ^ "Queen sends letter to 100-year-old cockatoo". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2 November 2014.
- ^ Lendon (1973), p. xxvi.
- PMID 8494522.
- PMID 12130840.
Bibliography
- Lendon, Alan H. (1973). Australian Parrots in Field and Aviary (2nd ed.). Sydney: Angus and Robertson. ISBN 0-207-12424-8.
- Rowley, Ian (1997). "Family Cacatuidae (Cockatoos)". In Josep, del Hoyo; Andrew, Elliott; Jordi, Sargatal (eds.). Sandgrouse to Cuckoos. ISBN 9788487334221.
Further reading
- Flegg, Jim (2002). Birds of Australia: Photographic Field Guide. Sydney: Reed New Holland. ISBN 1-876334-78-9.
- Higgins, Peter J., ed. (1999). "Cacatua galerita Sulphur-crested Cockatoo" (PDF). ISBN 978-0-19-553071-1.
External links
- Sulphur-crested cockatoo videos, photos & sounds on the Internet Bird Collection
- Photograph of "Cocky" Bennett, 115 years old in this photo State Library of Victoria
- SCC research program run out of the Sydney Botanical Gardens
- Sulphur-Crested Cockatoos Guide: Housing - Breeding - Feeding