Sulphur-crested cockatoo

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Sulphur-crested cockatoo
Temporal range: Pleistocene - Present [1]
Cacatua galerita Tas 2.jpg
C. g. galerita in Tasmania, Australia
CITES Appendix II (CITES) [3]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Psittaciformes
Family: Cacatuidae
Genus: Cacatua
Subgenus: Cacatua
Species:
C. galerita
Binomial name
Cacatua galerita
(Latham, 1790)
Cacatua galerita range map.png
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.

Contents

Distribution

In Australia, sulphur-crested cockatoos can be found widely in the north and east, ranging from the Kimberley to as far south as Tasmania, but avoiding arid inland areas with few trees. They are numerous in suburban habitats in cities such as Adelaide, Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth. Except for highland areas, they occur throughout most of New Guinea and on nearby smaller islands such as Waigeo, Misool and Aru, and various islands in the Cenderawasih Bay and Milne Bay. There are four recognised subspecies:

ImageScientific nameCommon NameDistribution
Triton cockatoo (Cacatua galerita triton), Gembira Loka Zoo, Yogyakarta, 2015-03-15 04.jpg C. g. triton (Temminck, 1849) Triton cockatoo Found in New Guinea and the surrounding islands
CacatuaPaco.jpg C. g. eleonora (Finsch, 1867) Eleonora cockatoo Restricted to the Aru Islands in the Maluku province of eastern Indonesia
Cacatua galerita fitzroyi 1.jpg C. g. fitzroyi (Mathews, 1912) Mathews cockatoo Northern Australia from West Australia to the Gulf of Carpentaria
Cacatua galerita galerita - Bloedel Floral Conservatory, Queen Elizabeth Park - Vancouver, Canada - DSC07540.JPG 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 introduced to Perth, which is far outside the natural range. Outside Australia, they have been introduced to Singapore, where their numbers have been estimated to be between 500 and 2000. They have also been introduced to Palau and New Zealand. In New Zealand, the introduced populations may number less than 1000. This species has also been recorded as established in Hawaii and from various islands in Wallacea (e.g. Kai Islands and Ambon), but it is unclear if it has managed to become established there. [2]

Description

Sulphur-crested cockatoo in the Bushland Shire, northern suburban Sydney.
In South Australia Sulphur-crested cockatoo (Cacatua galerita galerita) in flight Mount Pleasant.jpg
In South Australia

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

Walking on grass in Tasmania, Australia Cacatua galerita Risdon.jpg
Walking on grass in Tasmania, Australia
Perched on a tree in Victoria, Australia Sulphur Crested Cockatoo Nov10.jpg
Perched on a tree in Victoria, Australia

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, [12] [13] although they only live to about 20–40 years in the wild. They have been known to engage in geophagy, the process of eating clay to detoxify their food. These birds produce a very fine powder to waterproof themselves instead of oil as many other birds do.

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. [5] The nest is a bed of wood chips in a hollow in a tree. Like many other parrots it competes with others of its species and with other species for nesting sites. [14] Two to three eggs are laid and incubation lasts between 25–27 days. Both parents incubate the eggs and raise the nestlings. The nestling period is between 9 and 12 weeks, and the young fledglings remain with their parents for a number of months after fledging. [5]

Sulphur-crested cockatoos have a range of visually observable expressions. A 2009 study involving an Eleonora cockatoo (the subspecies Cacatua galerita eleonora) named Snowball found that sulphur-crested cockatoos are capable of synchronizing movements to a musical beat. [15] Sulphur-crested cockatoos use facial expressions (with their feathers) to indicate positive emotions. [16]

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

Numerous cockatoos causing damage to polystyrene facade on a shopping centre, New South Wales Sulphur-crested Cockatoos damaging a shopping centre facade.jpg
Numerous cockatoos causing damage to polystyrene facade on a shopping centre, New South Wales

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 United States as a result of the Wild Bird Conservation Act (WBCA). [22] However, they have been bred in captivity, with Eleonora and Triton cockatoos the most common subspecies seen in aviculture in the USA and Europe. [23] They are socially demanding pets and have a natural desire to chew wood and other hard and organic materials. They are also loud, often unleashing loud squawks or piercing screeches. They may also make aggressive, unpredictable movements which can frighten people and animals unaware of the accompanying affection.

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]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cockatoo</span> Any bird in the family Cacatuidae

A cockatoo is any of the 21 species of parrots belonging to the family Cacatuidae, the only family in the superfamily Cacatuoidea. Along with the Psittacoidea and the Strigopoidea, they make up the order Psittaciformes. The family has a mainly Australasian distribution, ranging from the Philippines and the eastern Indonesian islands of Wallacea to New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tanimbar corella</span> Species of bird

The Tanimbar corella, also known as Goffin's cockatoo or Tanimbar cockatoo, is a species of cockatoo endemic to forests of Yamdena, Larat and Selaru, all islands in the Tanimbar Islands archipelago in Indonesia. It has been introduced to the Kai Islands, Indonesia, Puerto Rico and Singapore. This species was only formally described in 2004, after it was discovered that the previous formal descriptions pertained to individuals of a different cockatoo species, the Ducorps' or Solomons cockatoo. Tanimbar corellas are the smallest of the white cockatoos. It is classified as Near Threatened due to deforestation and bird trade. It breeds well in captivity and there is a large avicultural population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cockatiel</span> Species of bird

The cockatiel, also known as the weero/weiro or quarrion, is a medium-sized parrot that is a member of its own branch of the cockatoo family endemic to Australia. They are prized as household exotic bird pets and companion parrots throughout the world and are relatively easy to breed compared to other parrots. As a caged bird, cockatiels are second in popularity only to the budgerigar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palm cockatoo</span> Species of bird from the South Pacific

The palm cockatoo, also known as the goliath cockatoo or great black cockatoo, is a large, smoky-grey/black parrot of the cockatoo family native to New Guinea, the Aru Islands and the Cape York Peninsula in Queensland, Australia. It has a crest of long feathers atop its head, with a very large and strong, sharply-hooked black beak, and prominent bright-red cheek patches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salmon-crested cockatoo</span> Species of bird

The salmon-crested cockatoo, also known as the Moluccan cockatoo, is a cockatoo endemic to the Seram archipelago in eastern Indonesia. At a height of up to 46–52 centimetres (1.51–1.71 ft) and weight of up to 850 grams (1.87 lb), it is among the largest of the white cockatoos. The female is slightly smaller than the male on average. It has white-pink feathers with a definite peachy glow, a slight yellow on the underwing and underside of the tail feathers and a large retractable recumbent crest which it raises when threatened, revealing hitherto concealed bright red-orange plumes to frighten potential attackers. It may also be raised in excitement or in other 'emotional' displays. Some describe the crest as "flamingo-colored". It also has one of the louder calls in the parrot world and in captivity is a capable mimic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Galah</span> Type of cockatoo

The galah, less commonly known as the pink and grey cockatoo or rose-breasted cockatoo, is an Australian species of cockatoo and the only member of the genus Eolophus. The galah is adapted to a wide variety of modified and unmodified habitats and is one of Australia's most abundant and widespread bird species. The species is endemic to mainland Australia. It was introduced to Tasmania, where it is now widespread, in the mid-19th century and much more recently to New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White cockatoo</span> Species of bird

The white cockatoo, also known as the umbrella cockatoo, is a medium-sized all-white cockatoo endemic to tropical rainforest on islands of Indonesia. When surprised, it extends a large and striking head crest, which has a semicircular shape. The wings and tail have a pale yellow or lemon color which is exposed when they fly. It is similar to other species of white cockatoo such as yellow-crested cockatoo, sulphur-crested cockatoo, and salmon-crested cockatoo, all of which have yellow, orange or pink crest feathers instead of white.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Citron-crested cockatoo</span> Subspecies of bird

The citron-crested cockatoo is a medium-sized cockatoo with an orange crest, dark grey beak, pale orange ear patches, and strong feet and claws. The underside of the larger wing and tail feathers have a pale yellow color. The eyelid color is a very light blue. Both sexes are similar. Females have a copper colored eye where as the male has a very dark black eye.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow-crested cockatoo</span> Species of bird

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little corella</span> Species of bird

The little corella, also known as the short-billed corella, bare-eyed cockatoo, blood-stained cockatoo, and little cockatoo is a white cockatoo native to Australia and southern New Guinea. It was known as Birdirra among the Yindjibarndi people of the central and western Pilbara. They would keep them as pets, or traditionally cook and eat them. The downy feathers are used in traditional ceremonies and dances where they adorn head and armbands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red-tailed black cockatoo</span> Large black cockatoo native to Australia

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue-eyed cockatoo</span> Type of cockatoo

The blue-eyed cockatoo is a large, mainly white cockatoo about 50 cm (20 in) long with a mobile crest, a black beak, and a light blue rim of featherless skin around each eye that gives this species its name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Psittacine beak and feather disease</span> Viral disease affecting parrots

Psittacine beak and feather disease (PBFD) is a viral disease affecting all Old World and New World parrots. The causative virus—beak and feather disease virus (BFDV)—belongs to the taxonomic genus Circovirus, family Circoviridae. It attacks the feather follicles and the beak and claw matrices of the bird, causing progressive feather, claw and beak malformation and necrosis. In later stages of the disease, feather shaft constriction occurs, hampering development until eventually all feather growth stops. It occurs in an acutely fatal form and a chronic form.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Feral parrot</span> Parrot in non-native environment

A feral parrot is a parrot that has adapted to life in an ecosystem to which it is not native. The birds are often descended from pets that have escaped or been deliberately released. Many species of parrots are highly social, and like to gather in large flocks. Not all feral parrots are able to adapt to life outside of captivity, although having a pre-existing nearby parrot colony can assist with the adaptation process.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eleonora cockatoo</span> Subspecies of bird

The Eleonora cockatoo, Cacatua galerita eleonora, also known as medium sulphur-crested cockatoo, is a subspecies of the sulphur-crested cockatoo. It is native to the Aru Islands in the province of Maluku in eastern Indonesia, but has also been introduced to Kai Islands. Avicultural populations are well-established in Europe and the United States.

<i>Cacatua</i> (subgenus) Subgenus of birds

Cacatua is a subgenus of the white cockatoos. They are found in wooded habitats from Wallacea east to the Bismarck Archipelago and south to Australia. With the exception of the yellow-crested cockatoo, all are relatively large cockatoos with a total length of 45–55 cm (18–22 in). Their plumage is mainly white, and the underwing and -tail have a yellowish tinge. Their crest is expressive and brightly coloured in most species. Unlike the members of the subgenus Licmetis, the members of the subgenus Cacatua have a black bill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greater sulphur-crested cockatoo</span> Subspecies of bird

The greater sulphur-crested cockatoo is the nominate subspecies of the sulphur-crested cockatoo. It is native to eastern Australia from Cape York to Tasmania, and has been introduced to places like Indonesia, and the Palau Islands. Its length is up to 50 cm (20 in) and weighs 0.91 kg (2 lb), making them some of the largest cockatoo species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Triton cockatoo</span> Subspecies of bird

The Triton cockatoo is one of the four subspecies of the sulphur-crested cockatoo. The cockatoo was first described by Dutch zoologist, Coenraad Jacob Temminck, in 1849. There is no documentation as to why Temminck selected this name however it is suggested that it was named after the Dutch corvette, Triton, which operated off the Dutch New Guinea coastline, in 19th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mathews' cockatoo</span> Subspecies of bird

The Mathews' cockatoo or northern sulphur-crested cockatoo is a subspecies of the sulphur-crested cockatoo. Its scientific name relates to the area in which it was first found, the Fitzroy River and its common name comes from Gregory Mathews, the Australian ornithologist who first identified it as a subspecies in 1912.

References

  1. ↑ "Fossilworks: Cacatua".
  2. 1 2 BirdLife International (2018). "Cacatua galerita". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2018: e.T22684781A131914971. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22684781A131914971.en . Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  3. ↑ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  4. ↑ 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.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Rowley (1997), pp. 246–269.
  6. ↑ "Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo - The Animal Facts - Appearance, Diet, Habitat". The Animal Facts. Retrieved 2021-12-02.
  7. ↑ "Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Fact Sheet". Northern Parrots. Retrieved 2021-12-02.
  8. ↑ "Bird watching in Australia - Sulphur-crested cockatoo". www.aladdin.st. Retrieved 2021-12-02.
  9. ↑ Gorman, James (2021-07-22). "Trash Parrots Invent New Skill in Australian Suburbs". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2021-07-25.
  10. ↑ Turnbull, Tiffanie (22 July 2021). "Clever cockatoos? Scientists go beyond the garbage". The New Daily.
  11. ↑ "Scientists discover Snowball the cockatoo has 14 distinct dance moves". YouTube. 8 July 2019. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21.
  12. 1 2 "Australia's Oldest Cocky: Qantas Amazing Australia". Burkes Backyard website. CTC Productions. 2006. Retrieved 2009-11-14.
  13. ↑ 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.
  14. ↑ Heinsohn, Robert; Murphy, Stephen; Legge, Sarah (2003). "Overlap and competition for nest holes among eclectus parrots, palm cockatoos and sulphur-crested cockatoos". Australian Journal of Zoology. 51 (1): 81–94. doi:10.1071/ZO02003. S2CID   83711585.
  15. ↑ Patel, Aniruddh D.; Iversen, JR; Bregman, MR; Schulz, I (2009-04-30). "Experimental Evidence for Synchronization to a Musical Beat in a Nonhuman Animal". Current Biology . 19 (10): 827–30. Bibcode:2009CBio...19..827P. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2009.03.038 . PMID   19409790. S2CID   8133846.
  16. ↑ Bertin, Aline; Beraud, Arielle; Lansade, Léa; Mulot, Baptiste; Arnould, Cécile (2020-09-01). "Bill covering and nape feather ruffling as indicators of calm states in the Sulphur-crested cockatoo (Cacatua galerita)". Behavioural Processes. 178: 104188. doi: 10.1016/j.beproc.2020.104188 . ISSN   0376-6357. PMID   32598901. S2CID   220075824.
  17. ↑ "The Sentimental Bloke". Australian Screen. 1919. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
  18. ↑ "Guidelines for Reducing Cockatoo Damage" (PDF). Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning. Retrieved 2021-10-31.
  19. ↑ "Cockatoos". www.surfcoast.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 2023-10-19.
  20. ↑ "Neighbours beg: don't feed the birds". Blue Mountains Gazette. 2021-12-06. Retrieved 2023-10-19.
  21. ↑ "PLEASE DON'T FEED THE COCKATOOS!". Pauline Conolly. 2018-05-16. Retrieved 2023-10-19.
  22. ↑ "Wild Bird Conservation Act". US Fish and Wildlife Service. Retrieved 2012-12-27.
  23. ↑ "Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Fact Sheet". Northern Parrots. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  24. ↑ "Queen sends letter to 100-year-old cockatoo". Australian Broadcasting Corporation . 2 November 2014.
  25. ↑ Lendon (1973), p. xxvi.
  26. ↑ Raidal, S.; McElnea, C.; Cross, G. (1993). "Seroprevalence of psittacine beak and feather disease in wild psittacine birds in New South Wales". Australian Veterinary Journal. 70 (4): 137–139. doi:10.1111/j.1751-0813.1993.tb06105.x. PMID   8494522.
  27. ↑ Kiatipattanasakul-Banlunara, W; Tantileartcharoen R; Katayama K; Suzuki K; Lekdumrogsak T; Nakayama H; Doi K (2002). "Psittacine beak and feather disease in three captive sulphur-crested cockatoos (Cacatua galerita) in Thailand". Journal of Veterinary Medical Science. 64 (6): 527–529. doi: 10.1292/jvms.64.527 . PMID   12130840.

Bibliography

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