Scientific Classification
- Common Name
- lesser sulphur-crested cockatoo
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Psittaciformes
- Family
- Cacatuidae
- Genus Species
- Cacatua (referring to the bird's call) sulphurea (yellow)
Fast Facts
- Description
- This cockatoo is a large white parrot with a yellow crest and ear spot, yellow under the wings and tail, and a hooked beak.
- Size
- Approximately 30 to 32.5 cm (12 to 13 in.)
- Weight
- Approximately 300 to 350 g (10.5 to 12.3 oz.)
- Diet
- Includes seeds, nuts, fruits, berries, and some insects
- Incubation
- Approximately 30 days
- Clutch Size
- 2 to 6 eggs
- Sexual Maturity
- Approximately 2 to 3 years
- Life Span
- 65 or more years
- Range
- Australia and southeast Asia
- Habitat
- Found in forests, scrubs, and grasslands
- Population
- 1,000 to 2,499 individuals
- Status
- IUCN: Critically Endangered
CITES: Appendix I
USFWS: Critically Endangered
Fun Facts
Lesser sulphur-crested cockatoos are the smallest of the sulphur-crested parrots.
Both parents take part in incubating the eggs.
Cockatoos can mimic the sounds of other animals, including people.
Cockatoos can hold their food in one foot and break pieces off of it with the other foot.
Cockatoos live in small, loose flocks.
They are very gregarious and quickly learn to mimic. These birds also have a very shrill cry.
Ecology and Conservation
Cockatoos are a food source for many animals larger than themselves.
Their feeding habits are very destructive, which annoys most gardeners. These birds are often regarded as pests because of their diets (sometimes feeding on crops).
They aid in seed dispersal through their eating of fruit.
Unsustainable collection for the pet trade industry has caused a drastic decline in this species' wild population.
The U.S. Wild Bird Act forbids the commercial import of any bird listed by CITES which includes most parrots, which are endangered or threatened.
Bibliography
Austin, G. Birds of the World. New York. Golden Press, Inc., 1961.
Decoten, A.E. Handbook of Cockatoos. Neptune City, NJ. T.F.H. Pub., 1981.
Diefenbach, K. The World of Cockatoos. Neptune City. NJ. T.F.H. Publications, 1985.
Forshaw, J.M. Parrots of the World. Neptune City, NJ. T.F.H. Publications, 1977.
Gotch, A.F. Birds - Their Latin Names Explained. UK. Blandford Books Ltd., 1981.
Simpson, D.P. Cassell's Latin Dictionary. New York. Macmillan Publishing Company. 1959.
birdlife.org/datazone/search/species_search.html
xmission.com/~hoglezoo/birds/cockatoo.htm
BirdLife International 2018. Cacatua sulphurea. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T22684777A131874695. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22684777A131874695.en. Downloaded on 09 March 2020.
Photo Credit: Lesser-sulphur_crested_cockatoo_31l07.jpg. Source: Wikimedia Commons. Image by: Snowmanradio. Year Created: 3 July 2007. Website: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lesser-sulphur_crested_cockatoo_31l07.JPG. License: CC by SA 2.0
