Scientific Classification
- Common Name
- Ducorp's cockatoo
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Psittaciformes
- Family
- Cacatuidae
- Genus Species
- Cacatua (referring to the bird's call) ducorpsii
Fast Facts
- Description
- This is a large white parrot with yellow under the wings and tail and blue skin around the eyes. The crest is completely white. The beak is hooked and blue-gray blue.
- Size
- Approximately 33 cm (13 in.)
- Weight
- Approximately 500 to 630 g (17.5 to 22.05 oz)
- Diet
- Seeds, nuts, fruits, berries, and some insects
- Incubation
- Approximately 30 days
- Clutch Size
- 2 to 6 eggs
- Sexual Maturity
- Approximately 5 to 6 years
- Life Span
- Approximately 65 or more years
- Range
- Solomon Islands; Papua, New Guinea
- Habitat
- Inhabits dense forests
- Population
- The population has not been assessed but the species is considered common within its range.
- Status
- IUCN: Least Concern
CITES: Appendix II
USFWS: Not listed
Fun Facts
These birds are often regarded as pests because of their diets (sometimes feeding on crops); licensed culling is permitted in certain states.
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 many gardeners.
Cockatoos aid in seed dispersal through their eating of fruit.
This species is relatively new to U.S. aviculture because these islands were closed to the export of birds for many years. Previously, only a small number were imported into the United States until late 1993 when the U.S. stopped commercial importation of most bird species.
This species is very common in the pet trade.
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 International 2018. Cacatua ducorpsii . The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T22684823A130100557. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22684823A130100557.en. Downloaded on 13 March 2020.
Photo Credit: Cacatua_ducorpsii-5.jpg. Source: Wikimedia Commons. Image by: Mohd Rosdi Zainal Abidin. Year Created: 15 August 2008. Website: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cacatua_ducorpsii-5.jpg. License: CC by SA 2.0.
