Cockatoos: Birds with spectacular crests

The feathered friends we are going to feature today from the parrot family are called cockatoos. There are over 40 species of cockatoos found mostly in Australia and nearby islands. In Australia alone, around 21 species exist in the wild, while seven species have been recognised in Indonesia, New Guinea and other South Pacific Islands. Three species are known to occur in both Australia and New Guinea.

The name cockatoo is believed to have originated from the Malay name Kakaktua, which when translated literally means, kakak (sister), tua (old). In general, cockatoos share many features with other parrots, such as the characteristically curved beak, and feet with backward and forward toes. They are the only parrots that have powder down feathers and are believed to live the longest.

Cockatoos differ greatly from other members of the parrot family by their often spectacular provable crest (which becomes upright immediately after alighting or when alarmed or excited) the lack of Dyck texture feather composition that causes bright blue and green colours in other true parrots, the presence of a gall bladder and some other anatomical details.

Cockatoos on average are longer than the true parrots. Many species such as the Goffins Cockatoo, Red-vented Cockatoo, Yellow-Crested Cockatoo, and the Palm Cockatoo are considered endangered while some others are listed as vulnerable. The commonly seen cockatoos are the Greater-Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, the Medium Sulphur Crested Cockatoo and the Small Sulphur Crested Cockatoo.

One of the main reasons these feathered friends are listed as endangered is because they are often caught and sold as pets. Even though some species of cockatoos are not suitable as pets, most species are considered good household companions as they not only live for a long, long time, (sometimes outliving even the owner), but are also one of the most affectionate birds.

However, as the majority of birds are born to fly, it certainly seems cruel to deny any bird the freedom to fly and live freely in its natural habitat. If the expression 'as free as a bird' is to become meaningful, then we humans who use this phrase so frequently, and even dream of having wings to fly like a bird, should learn to respect a bird's ability to fly and not 'clip its wings' by caging it. But, having birds as pets is common and parrots are a favourite choice.

As cockatoos are birds who have displayed a great liking to be held, touched and petted, they are hot favourites among the parrots. In fact, they are known to have a 'cuddly' personality as they would sit for hours, cuddling up to their owners while they are being scratched.

They are affectionate, playful pets but one has to be wary of their loud screaming. The cockatoos communicate making loud, screeching sounds, and high pitched, long calls. The pitch varies when in flight and roosting.

Even domesticated as pets, the cockatoos could never be trained not to scream... Cockatoos are gregarious birds living in small flocks of 4-8 birds or larger flocks of 10-40 birds or sometimes 1,000-3,000 birds. They roost in large trees at night; preferably close to water.

They are early birds indeed and rise at sunrise to gather food which consists of grass, pine and other seeds, eucalyptus, fruits and nuts. Some species of cockatoos, especially the sulphur crested, are considered as pests because they destroy crops.

The female cockatoos usually lay upto three eggs and some birds nest in hollow limbs of eucalyptus trees.

The cockatoos which range in size from 12-13 inches (Goffins Cockatoos) to 27 inches (Goliath Palm Cockatoo) in length are mostly white in colour though some are grey, pink and black. The Palm Cockatoo is deep blue.

The Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, which weighs around 700-950 grams, is around 50 cm or 20 inches in length. There are four recognised species of this particular cockatoo and two are native to Australia. Icons of Australia's birds, these cockatoos are common and widespread, often forming huge flocks. They call out frequently with a raucous screech and the noise from several hundred birds in a flock could be deafening.

The Umbrella Cockatoo found in the Central and Northern Moluccan Islands and Indonesia is about 18 inches in length. It is white in colour with yellow on the underside and wings. It is considered as a good pet, and has the ability to talk with a limited vocabulary.

The Red-vented Cockatoo is considered to be the cutest of the cockatoos with a sweet face and attractive coloured feathers. The Leadbeater's Cockatoo also known as Major Michells Cockatoo is also one of the finest and attractive species with a long, spectacularly coloured crest and pink feathers.

The Bare-eyed Cockatoo is not very common. It has a rather ridiculous appearance with eye patches below the eyes. These give the look of perpetually baggy eyes. It is known as the most intelligent as well as the best talking cockatoo. In fact, it's almost as good as the African grey when it comes to talking.

The smallest of the species, the Goffins Cockatoo is an active, lovable bird that has wide eye-rings and a short, ridiculous looking crest. Well, now that you know such a lot about cockatoos, next time you see any at a zoo or on the television, see if you could identify the species. Learn about the other different species and what they look like if you can.

Next week too, we'll bring you information about more birds in this family.