The Sulphur-crested cockatoo (Cacatua galerita) is a relatively large cockatoo found in wooded areas 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, they are well known in aviculture, although they can be demanding pets.
The Sulphur-crested cockatoo is a white parrot with a distinctive yellow crest on top of its head which it can raise or leave folded down. Its beak is dark grey-black. The underside of the wings and tail is a paler yellow. Females and males look the same but females have red-tinted brown eyes, while the eyes of males are darker brown.
The Sulphur-crested cockatoo is found in large numbers in the east and north of Australia and most of New Guinea with nearby smaller islands. It also lives in Western Australia, Singapore, Palau, Taiwan, Puerto Rico, and New Zealand as an introduced species. They live in areas with trees, such as tropical and subtropical rainforests. The vast savannas in northern Australia are also their home. They can be found in suburban areas, particularly in parks and gardens.
These cockatoos are diurnal gregarious birds, and flocks from a dozen up to several hundred will form. At sunrise they fly from the roosting grounds to the feeding grounds, flying back to roost at dusk. They feed in groups, while one individual watches for danger from a nearby perch. They shelter in trees during the hottest times of the day. Their flight pattern is typically a series of quick, shallow wing beats with gliding in between. They fly to and from feeding grounds at a considerable height, to swoop down in wide, sweeping circles. They are noisy birds and screeching is their main method of communication. They raise and spread their striking crests when danger threatens or during mating.
Sulphur-crested cockatoos are mainly herbivores (granivores, frugivores) and will feed on the ground as well as in trees. They eat mainly seeds, nuts, blossoms, fruits, insects, and insect larvae. Newly planted and ripening grains are another source.
These are monogamous birds that form long-lasting pair bonds. In the north, they breed from May until September, whereas in the south the season is from August to January. The usual nest is high in a tree hollow, most often near water. They breed once a year, when 2 to 3 white eggs are laid, to be incubated by both parents, for 27 to 30 days. Both parents feed the chicks. At approximately 70 days the chicks are ready to leave the nest but will stay with the parents, and family units will stay together indefinitely. Reproductive maturity for both males and females is around 3 to 4 years of age.
Sulphur-crested cockatoos are very popular as a cage-bird, but many of them escape to become pests in city areas. They are vulnerable to a viral disease where they lose their feathers and their bills grow misshapen. They can be shot or poisoned because they are a pest for farmers.
According to IUCN, the global population size has not been quantified. In some parts of Australia, they can be very abundant and may cause damage to cereal and fruit crops. Consequently, they can be shot or poisoned as pests. The introduced population in New Zealand may number fewer than 1000 birds. In Singapore, it is believed there are between 500 and 2000 birds. The population in Taiwan has been estimated at less than 100 breeding pairs. The ICUN lists the Sulphur-crested cockatoo as a "Least Concern, with a decreasing population trend due to ongoing habitat destruction.
