Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo
Modified: 30-11--0001 00:00:00
The Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Cacatua galerita, is one of the larger and more widespread of Australia's cockatoos. Frequently sought as a cage bird in other countries, in Australia they can be so numerous that in places they are shot or poisoned as pests. WIld birds often come to visit caged birds, who will call to attract them and man, are these birds loud.
They can be destructive to cereal and fruit crops, as well as timber structures such as house planking and trees.
The Sulphur-crested Cockatoo is similar in appearance to the three species of corella found in Australia. Corellas are smaller, however, and lack the prominent yellow crest, there are a few regional subspecies within Australia.
Usually these birds will weigh around 800 grams and can be very loud. Their call is meant to travel through the forest environments in which they live, including tropical and subtropical rainforests. These birds are naturally curious creatures, as well as very intelligent. They have adapted very well to European settlement in Australia and live in many urban areas.
Sulphur-crested Cockatoos, along with many other parrots, are susceptible to a widespread viral disease known as Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease (PBFD), which causes the birds to lose their feathers and grow grotesquely shaped beaks.
These birds range throughout the various climates in Australia, from Far North Queensland beyond the Iron Range Mountains, as well as parts of the Snowy Mountains. They are also numerous in Adelaide and Southern South Australia and can be spotted north of Perth.
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