Cacatua galerita
Description
The Sulphur Crested Cockatoo is a large white bird with yellow crest, black feet and beak. Males are distinguished from females by the colour of the eye; females have slightly lighter (reddish) coloured iris. You will notice the male's head is slightly larger, when seen in pairs. Immature birds can resemble adults. The length of an adult is 450-500mm.
Distribution
Sulphur Crested Cockatoos can be found across open parts of north, south and eastern Australia, in forests and woodlands including Sydney backyards, usually nearer the water.
Habits & Habitat
Sulphur Crested Cockatoos feed on seeds, grains, nuts, fruits, bulbs, roots, insects and insect larvae. They fly in pairs and in large groups, and make a very loud 'arch arch' type of sound especially when flying in flocks. They can be destructive, chewing off large branches of trees (or wooden parts of a house!), but are also very entertaining, exhibiting clown-like behaviour in the wild. Sulphur crested cockatoos usually breed at 4-5 years of age. Males put on displays for the females in courtship, often performed during the process of nest preparation, which usually occurs in the hollows of large trees such as eucalypts.
Links and References
Reader's Digest (1986), "Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds"
.