DID YOU KNOW?
The Yellow-crested Cockatoo may also tackle large coconuts (Cocos nucifera) for food.
Size:
33 cm (12.8 in)
Weight:
308-380 g (10.8-13.3 oz)
Subspecies including nominate:
three: C.s. sulphurea, C.s. parvula, C.s. abbotti
Colour Adult:
C.s. sulphurea: Both adults white plumage with yellow at bases of feathers of head and underparts; bright yellow crest and ear coverts. Beak black. Eye ring soft white. Eye dark brown in male, brown/red in female.
C.s. parvula: Both adults as in sulphurea, but yellow ear coverts paler and feather bases less yellow where mentioned.
C.s. abbotti: Both adults as in parvula but larger in size.
Colour Juvenile:
C.s. sulphurea: As in adult, but with pale grey eye.
C.s. parvula: As in adult.
C.s. abbotti: As in adult.
Call:
Call a harsh screech, less raucous than that of the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo. May also give sweeter squeaky notes and whistles.
Yellow-crested Cockatoo – AVoCet Cornell Lab Macaulay Library
More Information:
Content Sources:
CITES
BirdLife International
Cornell Lab of Ornithology/Birds of the World
A Guide to Parrots of the World, Juniper and Parr, 1998
Parrots: Status Survey and Conservation Plan 2000-2004, Snyder, McGowan, Gilardi and Grajal, 2000.
Parrots of the World, Forshaw and Cooper, 1977. 2010 edition
Vanished and Vanishing Parrots, Forshaw, 2017.
Parrots of the World, Forshaw, 2006.
Parrots in Aviculture, Low, 1992.
Psittacine Aviculture, Schubot, Clubb and Clubb, 1992.
Captive Status:
Once the best-known cockatoos outside Australia; less common since 1980s.
Longevity:
40-60 yrs
Housing:
Walk-in aviary, minimum length 4.5 m (14.7 ft).
Diet:
Mix of small seeds: canary, oats, safflower; spray millet; limited sunflower seed, dry, soaked or sprouted; sprouted pulses such as mung beans, cooked butterbeans and lentils; boiled maize; green leaves such as: Swiss chard, lettuce, sowthistle, dandelion, chickweed; fresh vegetable such as: corn, carrot, celery, zucchini, green beans or peas in the pod; fruit such as: apple, pear, orange, cactus fruits and bananas; nuts such as: walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans and roasted peanuts; complete kibble.
Enrichment:
Socialisation, bathing using overhead misters or misting bottles; chew toys (made of bird-safe wood and vegetable-tanned leather), fir, willow, pine and elder branches, different sized perches.
Nest Box Size:
12″ x 12″ x 24″ (30.5 cm x 30.5 cm x 61 cm) or 12″ x 12″ x 36″ (30.5 cm x 30.5 cm x 91.5 cm) vertical box.
Clutch Size:
2, sometimes 3
Fledging Age:
10-12 weeks
Hatch Weight:
—
Peak Weight:
—
Weaning Weight:
—
World Population:
1200-2000 mature individuals, decreasing.
IUCN Red List Status:
Critically Endangered
CITES Listing:
Appendix I
Threat Summary:
Has suffered steep declines (> 80%) due almost entirely to unsustainable exploitation for internal and international trade. Although exports became illegal in 1994, poor enforcement and monitoring enabled trapping to continue. Juvenile Komodo Dragons pose a threat to nestlings on Komodo. In total, the population is estimated to number 1,800-3,140, or 1,200-2,000 mature individuals, with the best estimate near the higher end of the range. This total is suspected to be only a small percentage of that present three generations ago when the species was still widespread throughout Sulawesi and large numbers still occurred throughout the Lesser Sundas. The rate of reduction over this time is suspected to have been between 80-90%. Future decreases are likely to be at a slower rate as the majority of the population is now concentrated in protected areas, but trapping continues and there are several islands at imminent risk of losing their remaining few individuals.
Range:
C.s. sulphurea: Sulawesi and nearby islands, and islands in Flores Sea. Introduced to Hong Kong and Singapore.
C.s. parvula: Nusa Penida and throughout Nusa Tenggara (except Sumba).
C.s. abbotti: Restricted to Masakambing Island, Java Sea.
Habitat:
Found up to 1200 m (3936 ft). Occurs in forest edge, woodland, farmland, coconut palms, semi-arid areas and forest.
Wild Diet:
Eats seeds, berries, flowers and leaves and leaf buds. Also will take bananas, mangoes, papaya, figs, guavas, coconuts and other cultivated fruits.
Ecology and Behaviour:
Usually encountered in pairs or small groups of up to ten birds. Larger flocks will gather to feed in fruiting trees. Are noisy and conspicuous. Groups leaving roosting areas in the mountains will fly down to lower elevations to feed. Love to rain-bathe.
Clutch and Egg Size:
2, sometimes 3, elliptical eggs, 41.0 x 27.0 mm (1.6 x 1 in).
Breeding Season:
On Buton September-October beginning; Nusa Tenggara April-May. Nests in tree cavity.
