Cockatoo

Quick Take

• One cockatoo's lifespan shattered every record ever set by a bird, and how it looked at the end is just as remarkable as how long it lived. Explore their lifespan →
• Cockatoos can craft custom tools, and what they actually *do* with them will surprise you. See their tool-making skills →
• Their emotional lives run so deep that separation from a partner can affect them in a very human way. Discover their bonding behavior →
• Despite being a popular pet, cockatoos have a trait that makes them actively unwelcome in their own native habitat. See why farmers clash with them →

The cockatoo is a smart and talkative bird with a brilliant crest of plumage on its head. Loyal, caring, and playful, the cockatoo’s high energy and noisy behavior are a reflection of its rich emotional inner life. These birds have a rather friendly temperament and sometimes make good companions for humans as pets.

In their native habitat of the Asia Pacific region, cockatoos are a familiar sight even in some urban and suburban areas, but their rambunctious and destructively playful behavior does not always make them welcome to the local people.

6 Fantastic Cockatoo Facts

• A sulphur-crested cockatoo from Sydney, Australia reportedly reached around 120 years of age, making him one of the oldest parrots ever recorded. The cockatoo was named Cocky Bennett and had lost all of his feathers by the time he passed away.
• Cockatoos are some of the most popular exotic birds in the international pet trade. They are a common sight in zoos and are sometimes kept as pets.
• One particular cockatoo named Harley has become an Instagram celebrity. Harley is a white (aka umbrella) cockatoo that resides in the Netherlands.
• Cockatoo birds have a sharp beak that sometimes acts as a sort of third leg when climbing or gripping objects.
• Cockatoos molt, or replace their flight feathers, at a very slow pace. One species takes a full two years to complete the molting process.
• Cockatoos clean themselves with constant preening. They create a powder-like substance and then apply it all over their bodies with their beaks to stay clean.

Evolution and Origins

Research indicates that cockatoos and parrots diverged roughly 40 million years ago. The 22 cockatoo species we see today can be traced back to approximately 27.9 million years ago during the Oligocene, with significant diversification occurring between 10 and 20 million years ago alongside notable changes in Australia’s vegetation.

The Australasia area has been identified as the origin of Psittaciformes. Furthermore, the cockatiel is believed to be one of the earliest branches of the cockatoo family, and upon closer inspection, the similarities between the two birds, such as their ability to raise and lower their crest feathers, become apparent.

Cockatoos display black or white feathers with accents of red, pink, or yellow, while parrots showcase green feathers with similar accents; the vivid colors arise from a bacteria-resistant pigment called psittacofulvin found in their feathers.

Classification and Scientific Name

The cockatoo bird is a type of parrot that belongs to the family Cacatuidae. The name comes from the Dutch word kaketoe, which is derived from the Malay word kakatua — ‘kaka’ meaning parrot.

Along with the true parrots and the New Zealand parrots, it is one of the few major families that make up the order of parrots known as the Psittaciformes.

There are currently 22 living species of cockatoos spread across seven different genera. Very few extinct cockatoos are known from the fossil record.

Different Types

Here are the different types of cockatoos:

• Baudin’s Black Cockatoo
• Blue-Eyed Cockatoo
• Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo
• Cockatiel
• Ducorps Corella
• Galah Cockatoo
• Gang-Gang Cockatoo
• Glossy Black Cockatoo
• Goffin’s Cockatoo
• Little Corella
• Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo
• Moluccan Cockatoo
• Palm Cockatoo
• Red-Tailed Black Cockatoo
• Red-Vented Cockatoo
• Slender-Billed Corella
• Sulfur-crested Cockatoo
• Western Corella
• White-Crested Cockatoo
• Yellow-Crested Cockatoo
• Yellow-Tailed Black Cockatoo

Appearance

The cockatoo is a medium- to large-sized parrot with a big curved beak, small rounded eyes, and an elaborate head crest that it can raise and lower at will for the purpose of signaling its mood to others. Cockatoos have a digital arrangement on their feet known as zygodactyls, which means that two of the toes are pointed forward and two are pointed backward. This allows them to tightly grip branches and climb up trees with a great deal of precision. They even have the ability to climb with one foot and grip food with the other foot.

Most cockatoos exhibit far less coloration compared to parrots. They are usually dressed in simple black-and-white because they lack the colorful patterns found in other parrots. However, a few species do come in all manner of bright and elaborate colors, including reds, blues, yellows, and greens.

The typical cockatoo species can measure anywhere between 12 and 24 inches in length and weigh up to a few pounds — roughly the size of a table lamp. The largest species is the great black or palm cockatoo, which can measure up to 24 inches in length.

Cockatoos are highly social animals that gather in large flocks. The size of the flock can vary from a few dozen to thousands depending on the amount of food available in a given area. Large flocks are often temporary, with individuals free to come and go at will. Cockatoos do not usually form strong bonds except with their mates.

They make loud and shrill sounds to communicate with each other through the dense foliage of their native habitats. These harsh noises allow them to convey their mood, send warnings, or build social bonds. The flock will leave sentries to stand guard and raise an alarm if a predator threatens them.

The crest feathers, too, convey important signals to nearby cockatoos. When they are down, these feathers signal a relaxed or docile mood. Erect feathers may suggest that the bird is highly agitated or excited. A featherless patch of skin under the eyes will also change color when the bird is excited.

Behavior

Cockatoos are somewhat nomadic birds that will travel great distances with large flocks in accordance with seasonal changes.

The degree to which they are willing to migrate depends on the species and the actual availability of food in the area. Forest-dwelling species, for instance, tend to migrate less because of a more stable food supply. Regardless of species, cockatoos are almost always active during the day and rest in their homes at night.

Cockatoos are some of the most intelligent birds on the planet. Scientists have observed, for instance, that they can create tools out of sticks with little prompting. Less well understood is their ability to make customized tools by breaking a stick to a more appropriate size.

The bird will then use the stick to bang against the hollow part of a tree. It is believed that this behavior may serve as a territorial warning or perhaps even be a means of deepening the bond with a mate. Studies show that cockatoos are also adept at puzzle-solving and object manipulation.

Habitat

In Asia, the cockatoo exclusively inhabits the Pacific region. A majority of the species are found in Australia, but they also have a wide distribution across the countries of the Philippines, New Guinea, eastern Indonesia (mainly the area of Sulawesi), and some scattered islands like the Solomon Islands.

Each species may occupy a wide number of different native habitats, including rainforests, pine forests, open plains, eucalyptus groves, and mangroves. They can also inhabit the lower slopes of some mountainous areas. Cockatoos prefer to roost in nests, tree hollows, or dense foliage.

Diet

The cockatoo’s primary diet consists of fruits, nuts, seeds, and roots. If cockatoos ever feel compelled to eat meat, they will usually resort to consuming insects. Some cockatoos may specialize in a specific type of vegetation or opportunistically feed on whatever they can find. They can use their strong curved beak and big muscular tongue as a sort of improvised tool to crack open shells or dig up roots and insects from the ground.

Predators and Threats

Cockatoos are often preyed upon by falcons, eagles, owls, snakes, and large cats in the wild. While they are not completely defenseless, their smaller size makes individuals susceptible to large predators if they can be picked off from the flock. They are also prone to diseases and infections.

Cockatoos have co-existed with humans for thousands of years. However, large-scale hunting and land development have led to some friction. Because of their highly specialized environmental requirements, cockatoos are vulnerable to habitat loss from logging, mining, and agriculture. Another big problem is the wildlife trade. International law severely restricts the capture and trade of cockatoos on the market, but illegal poaching nevertheless persists in many regions.

Some farmers consider cockatoos serious pests because they tend to feed on crops. People have resorted to poisoning, shooting, trapping, or scaring them away to prevent crop damage. When living near human settlements, they also tend to destroy property, damage gardens, or chew through wires to feed or keep their beaks sharp. This has sometimes led to an uneasy relationship with humans.

Reproduction, Babies, and Lifespan

Cockatoos are largely monogamous birds that can form deep, years-long bonds with their partners. Their emotional attachments are so strong that they are sometimes known to suffer psychologically upon being separated from a mate. Cockatoos are known to court each other by feeding or preening. These courtship displays tend to subside once the bond is established.

After acquiring a mate, the pair will find a pre-existing hole large enough for an adult to enter and then meticulously construct a nest from bits of sticks, wood chips, and leaves. These holes are sometimes so scarce that the cockatoos will compete against each other for real estate.

After mating, the female will lay anywhere between one and eight eggs in intervals of two to three days. Both parents share incubation duties once all the eggs have been laid. The last chicks to emerge from the eggs will face fierce competition for food and do not always survive.

During their first few years of life, the young birds will begin to develop and learn valuable skills from their parents. They tend to grow their flight feathers within the first few months after hatching and will usually reach sexual maturity between three and seven years of age.

Cockatoos enjoy long lifespans in the wild, typically 25 to 60 years. Some individuals have been known to live nearly as long as humans.

Population

Population numbers vary dramatically by species. According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, seven cockatoo species are currently threatened or vulnerable to extinction.

The closest species to extinction are the yellow-crested cockatoo and the Philippine cockatoo. Both are listed as critically endangered. The number of white cockatoos (aka umbrella cockatoos), which live on the islands of Indonesia, has also fallen low enough to qualify for endangered status.

Fortunately, the majority of cockatoo species are not currently at risk of extinction, perhaps because many of them inhabit large areas of interior Australia. Some species have adapted to or even benefited from human encroachment. The most widespread species is the galah or roseate cockatoo. Dozens or even hundreds can sometimes be seen soaring across the Australian horizon.

The cockatoo is currently protected by international treaties, which have helped to limit population depletion. Several organizations and zoos are dedicated to saving cockatoos from extinction and maintaining genetic diversity through breeding programs.