Sulphur Crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita ) 

"The sulphur crested cockatoo is a big bird. They sometimes sit on our school fence. If they fly past they are very noisy."
by Paige, 2W
 

General Information

Description: Sulphur Crested Cockatoos have white feathers all over their body with the exception of underneath their wings and tail which is yellow and their crest (from which they get their name), which is also yellow. Normally the crest is laid back and only raised when they are either afraid, curious or putting on a display.  The Sulphur Crested Cockatoo grows from from 40 to 55 cm in length and they weigh from 700 to 950 grams. They like to live in large flocks and are more active in the morning, preferring to roost in leafy trees during the hotter part of the day. Sulphur Crested Cockatoos make an excellent pet which are affectionate and friendly. They do have a tendency to bond to only one person, often becoming aggressive to others. They are highly intelligent birds, which, like most cockatoos, need constant stimulation with toys and objects to chew to keep them from getting bored.

Voice: A Sulphur Crested Cockatoo's voice is an extremely loud raucous screech and they are particularly noisy when they are in large flocks. When flying as a flock they will frequently call out with a loud raucous screech and the noise from a flock of several hundred can be deafening.

Habitat: The Sulphur Crested Cockatoo is one of the best know of Australian birds. It is a common and widespread, extending from Tasmania through Victoria and New South Wales to the northern most tip of Queensland, and though the northern part of the Northern Territory into the Kimberly area of Western Australia. Introduced populations are established near Perth, in Western Australia.

Food:  Because Sulphur Crested Cockatoos are basically a seed and grain eating bird, they are often considered a pest by farmers as they descend in large numbers on their wheat or corn crop. They eat various seeds, nuts, grain, berries, fruit flowers etc as well as small insects and their larvae.  Most of this food is obtained from the ground and some of the flock will act as sentry birds in trees, and alert the flock if danger approaches.

Breeding: Sulphur Crested Cockatoos build their nest in a cavity or hollow high up in a gum tree. Both male and female help build the nest and in raising the young birds. The female will lay up to 3 eggs (normally 2) which take 30 days to hatch (both parents help sit on the eggs) and the young take approx 70 days to leave the nest. The breeding season extends from August to January in the south and May to September in the north.

Click each photo below for a larger view.

Reference: Information -  Birds of Australia and other Internet sites.                  
                   Photos - ©  G. Crew 2003, Stefan 2007.

Some information and pictures were taken from children's charts and where credited to that child does not claim to be original information. Where possible, permission to reproduce has been sought and ownership credited. Any infringement of copyright is purely unintentional and ownership of pictures and information used is freely acknowledged.