Its genus name Calyptorhynchus is derived from the Greek words calyptos - hidden - and rhynchus - beak. The Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus banksii is a large dark grey-black cockatoo up to 63cm in length. In addition to vocalisations, palm cockatoos communicate over large distances by drumming on a dead branch with a stick.Cockatoo species also make a characteristic hissing sound when threatened.Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos Male (rear) and female (perched) Some, like the gang-gang cockatoo, are comparatively quiet but do have softer growling calls when feeding. The use of calls and number of specific calls varies by species the Carnaby's black cockatoo has as many as 15 different calls, whereas others, such as Major Mitchell's cockatoo, have fewer.
The vocalisations of cockatoos are loud and harsh.They serve a number of functions, including allowing individuals to recognize one another, alerting others of predators, indicating individual moods, maintaining the cohesion of a flock and as warnings when defending nests. Illegal trade in wild-caught birds contributes to the decline of some cockatoo species in the wild. White cockatoos are more commonly found in captivity than black cockatoos. The cockatiel is the easiest cockatoo species to maintain and is by far the most frequently kept in captivity. The members of the genus Calyptorhynchus and larger white cockatoos, such as the sulphur-crested cockatoo and Major Mitchell's cockatoo, have shorter, rounder wings and a more leisurely flight.Ĭockatoos are popular birds in aviculture, but their needs are difficult to meet. They generally have long broad wings used in rapid flight, with speeds up to 70 km/h (43 mph) being recorded for galahs. Like other parrots, cockatoos have short legs, strong claws, a waddling gait and often use their strong bill as a third limb when climbing through branches. Some cockatoo species have been adversely affected by habitat loss, particularly from a shortage of suitable nesting hollows after large mature trees are cleared conversely, some species have adapted well to human changes and are considered agricultural pests. Cockatoos are monogamous and nest in tree hollows. They often feed in large flocks, particularly when ground-feeding. The second and larger branch is formed by the genus Cacatua, comprising 11 species of white-plumaged cockatoos and four monotypic genera that branched off earlier namely the pink and white Major Mitchell's cockatoo, the pink and grey galah, the mainly grey gang-gang cockatoo and the large black-plumaged palm cockatoo.Ĭockatoos prefer to eat seeds, tubers, corms, fruit, flowers and insects. The five large black coloured cockatoos of the genus Calyptorhynchus form one branch.
The remaining species are in two main clades. The phylogenetic position of the cockatiel remains unresolved, other than that it is one of the earliest offshoots of the cockatoo lineage. On average they are larger than other parrots however, the cockatiel, the smallest cockatoo species, is a small bird. Their plumage is generally less colourful than that of other parrots, being mainly white, grey or black and often with coloured features in the crest, cheeks or tail. The family has a mainly Australasian distribution, ranging from the Philippines and the eastern Indonesian islands of Wallacea to New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Australia.Ĭockatoos are recognisable by the showy crests and curved bills. Along with the Psittacoidea (true parrots) and the Strigopoidea (large New Zealand parrots), they make up the order Psittaciformes (parrots). A cockatoo is a parrot that is any of the 21 species belonging to the bird family Cacatuidae, the only family in the superfamily Cacatuoidea.
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