Cacatuidae – Cockatoos

The Cacatuidae (Cockatoos) family is one of four in the order Psittaciformes; the other three families are Strigopoidea (New Zealand Parrots), Psittacidae (African & New World Parrots) and Psittaculiudae (Old World Parrots). Cockatoos have a mainly Australasian distribution, ranging from the Philippines and the eastern Indonesian islands of Wallacea to New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Australia.

They are recognisable by the showy crests and curved bills. 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. On average they are larger than other parrots; however, the Cockatiel, the smallest cockatoo species, is a small bird.

Gang-gang Cockatoo Callocephalon fimbriatum – ©Rod Waddington CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The phylogenetic position of the cockatiel remains unresolved, other than that it is one of the earliest offshoots of the cockatoo lineage. The five large black coloured cockatoos of the genus Calyptorhynchus form one branch. 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.

Palm Cockatoo Probosciger aterrimus – ©Dubi Shapiro

Cockatoos prefer to eat seeds, tubers, corms, fruit, flowers and insects. They often feed in large flocks, particularly when ground-feeding. They are monogamous and nest in tree hollows. 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.

Galah Eolophus roseicapilla – ©Charles J Sharp via Wikimedia Commons

Cockatoos are popular birds in aviculture, but their needs are difficult to meet. The cockatiel is the easiest cockatoo species to maintain and is by far the most frequently kept in captivity. White Cockatoos are more commonly found in captivity than Black Cockatoos. Illegal trade in wild-caught birds contributes to the decline of some cockatoo species in the wild.

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Cacatua galerita
– ©Sardaka CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

They are diurnal and require daylight to find their food. They are not early risers, instead waiting until the sun has warmed their roosting sites before feeding. All species are generally highly social and roost, forage and travel in colourful and noisy flocks. These vary in size depending on availability of food; in times of plenty, flocks are small and number a hundred birds or less, while in droughts or other times of adversity, they may swell up to contain thousands or even tens of thousands of birds; one record from the Kimberley noted a flock of 32,000 Little Corellas. Species that inhabit open country form larger flocks than those of forested areas. Some species require roosting sites that are located near drinking sites; other species travel great distances between the roosting and feeding sites. They have several characteristic methods of bathing; they may hang upside down or fly about in the rain or flutter in wet leaves in the canopy.