Cockatoo Facts

About the cockatoo

There are 22 cockatoo species, ranging from the Philippines and eastern Indonesia through New Guinea and the Solomon Islands to Australia. Their feathers are mostly white, gray or black, with patches of color on the cheeks, tail or crest. On average they are bigger than other parrots, although the cockatiel, the smallest cockatoo, is medium-sized. Five large black cockatoos form the genus Calyptorhynchus.

They eat seeds, corms and tubers, as well as fruit, flowers and insects, and flocks can get large, especially when feeding on the ground. Pairs stay monogamous and nest in hollows of trees. When big mature trees are cleared, some species lose places to nest and suffer. Others have done well around people and are now seen as farm pests.

Did you know?

• The genus Cacatua includes 12 species of white cockatoos.
• The galah is a pink and gray cockatoo.
• The palm cockatoo is a large cockatoo with black plumage.